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This web site is the online home of Baiter Power Kites. Formed in 2003 we
are a small friendly informal traction kite club on the UK's south coast. Our home
flying field is Baiter Park Poole, situated on the shore line of Poole Harbour.
We welcome new members young and old, male and female, all are welcome, if you
would like any further information then please don't hesitiate to
Contact us
Although we are a small club, Baiter Park is the home flying site to some of the top UK
flyers. When not taking part in competition around the UK and in Europe you will find them
practicing and flying for pleasure at Baiter. We are happy to discuss our sport with new flyers or just the inquisative passer by, come on over and talk to us.
What is Traction Kite Flying
Simply
put, Traction Kite Flying (TKF) is being pulled along by a Kite. It is not a new sport, it
was first tried and tested by George Pocock in the 1820's in Bristol. Now a days there are
three main types of TKF in the UK, Kite Land Boarding (KLB), Kite Buggying (KB) and Kite
Surfing (KS) (Kite Snowboarding is praticed in Europe where they have the Snow). Although the
club has several members who Kite Surf we are a land based club
KLB is done on what looks like an oversized skateboard, a small board made from either wood
or composite material which the flyer stands on. KLB is the more dramatic kite sport to watch
flyers jump and twist through the air, as Mark is doing in the picture on the left, flying through the air and grabbing his board with one hand.
KB is done in a three wheeled
buggy (sometimes 2 wheels or even 4 wheels). Their are two types of activities for KB, the first
is racing (see Martin's picture in buggy K494). Races are held on large flat beaches where the distance of one lap can be 4 miles and races can last up to 6 hours (enduro races). The other side of KB is called buggy jumping, this is very similar to KLB except you strap yourself into the buggy and then perform jumps while still sat in the buggy, sound easy but it is not, but it is very spectacular to watch.