WAVES & WOMEN: Chapter 4 - Taking Flight

Introducing the Series: WAVES & WOMEN

Welcome to WAVES & WOMEN, our newest story-driven blog series from WALLIEN. Over the next several posts, we’ll take you on a journey through surfing’s ancient roots, explore what makes it so addictive and dive into the power of sisterhood in the sea. 

In this sense our blogs do indeed bear much similarity to a love letter - one whom many of us have either written or received - in this case it'll be a love letter to the ocean. One, which unfolds itself over its chapters.

Whether you’re a seasoned surfer or still building up to your first pop-up, this series is for every water-loving woman who’s ever wondered: What exactly am I tapping into when I paddle out? Why do I feel such a thrill when I am out there in the forces of nature?

Let us start at the beginning and welcome to the fourth chapter.

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Long before kites were pulling surfers across turquoise lagoons, they were pulling the limits of human imagination.

Kites have existed for over 2.000 years, with its origins traced all the way back to ancient China - kites for military signaling, weather forecasting and even measuring distances.

Fast forward to the 18th century, and we meet Benjamin Franklin - a scientist, inventor and one of the founding fathers of the United States. In 1752, he famously flew a kite during a thunderstorm to prove that lightning is a form of electricity. It was risky indeed - and we certainly don't recommend this as "a try it yourself experiment"- but revolutionary. Franklin's kite set the standard of pushing boundaries. In other words, kites have always been about exploration and daring.

That very same spirit lives on in kitesurfing today.

Yet it wasn’t until the late 1990s that inflatable, water-relaunchable kites, developed by French brothers Bruno and Dominique Legaignoux, transformed the kite from a toy or tool into a proper water sport. Suddenly, people weren’t just flying kites - they were flying with them. Across oceans. Off waves. Into the sky.

And women? They were right there from the start, turning innovation into inspiration and inspiration into movement.

Inspired To Hit The Water and Go For A Kitesurf Session? Take The Right Gear!

• Inclusivity by design : As one kitesurfer put it, “It’s technique, not brute strength… anyone from 7 to 79 can ride”

• Emotional resilience and flow : The focus and adrenaline of flying kites fosters a meditative state and stronger stress resistance

• A community that lifts you: Kiteboarding is often seen and described by practitioners of the watersport as a judgment-free, supportive community

Wind + Water = Therapy

Kitesurfing is physically demanding yes, but it is also mentally restorative:

• Kitesurfing enforces presence: wind, kite, body alignment merges into meditation

• It offers stress relief and confidence building: mastering the wind becomes a metaphor for mastering self

• And like surf therapy, it supports emotional healing, especially for women navigating trauma, transition, or self-discovery .

A profile: one of our WALLIEN gear testimonials began kiting at 52 and says the sport healed childhood trauma, replacing silence with soaring joy.

“What started as a kite became a lifeline back to myself.” 

To read more on the concept of flow - Chapter 2: The Science of Stoke.

Healing Altitude: Mindset, Movement, Metaphor

Kitesurfing invites radical self-trust: you must yield to the wind, yet command it. You must let go and yet stay grounded in body and board. Over time:

• Your nervous system calms

• Your confidence grows

• Your capacity for joy expands

Like surf, but with altitude and edge.

Maybe it’s the surge of lift as your board slices across wind and water. Maybe it’s the total-body focus that silences the static. Or maybe it’s the thrill of flying - literally - when you once felt stuck.

Kitesurfing reminds us that we are capable of far more than we’ve been told.
Not just to ride but to soar. To take up space and to chase adrenaline without apology.

This isn’t just a sport. It’s a way of life. Taking Flight.

What’s Next in WAVES & WOMEN

So far, we’ve explored surfing’s roots, the science of stoke, the healing power of the ocean—and now, the fearless rise of women in wind. But water has many forms. And sometimes, healing comes not from catching air, but from slowing down, floating, gliding, and simply being.

In the next chapter, we’ll explore:

• The quiet strength of swimming and stand-up paddleboarding (SUP)

• How these accessible, low-impact sports offer emotional clarity, balance, and peace

• And why so many women are finding their way back to themselves - one gentle stroke, one steady breath at a time

Stay tuned for Chapter 5  – Still Waters: Healing Through Swimming & SUP.