Biomechanical and Physiological Demands of Kitesurfing and Epidemiology of Injury Among Kitesurfers

Abstract

Kitesurfing is a relatively new extreme water sport that is considered a high-risk sport and has rising popularity. Kitesurfing combines aspects of several water sports, including surfing, windsurfing, and wakeboarding. With a large controllable kite and a small board, kitesurfers travel over the water surface with speeds of up to 35 knots. The vertical lift of the kite makes it possible to perform jumps up to 15 m high and 30 m long, while doing different manoeuvres in the air. Few scientific data are available concerning the biomechanical and physiological demands of kitesurfing and the epidemiology of kitesurfing injury, and research methods used are often questionable. During kitesurfing, considerable stress is placed on the musculoskeletal and physiological systems, and the possibility of injury or fatality is an inherent part of participation. The lower back and thigh muscles are often perceived as being highly stressed, while abdominal muscles, knees, and feet are common sites of pain or discomfort. During kitesurfing, both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism contribute to energy delivery. It is reported in the literature that kitesurfing injuries are mainly acute, due to accidents or trauma. Non-competitive kitesurfing resulted in an overall injury rate of 5.9-7.0 injuries per 1,000 kitesurfing hours. It seems that the risk of injury increases dramatically in competitive kitesurfing. However, contradictory results have been found. Lower extremities were the most common major site of injuries, followed by upper extremities, trunk, and head. Most accidents during kitesurfing reported in the literature were attributed to the inability to detach the kite from the harness. Due to technical innovations, recent studies report uncontrolled actions and unsuccessful tricks and jumps with poor landings as the main mechanisms of injuries. The main purpose of the present paper is to critically analyse the current relevant scientific literature on the biomechanical and physiological demands of kitesurfing and the epidemiology of injury among kitesurfers, in order to obtain greater insights into (i) the stresses imposed on the musculoskeletal and physiological systems by kitesurfing, and (ii) the rate, pattern, and mechanisms of kitesurfing injuries.

Windsurfing vs kitesurfing: Injuries at the North Sea over a 2-year period

“…A review of the literature identified an overall injury rate of 5.9 to 7.0 injuries per 1000 noncompetitive kitesurfing hours[12]. A prospective kitesurf study showed an injury rate of 7 injuries per 1000 h of practicing the sport[9].…”

“…Despite the increasing popularity and possible dangers of this sport, little is known about injury prevalence or prevention[8]. However, some reports did analyse kitesurfing injuries and even reported fatal accidents[9-12]. …”

Kite surfing: epidemiology of trauma

“…It is a high-risk activity that combines several water sports including surfing, windsurfing and wakeboarding 2. Using a large kite and small fibreglass board, travel occurs by opposing the force of the wind through tension on a string.…”

Assessing sleep, travelling habits and jet lag in kite surfers according to competition level

“…The apparatus consists of a large controllable kite with a handlebar connected to the kite surfer's harness, and a small board with footpads and straps for riding over the water; athletes are pulled over the water surface, performing jumps and several risky elements in the air even in conditions of light wind (Bourgois et al 2014;Nebas & Heller 2014). A kitesurfing competition can be performed in two main categories in accordance with the type of elements involved -namely, crossing (sideways transportation over the surface of the water) and freestyle (jumps and pop tricks) (Bourgois 2014). The few scientific data suggest that crossing is sustained by aerobic metabolism and is of a moderately intense activity (65-70% VO 2 max) (Vercruyssen et al 2009).…”

“…The few scientific data available concern: biomechanical (Bourgois et al 2014) and physiological aspects (Vercruyssen et al 2009;Camps et al 2011;Clua et al 2014); comfort and safety of the equipment design (lundgren et al 2012;Nebas & Heller 2014); and injuries sustained (lundgren et al 2012;Driessen et al 2015).…”