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Kitesurfing — playing with water or with fire?

Steven JG Leeuwerke, Manimaran Sinnathamby and René Zellweger
Med J Aust 2016; 204 (8): . || doi: 10.5694/mja15.01130
Published online: 2 May 2016

Kitesurfing is a relatively new water sport that converts wind energy into vertical and horizontal force using a large controllable kite. In optimal conditions, speeds of up to 65 km/h and heights of 20 m are reached.1,2 Impact at these speeds or from this height can lead to severe injuries or death,1 and such accidents have reinforced the image of kitesurfing as a highly dangerous and even reckless sport. Nonetheless, kitesurfing is rapidly gaining popularity and is among the fastest growing water sports worldwide.1


  • Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital, Perth, WA


Correspondence: sjgleeuwerke@gmail.com

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

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  • 2. Spanjersberg WR, Schipper IB. Kitesurfing: when fun turns to trauma—the dangers of a new extreme sport. J Trauma 2007; 63: E76-E80.
  • 3. Baker SP, O’Neill B, Haddon W Jr, Long WB. The injury severity score: a method for describing patients with multiple injuries and evaluating emergency care. J Trauma 1974; 14: 187-196.
  • 4. Exadaktylos AK, Sclabas GM, Blake I, et al. The kick with the kite: an analysis of kite surfing related off shore rescue missions in Cape Town, South Africa. Br J Sports Med 2005; 39: e26.
  • 5. Nickel C, Zernial O, Musahl V, et al. A prospective study of kitesurfing injuries. Am J Sports Med 2004; 32: 921-927.

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