What Is “Parachute Surfing”?

Parachute surfing sounds like something your uncle invented after one beach margarita too many. But it’s a real search term, and it usually points to one thing: people watching a rider get hauled across the water by a big canopy in the sky and guessing the name.

So here’s the straight answer: “parachute surfing” is a nickname people use for kitesurfing (also commonly called kiteboarding). It’s not a separate sport with a separate rulebook. It’s just what the setup looks like from far away, a person on a board, a curved canopy overhead, and a whole lot of speed.

If you searched for surfing with parachute or surfing with a parachute, you’re in the same neighborhood. You’re describing the visuals, not the official name. And honestly, that’s how most people find the sport the first time, by describing what they saw.

Why people call it parachute surfing

From the beach, a kitesurfing kite can look like a parachute for three simple reasons:

• It’s big and fabric-y: a bright canopy overhead reads “parachute” to the untrained eye.
• It’s connected by lines: you see long lines and assume “parachute rig.”
• It flies above a human: anything airborne over water gets labeled with whatever flying thing you already know.

Most people have seen parasailing or parachutes long before they’ve seen a traction kite. So their brain grabs the closest label and runs with it. That’s not dumb, it’s pattern matching, and humans do it constantly.

What you probably saw (so the nickname makes sense)

When people say parachute surfing, they’re usually describing a scene like this:

• A rider standing sideways on a board, skimming on the surface.
• A control bar in their hands, attached to long lines.
• A harness around their waist (or hips) that takes the pull.
• A large inflatable kite flying in an arc in the sky.

From 200 yards away, your brain sees “canopy + lines + person moving” and thinks parachute. From up close, you notice the bar inputs, the kite actively turning, and the way the rider changes direction without any boat involved. That’s the giveaway.

Another reason the “surfing” part shows up: the stance looks surf-like, and directional boards exist in the sport. Even when someone rides a twin tip (more like a wakeboard shape), the sideways stance still reads “surf” to most spectators.

What it’s actually called

In most cases, the correct name for what you’re seeing is kitesurfing or kiteboarding. You’ll also see people write kite surfing as two words. The mechanics don’t change: the wind provides power through a steerable kite, and the rider uses a board to move across the water.

If you want to untangle why there are multiple names for the same thing, it helps to see how riders use the vocabulary in everyday talk: Kiteboarding vs Kitesurfing: Are They the Same Thing?

If your goal is a clean definition of the sport, including the most common naming mix-ups, this lays it out clearly: What Is Kitesurfing? Understanding Kiteboarding, Kite Surfing, and Common Misconceptions

Parachute vs traction kite: the difference in one minute

Calling it parachute surfing makes sense visually, but functionally a parachute and a traction kite do different jobs.

So the kite overhead isn’t there to stop someone falling. It’s there to move them forward. Sometimes it moves them forward fast enough that it looks like they’ve got a hidden outboard motor. Spoiler: they don’t. It’s just wind and skill.

How the kite actually pulls (concept only)

A traction kite behaves like a wing. Wind flows over it, the shape creates lift, and that lift turns into pull along the lines. The rider steers the kite with the bar, and the kite’s position in the sky changes what the pull feels like.

People often talk about the “wind window,” which is just the slice of sky where the kite can fly relative to the wind direction. When the kite sits off to the side, it tends to pull you forward across the water. When it rises higher, it can feel lighter on the board because more lift points upward. You don’t need to memorize any diagrams to understand the gist: kite position changes the feeling.

This active steering is another big difference from a parachute. With a parachute, you mostly manage a descent. With a kite, you’re constantly managing a flying wing that can create pull in different directions. That’s why riders can carve, change direction, and ride back toward where they started instead of drifting away forever.

Why “surfing with a parachute” shows up so often

Search bars reward literal descriptions. If you don’t know a sport’s name, you type what you see. “Surfing with a parachute” is exactly that. It’s the same reason people search “water parachute sport” or “kite parachute board thing.” A little chaotic, but the intent is clear.

Another reason the phrase sticks: lots of beaches have parasailing. Parasailing uses a canopy that really is parachute-like, plus lines, plus a person moving through the air. It’s a short hop from that mental image to calling kitesurfing “parachute surfing.”

One quick visual check helps:

• Parasailing: usually a boat tow, the person hangs below the canopy.
• Kitesurfing: no tow boat, the person stands on a board and steers the canopy actively.

If you’re watching from far away, it can still blur together. Up close, the stance and the control bar make it obvious.

Is “parachute surfing” a real term riders use?

Riders don’t usually introduce themselves as “parachute surfers.” They’ll say kitesurfing, kiteboarding, or just “kiting.” The parachute label shows up more in spectator talk, social media captions, and early searches.

That said, riders hear it enough that they know what you mean. If you walk up and say, “Hey, is that parachute surfing?” most people will grin, and then translate it to the normal name in their head. It’s like calling a stand-up paddleboard “that big surfboard canoe thing.” You’re wrong, but you’re also not wrong enough to stop the conversation.

Does parachute surfing mean you’re flying?

Not in the parachute sense. Riders stay on the water most of the time. The kite can create lift, so jumps happen, but the point isn’t “float around.” The point is riding the surface using wind power.

Some sessions look mellow and cruisy. Others look like a full send highlight reel. Either way, it’s still the same setup: a steerable kite pulls, a board planes, a rider manages both.

Common misconceptions tied to the nickname

“It must be parasailing.”
Nope. Parasailing typically involves being towed. Kitesurfing involves steering your own power source in the sky while riding a board.

“The kite is basically a parachute.”
It can look similar from a distance, but it flies and generates pull like a wing. That’s why riders can change direction and ride angles, not just drift.

“You need waves because it’s ‘surfing.’”
Waves are optional. Wind is the engine. Plenty of riders prefer flatter water because it feels smooth and fast.

“You just hold on and get dragged.”
The rider actively steers the kite and uses the board edge to manage direction and speed. If it were pure dragging, riders would all end up in the next county.

A quick “what’s that part called?” decoder

If you’re new to the sport, the parts can blend into one big tangle. Here’s the quick version, no gear rabbit holes.

Once you know those words, the sport stops looking like “parachute chaos” and starts looking like a controlled wind-powered system.

So, what should you say instead?

If you’re talking to someone and you want to sound normal, “kitesurfing” is the most widely recognized name. “Kiteboarding” works too, and it’s often used as the broader category label. "Kiting" is the term most commonly used by actual practitioners of the sport.

And if you still love the phrase parachute surfing? Keep it as a fun nickname, but know that most riders will translate it to kitesurfing instantly. Just don’t be surprised if someone laughs and says, “Yeah, kinda,” because it does look that way from shore.

More terminology clarity (topic based)

To pin down the umbrella name that covers many board setups and surfaces, check out What Is Kiteboarding?

To understand when people use “kite surfing” as a style label and why the word “surf” shows up, see What Is Kite Surfing?

To untangle the overlap that causes most naming confusion in conversation, check out Kiteboarding vs Kitesurfing: Are They the Same Thing?

To get the clean conceptual definition of the sport and the misconceptions that fuel weird nicknames, see What Is Kitesurfing? Understanding Kiteboarding, Kite Surfing, and Common Misconceptions.

Bottom line

Parachute surfing is a nickname for kitesurfing or kiteboarding, usually used by spectators describing what they saw. It’s understandable, it’s funny, and it’s close enough to get you the right answers, as long as you know the real name once you find it.