The origination of Power Kiting™

Amphi-Kiting™ is the

Power Kite division of

airBeam Holdings and encompasses:-

Kite Surfing, Kite boarding and Kite Buggying

Kite Yachts, Kite Sailing and Kite Skiing on grass and snow and Body Kiting in Water

It also includes Power Kites with Amphibious vehicles and Land vehicles

Amphi-Kiting™ began with Keith Stewart’s Power kite demonstrations in the UK in 1976, progressing to the rest of Europe, where he demonstrated multiple kites, using the Peter Powell 2 line kite, for BP at major Agricultural shows, Motor Boat Grand Prix and Motor Racing Circuits.

Even with small stunt kites like these, in multiples it was possible in strong winds to be dragged around the arena. In some of these demos he was strapped into the sidecar of the World Champion, George O’Dell and the latter deliberately went fast upwind and slow downwind (contrary to the ‘correct’ method!) whilst Keith negotiated the stunt kites through the curves and under the bridges through which they sped. Keith was facing backwards, held to the sidecar by a leather belt around his stomach and not able to see the bridges etc that he had to go under, so it became an exciting combination.

From experience gained Kite jumping freefall in the arenas where he was demonstrating the power kites, by being held by the legs while the kites gathered steam by being flown in Figures of 8 until the moment of release, he realised that with bigger kites it would be possible to make the kites into a free power horse - so Amphi-Kiting™ was born.

He imported the larger Gordon Gillett power kites from the USA and then started attaching them to all types of kite buggies and water craft, but after he made kite history with the first solo English Channel Crossing with a 9ft Catamaran, being towed by 6 Gordon Gillett power kites he realised that the kites needed to be capable of being launched from water. The Power kites also had to be larger, so with Max Woosnam, who lived in the same village and had exprience of blimps, they started designing some inflatable power kites, or aerodynamic balloons.

Keith soon went out on his own, having decided that he wanted to concentrate all his efforts full time in inflatable power kites and kite buggies and water craft, having found that he had an intuitive capability to design something that worked.

KY 5 on the left is a very sophisticated Kite Yacht Proa and is just one of many different Kite Yachts that we designed, built and sailed using inflatable power kites.

KY 5 is using a Para-Sail™ or Semi-Sail™ Power kite that could be operated with either helium or air. Earlier we had developed a launching system where the power kite/aerodynamic balloon could be used on the water to tow the Kite Yacht Proa out from a harbour/shore and then lofted once the area was clear. It was used close-hauled initially and then our special winch enabled us to rotate the kite and extend the control cables to let the kite use the more stable winds found at higher altitudes. KY 5 above left was a further progression of this system, much more sophisticated and with the ability to tack within 20-25° off the wind, probably closer to windward than any conventionally sailed yacht has achieved.

Kite History was made, not only with the Channel Crossing, but also by being the first person as, far as we know, to board sail on a tandem board with Rudi Oeding-Oder with power kites

We have designed and built many different Kite Buggies, including the World’s first 7 seater Kite Buggy. You can see the kite boarding photos making kite boarding history and the other power kite applications in the following pages.