Images: Riding the kiteboarding wave

A San Francisco kiteboarder catches air at a local kiteboarding spot in the Bay Area during high winds. The equipment-intensive sport requires a board similar to a wakeboard with footholds, a kite, tether lines, and a bar that holds the lines. For protection: a harness, helmet, and wet suit. Most enthusiasts have a "quiver" of kites, meaning that they will own several kites that vary in size and number of sails, working differently at varying wind speeds. The size of the kite correlates to power, so a person might use a large-sail kite on a low-wind day (say 15 mph winds).