Watch: Kite Surfer Launches Nearly 100 Feet in the Air
Picture a family tree of surfing.
Traditional surfing, maybe even longboarding and shortboarding, would be at the top as the matriarch and patriarch. Then, down the different branches of lineage, there would be a handful of relatives – windsurfing, hydrofoil surfing, bodyboarding, etc.
Somewhere in that ancestral pyramid, there’d be the distant cousin of kite surfing.
Kite surfing offers a different experience than traditional surfing, a much windier one. They utilize the wind, instead of scold it like most surfers, to propel them through the water with a kite attached to their hands and a board to their feet.
And one thing kite surfers can do, which regular surfers cannot, is literally fly through the air. Like this guy, two-time world champion Kevin Langeree, above.
This is not your average aerial.
Related: Watch: The Guinness World Record for Biggest Wave Ever Kitesurfed
According to Langeree:
“Yesterday was just all time! This jump was 25,3m (83 feet) high and 271m (889 feet) in distance.”
For reference, that’s how high the iconic Matterhorn rollercoaster climbs at Disneyland, and about three football fields in length.
But…is it a world record?
Related: Ever Seen a Kitesurfer Barrel Roll Inside of a Barrel? Watch This.
Sadly, no. According to The Kite Spot, there’s two recent record-holders (one man, one woman) whose insanely high kite surfing jumps tower over Langeree’s:
Joshua Emanuel – The New King of the Skies
Emanuel’s gravity-defying 36.2m jump took place under the watchful eyes of the kiteboarding community in northern Denmark, marking a historic moment in the sport. The South African athlete showcased unparalleled skill, determination, and a deep connection with the wind, pushing the boundaries of what was thought possible in kiteboarding.
Angely Buillot – Reigning Queen of the Skies
While Joshua Emanuel dominates the men’s category, the women’s title belongs to the phenomenal Angely Buillot. With a jaw-dropping jump height of 32.6 meters, she not only clinched victory but also shattered her own previous record of 25.1 meters. Buillot’s prowess in the air showcases the increasing prominence of female athletes in kiteboarding.
Still, this jump is no joke; hope he packed his passport.
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