kibokit

Hi everybody, had more than three years back posted a video of the predecessor to this latest prototype of mine, which had earned me some praise as well as some mockery, due to it looking slightly weird, this one is much better looking, faster, smaller, handier . . . . Feedback, positive or negative, highly appreciated!

I haven't jumped hat thing, as I first wanted to get the movie ready, before risking any damage. I think, it would be possible though, and the scooter would probably have a 45deg position (as can be guessed from 2:11 in the clip) while in the air. Now the monsoon doesn't allow for further testing and I 'll have to wait a couple of months before trying stuff like that. I have capsized a couple of times and it can easily be righted. Haven't tried to take a passenger yet, but I'm pretty sure that it would be possible, another thing that I am going to try after the monsoon.

I unfortunately live in a place, where 20mph is extremely rare and about as strong as the wind ever gets (except in gusts during monsoon when strong currents, surf and rain make kiting almost impossible). Haven't thus ever been overpowered with the 21sqm kite and not tried any LEIs with the scooter. Should work well with any kite however, if the wind is right.

I always keep the thing roughly upwind from my starting point, so when I drop the kite and can't relaunch, I separate kite and scooter get back to the beach with the kite and recover that and then swim out and collect the scooter (usually it's quite near by the time I am ready or even already stranded) .

Race course kite boards can reach tremendous speeds easily exceeding 20knts in very light winds from 6knts onwards, if operated by skilled riders. While this sounds like an excellent alternative to "classical" kite boarding, when the wind is just to light, hardly anyone seems to do it. Main reason for this, I suppose, is a steep learning curve and it being physically and mentally exhausting, at least for beginners. In the following video I am presenting a prototype of a kite scooter with a heel free rigging system, which could be operated almost instantly and effortlessly by any kiter. I am convinced that, once properly designed by more qualified people than I am, it will performance-wise at least be on a par, if not even ahead of raceboards (due to a more effective fin/foil and the ability to use a bigger kite enabled by the heel free design). Any feedback, praise, concerns, suggestions, questions, etc. welcome Ingo

Latest prototype of my invention kitesailing off Fehmarn:

have a look at this Ingo