Power kiting uses a large kite or high winds to produce a load big enough to move the flyer. Most of the variants of power kiting--especially the popular ones--are some type of sailing. All of the sailing forms use a large kite or a stack of kites as the power source for some vehicle however large or small. The kite is always steerable so that the flier can position it in the sky similar to the way a sailor trims a sail. The pilot can sail the craft upwind downwind or across the wind just like a conventional sail boat. However the kite allows techniques and speed not possible in any conventional sail boat.
Kite dragging and sand skiing use the kite to move the flyer downwind. Kite jumping uses the kite to lift the flyer off the ground and cushion the return to the ground. Man lifting suspends the flyer off the ground.