![]() ![]() He was an expert kite flyer from California and wanted to try the sport but knew nothing about surfing. According to Chris Gilbert of Hi-Tech surf sports, “An older gentleman came into the store after passing Ho`okipa and seeing Flash kite surfing. Familiarity with board riding is also a useful prerequisite, whether it be wakeboard, surfboard waterskis or Hawaiian outrigger canoe. Windsurfing skills and judgment are beneficial in the learning process. This has added to the sport’s credibility and legitimacy. ![]() Now, new techniques coupled with innovative board and kite design have made going upwind a reality. Master sail designer and father of kite surfing Joe Koehl had to break the news to Flash that he was already ahead of everybody else and would have to be the teacher for a while.įor a long time, it was only possible to travel downwind, making it very difficult to get back to your car. “I moved to Maui with the impression that kite surfing was more evolved than it actually is,” he says. Kite surfing allows him the freedom to wakeboard without the boat remaining totally self contained.Īnother athlete in the ring is Marcus “Flash” Austin, who started out on a skimboard carving the shore breaks of Florida. “I saw that picture of Laird and knew right away that I was interested in kite surfing” says Lou Waiman, a wakeboarder from Florida who has come to Maui to be part of the evolution. A few years ago, a picture of Laird Hamilton kite surfing graced the pages of an international watersports magazine and provoked interest around the globe. It’s captured the attention of boardriders from around the world who are enticed by the limitless potential. This makes it possible to test the sport in some of Maui’s intense conditions. The newest development is the Wipika, an inflatable waterproof kite. Flyers use the boom to steer the kite in all directions. Foot straps hold the rider to the board and kite strings are connected to a padded bar. Over the past decade, people have been experimenting with his idea, using various types of watercraft. The idea grew out of using the regular two-string kite and is still evolving. In the mid 1980s, an engineer from Oregon named Cory Roeseler designed a kite big enough to pull him on his waterskis. This is the eve of kite surfing, and there’s a new wind blowing. For years, people have migrated to the Valley Isle to chalk out new and exciting ways to test the boundaries between man, wind and water. We encourage you to download, print, and study these valuable educational resources for kiteboarders.The island of Maui is a drawing board where many ocean sports have been created. Pro Skills Coaching – Inquire with us if you are an advanced rider and would like to learn higher-level IKO skills and/or freestyle riding and tricks, wave riding, or kite foiling. Learn to control your speed by edging, ride upwind, ride toeside, turn, self-launch, and more. ![]() Independent: Kiteboarder Level 3 (8 hours) (opens in a new tab) Learn to enter and exit the water while controlling the kite, body drag with the kite including upwind, body drag while holding the board, attempt a water start with the board, and more. Intermediate: Kiteboarder Level 2 (4 hours) (opens in a new tab) Learn to assess your location, set up your equipment, utilize safety systems, pilot the kite on land, and explore the wind window, and more. Note: progression times may vary significantly from student to student.ĭiscovery: Kiteboarder Level 1 (2 hours) (opens in a new tab) Your Kiteboarder Card is recognized with instructors and schools around the world, serving to validate your ability level and ensure consistent instruction wherever you go. Upon completion of your lesson, you can receive an IKO Kiteboarder Card, certifying the progress you have made. The IKO learning program is ideal for students’ quick skills progression, with a continual emphasis on safety. We are the only International Kiteboarding Organization Exclusively-Affiliated Center on O‘ahu and we follow the IKO instructional standards, which have been developed through years of experience teaching and studying the sport. For students under 12, please contact us to learn more. At a minimum, all students must be of good health, able to swim, and of a minimum physical size. We have worked with students as young as 9, and as old as 70. Who can learn to kite? Kiteboarding is a great lifetime sport for those of all ages. ![]()
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