Up, up and away!

However, these kites are a bitch to put up. Made up of a sail with balloon ribs, these things need a lot of space for take off and a monster to take care of.

I remember this one guy who wasn't able to control his kite while coming into the beach, which usually means jumping off your board and laying on your back in the water while hoping your kite won't get blown off. Unfortunately, the winds weren't cooperating and it blew the kite straight at the flagpoles (made of thick bamboos) flying these advertising banners nearby.

Thankfully, nobody was hurt nor was anything damaged but still, as one commenter said, at least windsurfers can jump off when there's a big wind but kiteboarders have to suffer an unruly kite else lose their kite altogether. Makes me wonder who invented these things...