Sport kite

A sport kite, also commonly known as a stunt kite, is a kite that can be maneuvered in the air. A related kite also controllable and used for recreation, but capable of generating a significant amount of pull and used for providing movement is the Power kite.

Developments in multi-line kites in recent years has allowed forms of kite flying to develop into a sport. Kite competitions have much in common with figure skating, with competitors being judged on their performance in compulsory figures as well as a "ballet", which involves artistic interpretation of music. Performances are done as individuals, a pair of pilots, or as a team. Team flying is typically the most spectacular, with up to eight pilots, their kites flying within inches of each other and narrowly averting disaster, while performing all manner of figures and formations in the air. Competitions are held nationally and internationally under the auspices of Sport Team and Competitive Kiting (STACK). There is a bi-annual World Championship which was last held at Berck sur Mer, France in April 2014 and won for the third consecutive time by British team 'The Scratch Bunnies'. They are the first ever team to hold the title on three consecutive occasions.

In the United States, the American Kitefliers Association (AKA) is the umbrella organization for sport kite contests. Competition winners from the various regions are invited to the annual AKA convention for national championships.

In 1996 the AKA, STACK, and All-Japanese Sport Kite Association (AJSKA) formed the International Rule Book Committee (IRBC) to standardize rules and processes.

The most common configuration for a sport kite is a roughly triangular "delta" shape, with two lines for control. These kites are normally constructed from lightweight ripstop nylon or ripstop polyester with spars made from carbon fiber tubing. The flying lines are made from braided ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene, which is light, does not stretch and stays slippery even when wrapped many times.

...
Wikipedia