Watermen Masters
Kite Surfing and Kite Boarding Extras
Kite Surfing Tips
How to Start Kite SurfingTake wakeboarding, ditch the boat, add a parabolic kite tethered by 100-foot lines, toss in some wind, and you get kiteboarding, a sport born in the late 1990s that is currently exploding in popularity. Despite the extreme show put on by experienced kiters—who can handle 1000 pounds of force, reach speeds topping 50 mph and fly 50 feet above the water—the sport is surprisingly easy to learn. Most people pick it up after just a couple days of lessons. Here are the skills and gear you need to get started.
Learning Progression
1 Land Lesson
"Ninety percent of kiteboarding is kite control," Markus Schale, owner of Kiteboarding School of Maui, says. Beach-based lessons allow beginners to practice with special training kites that have short, easy-to-control lines. The key is to keep an eye on the 180-degree arc in the sky that the kite flies in, called the "wind window."
2 Body Dragging
Before strapping on a board, you'll practice controlling the kite as it drags your body—face-first—through the water. Fly the kite close to the water while keeping your head down and legs together. This turns your torso into a rudder, dragging you upwind—an essential skill if you hope to retrieve a lost board. (Kiters don't use leashes; the slingshot effect can be skull-cracking.)
3 Water Start
Start out your run with the board pointed about 45 degrees downwind toward the kite—there will be less resistance than with a sideways board and it'll be easier to get up. While keeping the kite hovering at the neutral noon position, carefully slip your feet into the board's foot straps. Aim the board slightly downwind, and then dive the kite hard while driving your weight through your hips, legs and feet. Once you're standing upright, dive the kite again to accelerate and get your board planing. Now lean back at a 45-degree angle and, depending on which direction you're riding, park the kite at either the 11 o'clock or 2 o'clock position. "Keep your body in a straight line," Laurel Eastman, a former pro kiter, says. "Push your hips forward and shoulders to the sea."
4 Riding Upwind
Riding upwind returns you to the beach at the same spot you entered the water. To do this, fly the kite low and maintain even power. While edging against the kite, lean back, then swivel your hips and upper body in the direction you want to tack. Push down on your back foot to keep your edge from slipping down-wind. "Always look over your shoulder, facing where you want to end up," Schale says.
Learning Progression
1 Land Lesson
"Ninety percent of kiteboarding is kite control," Markus Schale, owner of Kiteboarding School of Maui, says. Beach-based lessons allow beginners to practice with special training kites that have short, easy-to-control lines. The key is to keep an eye on the 180-degree arc in the sky that the kite flies in, called the "wind window."
2 Body Dragging
Before strapping on a board, you'll practice controlling the kite as it drags your body—face-first—through the water. Fly the kite close to the water while keeping your head down and legs together. This turns your torso into a rudder, dragging you upwind—an essential skill if you hope to retrieve a lost board. (Kiters don't use leashes; the slingshot effect can be skull-cracking.)
3 Water Start
Start out your run with the board pointed about 45 degrees downwind toward the kite—there will be less resistance than with a sideways board and it'll be easier to get up. While keeping the kite hovering at the neutral noon position, carefully slip your feet into the board's foot straps. Aim the board slightly downwind, and then dive the kite hard while driving your weight through your hips, legs and feet. Once you're standing upright, dive the kite again to accelerate and get your board planing. Now lean back at a 45-degree angle and, depending on which direction you're riding, park the kite at either the 11 o'clock or 2 o'clock position. "Keep your body in a straight line," Laurel Eastman, a former pro kiter, says. "Push your hips forward and shoulders to the sea."
4 Riding Upwind
Riding upwind returns you to the beach at the same spot you entered the water. To do this, fly the kite low and maintain even power. While edging against the kite, lean back, then swivel your hips and upper body in the direction you want to tack. Push down on your back foot to keep your edge from slipping down-wind. "Always look over your shoulder, facing where you want to end up," Schale says.
