Kiting practise in Princes Park

We are lucky to have so many beautiful paragliding sites to choose from in East Sussex. From the iconic white horse at High and Over to the stunning white cliffs and sparkling sea at Beachy Head, we can cover almost any wind direction. A North East wind finds us at Bo Beep, flying the beautiful South Downs ridge. A South West wind leads us up the steep sides of Mount Caburn. If the wind comes from the South, we are treated to scenic sea views at Newhaven. But when the wind is coming straight from the West…? We are sadly lacking!

This past Sunday, we woke up to beautiful sunshine and a fresh breeze. Unfortunately, it was that dastardly West wind, so we knew that paragliding was not an option for the day. Instead, we headed for a day out in Eastbourne to enjoy the outdoors and try a different kind of flying, this time with a power kite!

The power kite is built like a very small paragliding wing, which catches the air and inflates, allowing it to fly fast and smoothly. After a few false starts, we had the kite high in the air, flying in the wind. Watched by a few curious dog walkers and families enjoying the park, we moved around the field to control the kite in the wind and keep it airborne.

The wind got gradually stronger throughout the afternoon, until we finally decided we’d have to give up. Rewarding ourselves with an ice cream on the lovely Eastbourne seafront, we relaxed in the sunshine for a while longer.

It wasn’t quite the same as soaring through the air like a bird under the paragliding wing, but it passed a sunny Sunday!