A windsport is any type of sport which involves wind-power, often involving a non-rigid airfoil such as a sail or a power kite. The activities can be land-based, on snow, on ice or on water. Windsport activity may be regulated in some countries by aviation/maritime authorities if they are likely to interfere with other activities. Local authorities may also regulate activity in certain areas, especially on crowded beaches and parks.
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- using a masted sail attached to a vessel with skates
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Kite boating - sailing a boat in displacement or planing mode using a kite
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Kite landboarding - using a power kite with a wheeled board while standing
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Kite buggy - using a wheeled buggy with seats attached to a power kite
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Kite flying - flight of a small airfoil by a standing ground operator using 1-4 flying lines
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Kite skating - as for kite jumping but while using specialized skates
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Kite surfing - using a surfboard attached to a power kite
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Land sailing - a masted sail attached to a land vehicle - see also land yacht
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Sailing - navigating a boat with sail attached to a mast
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Snowkiting - skiing/snowboarding under the power of a kite
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Windsurfing - sailing using a masted sail attached via a gimbal to a surfboard
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Wing foiling or wingsurfing is a surface watersport where a rider uses a lightweight wing on a surf board with a hydrofoil.
Air sports
The following
air sports are not classed as windsports because in these the participants actually leave the ground for long periods and many do not use the wind:
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Gliding - use of vertically moving air to keep an aircraft aloft
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Hang gliding - use of vertically moving air to keep aloft an aircraft with a flexible wing
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- flying a hang glider with an engine (also see ultralight aircraft)
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Parachuting (skydiving) and base jumping - controlled descent of the operator under a large flexible canopy
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Paragliding - soaring under a parachute canopy
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Parasailing - hanging under a paraglider towed by a vehicle (boat, car, or snowmobile) in order to ascend (usually over water)
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Hot air ballooning - a balloon you ride which uses fire to go up and wind to stay afloat
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Paramotoring - a motor vehicle attached with a parachute which can hang into the air for hours and can also be used as a vehicle to cross countries or jumping to an island. It is self-controllable, and you may need the permission of the local government to fly over an area.
