“Why aren’t they out on the sea?”, “How are they not in hospital all the time?”- Just a few of the regular thoughts we might have as kitesurfers when watching the landward kiteboarding folk. Taking a closer look we can see that Varying terrain and a higher risk factor could be some of the biggest draws to the sport and maybe why they choose the land as there preferred surface.
Here in England the worlds best Urban Kiteboarders can be found. David Ursell, Aj Philipsen, Lewis Wilby, Craig Sparkes, Kris Beech and Danny Copeland can be seen in this video easily boosting as high as kitesurfers and also throwing respectable loops that would gain cred out at sea.
They choose the small seaside town of Frinton-On-Sea in Essex. Frinton, Also famous for the controversial Subway add, “Am I Dead? No You’re in Frinton on Sea” has become one of the hot spots for Kite landboarding and its not hard to see why.
Is this the right Indian to use for reflective matters? The expression ‘Indian summer’ has been used for more than three centuries. The earliest known use was by French-American writer John Hector St. John de Crevecoeur in rural New York in 1778. There are several theories as to its etymology:
*In Colonial New England and New York, Indian Summer referred only to a January Thaw, when American Indians Raiding parties could be expected in the western and northern areas: the ground had briefly lost its snow cover so tracking the Native American raiders back to their winter camps was much more difficult for the Colonials.
*In The Americans: The Colonial Experience, Daniel J. Boorstin speculates that the term originated from raids on European colonies by Indian war parties; these raids usually ended in late autumn (due to snow covered ground), hence summer-like weather in the late fall and mid winter was an Indian Summer, a time raiding parties could be expected.
*In the same way that Indian giver was coined for people who take back presents they have bestowed, the phrase Indian summer may simply have been a way of saying “false summer”.
In China, this period is called “qiū lǎohǔ” (秋老虎), which literally means ‘a tiger in autumn’. In Chinese, it signifies the revival of often fierce, summer-like heat that persists well past the Beginning of Autumn. This hot weather may persist until well into October or November in the southern regions.
In the south of Brazil, a similar phenomenon is called “veranico de maio”, a regional term roughly meaning “little summer of May”, representing a short span of hot weather that occurs mid-autumn.
In former times in Europe, ‘Indian summer‘ was called ‘Saint Martin’s Summer’, referring to St. Martin’s day, November 11, when it was supposed to end.
The phrase ‘Saint Martin’s Summer’ comes from France where it is still widely used. Saint Martin of Tours died in Candes sur Loire, nowCandes-Saint-Martin, on November 8, 397 AD. His corpse was claimed by people of both Poitou and Touraine provinces. The latter pilfered him and brought him on a boat by the river Loire to Tours where he was and still is buried. Legend has it that the river banks flowered as his corpse went by from Candes to Tours.
In British English ”St. Martin’s Summer” was the most widely used term until the American phrase Indian Summer became better known in the 20th century.
Whilst most top kitesurfing destinations talk of wind in Season’s one country delivers week upon week all round the year. England- Statistically the windiest country in Europe is pumping right now, even over the Summer Months. June’s statistics have become reminiscent of a summer 3 years back where kitesurfers reportedly kited for 29 days out of 30. Wind Expert Gavin Baylis explains, “Well It has to be down to the Jet stream which lies over the UK. That combined with the low pressures which track over the atlantic and a good Thermal Difference between land and sea in Summer is the reason we have good wind all year round”.
Lewis Crathern a kitesurfer from the southcoast region shares his thoughts: “It is becoming extremely unusual to use a 13m here even in summer. A typical seabreeze will produce enough power for my 9m or even a 7m. Combine a seabreeze with actual wind and I will probably be flying 7m or even 5!”
Local Resident Ed Vinicombe who has lived on the south coast for over 50 years and runs ‘Ice To See You’ Ice-cream Parlor says, “I’ve just about had enough of it, I can’t even put a bloody sign outside the shop without it blowing off down the street. I have lost 10 signs over the years. Where do they go?
Bathers Flea from the beaches as the wind is set to carry on throughout the month of June. “It’s great, the wind blows and we get the beaches to ourselves”- Local Kitesurfer ‘Kev Maguire’.
‘Jezmondo‘ enjoying yet another kite Session With Pals this Summer in the UK.
July 1887, Glasgow, Scotland
The first windmill for electricity production is built by Professor James Blyth of Anderson’s College, Glasgow (now Strathclyde University). The professor experiments with three different turbine designs, the last of which is said to have powered his Scottish home for 25 years.
Winter 1887 – Ohio, US
Professor Charles F. Brush builds a 12kW wind turbine to charge 408 batteries stored in the cellar of his mansion. The turbine, which ran for 20 years, had a rotor diameter of 50m and 144 rotor blades.
1890s – Askov, Denmark
Scientist Poul la Cour begins his wind turbine tests in a bid to bring electricity to the rural population of Denmark. In 1903, Poul la Cour founded the Society of Wind Electricians and in 1904 the society held the first course in wind electricity. La Cour was the first to discover that fast rotating wind turbines with fewer rotor blades were most efficient in generating electricity production.
1927 – Minneapolis, US
Joe and Marcellus Jacobs open the Jacobs Wind factory, producing wind turbine generators. The generators are used on farms to charge batteries and power lighting.
1920s
The first vertical axis wind turbine, the Darrieus turbine, is invented by Frenchman George Darrieus who in 1931 has it patented in the US. The Darrieus type is theoretically just as efficient as the more common propellor type given constant wind speed, but in practice this efficiency is rarely realised due to the physical stresses and limitations imposed by a practical design and wind speed variation. There are also major difficulties in protecting the Darrieus turbine from extreme wind conditions and in making it self-starting.
The design, often referred to as the “eggbeater windmill”, due to the appearance of its two or three blades, is still used today.
1931 – Yalta, former USSR
A precursor to the modern horizontal wind generator is used in Yalta, generating 100kW. The turbine has a 30m tower and a 32% load factor, meaning it provides 32% of its potential energy output, pretty good even by today’s standards.
1941 – Vermont, US
The world’s first megawatt wind turbine is built near Grandpa’s Knob Summit and connected to the power grid in Castleton, Vermont. The turbine has 75-foot blades and weighs 240 tons.
1956 – Gedser, Denmark
The Gedser wind turbine is built by Johannes Juul, a former student of Poul la Cour. The 200kW, three-bladed turbine inspired many later turbine designs, and Juul’s invention – emergency aerodynamic tip breaks – is still used in turbines today. The turbine operated until 1967 and was refurbished in the mid 1970s at the request of Nasa.
1970s – Ohio, US
The United States government, led by Nasa, begins research into large commercial wind turbines. Thirteen experimental turbines are put into operation and the research paves the way for many of the multi-megawatt technologies used today.
1980 – New Hampshire, US
The world’s first windfarm consisting of 20 turbines is built in New Hampshire. The windfarm however, is a failure as the turbines break down and the developers overestimate the wind resource.
1981 – Washington and Hawaii, US
In 1981 the 7.5mW Mod-2 is build by Nasa, followed in 1987 by the 3.2mW, two-blade wind turbine Mod-5B. Both turbines break records for diameter and energy output.
1991 – Vindeby, Denmark
The first offshore windfarm is created in Vindeby, in the southern part of Denmark. The windfarm consists of 11 450kW turbines.
1991 – Cornwall, UK
The UK’s first onshore windfarm is opened in Delabole, Cornwall. The farm consists of 10 turbines and produces enough energy for 2,700 homes.
2003 – North Wales, UK
The UK’s first offshore windfarm is opened. North Hoyle offshore windfarm is located 7-8km off the north Wales coast between Prestatyn and Rhyl and consists of 30 2mW turbines.
2007 – Stirling, UK
Installed capacity of wind power in the UK reaches 2gW, with the opening of the Braes O’Doune windfarm, in Scotland, which produces 72mW of power.
Present-Uk
As of 1 January 2011, there were 283 operational wind farms in the UK, with 3,153 turbines and 5,204 MW of installed capacity. A further 2,506 MW worth of schemes are currently under construction, while another 6,208 MW have planning consent and some 9,102 MW are in planning awaiting approval.
During late 2010 4% of power was supposed to come from offshore, but in reality 0.04% was produced due to lack of wind! We have a long way to go to reach the EU agreed target of 15% of electricity consumed to be wind derived by 2020, but we are moving in the right direction.