Imagine being strapped to a short plank of wood balancing on a pole above water, and being propelled by a sail-like parachute around an obstacle course at 80 kilometres per hour, all whilst trying not to tangle with your competitors.

That’s kind of what it’s like to take part in one of the Paris Olympics’ newest sports: kiteboarding.

The adrenaline-fuelled sport officially falls under the banner of sailing and is taking part in the majestic port of Marseilles, a provincial region in southern France.

It’s one of the new disciplines introduced in Paris and is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Formula Kite, as the Olympic discipline is otherwise known, has evolved from various kiteboarding strands, some of which involve riders doing tricks in huge aerial jumps and others focusing on pure pace.

In Marseilles, 20 of the sport’s best athletes don helmets and stand on a short board with a hydrofoil that helps them “fly” across the top of the water at paces so fast the rest of the world turns mute.

“What’s cool is it’s so silent, flying across not hitting the water,” six-time US world champion Daniela Moroz said.

Blink and you’ll miss her

Australian Breiana Whitehead‘s a first-time Olympian who has made her way through to the semifinal stages of the inaugural competition.

The qualification process for kitesurfing can be a bit confusing, so stick with me.

Whitehead was one of eight athletes to finish between third and tenth in the heats — the top two competitors in the heats went straight through to the final.

In the six semifinal races, the goal is to pick up three race wins, which is enough to guarantee a spot in the gold medal final.

If Whitehead gets through, she’ll be part of a final series that could last anywhere from one to six races.

In the final, the two fastest qualifiers — who have skipped the semis — start with two and one “wins” to their names respectively.

Again, it’s the first three overall wins, meaning those that qualify fastest are part way to having a gold medal around their neck before they hit the water.

So who we do watch?

Well, obviously, Aussie young gun Bri Whitehead.

She’s fourth in the world rankings behind the United States’ Daniela Moroz, Lauriane Nolot of France and Britain’s Eleanor Aldridge.

Nolot and Aldridge are already through to the gold medal race series in first and second respectively.

In the men’s division, 17-year-old Max Maeder from Singapore is world champion and tops the most recent World Sailing rankings.

In sailing circles, he’s considered close to unbeatable.

The teenager describes kiteboarding as being like driving a racing car while simultaneously playing a game of chess.

Maeder is likely to be able to afford both if he wins gold, with his nation promising a million-dollar reward for a gold medal.

How do they stay afloat?

It’s more science than witchcraft, though the uninitiated might take some convincing.

The athletes use a harness and lean backwards, their boards tipping at what sometimes look like impossible angles, as they race at speeds of up to 82kph.

Attached to the board is a long keel with a foil at the bottom, which is what helps to lift the board out of the water.

The kites are steered with a control bar as their riders tussle around tight corners and try to ensure their sails don’t dip or get tangled with a competitor’s.

The sport, which is also known as foil-racing, has been described as the aquatic equivalent of Formula 1.

And like the F1, it can attract its fair share of celebrities. But there’s one that Daniela Monoz wants to see in the stands more than the rest.

“I think that would be hilarious. Especially on our medal races. I think that would be epic. I’ll have to get him out on the water.”

With wires