Kite School

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The MACshack Kiteboarding School - 1801 Beach St, Muskegon, MI 49441

MACkite has been offering lessons for over 14 seasons and we’re pumped for another season of teaching students the life-changing sport of kiteboarding! We offer all of our summer lessons at the MACshack at 1801 Beach St in Muskegon, which is reserved specifically for our students. Our instructors teach hundreds of students every year on how to ride safely and to learn the undying love of kiteboarding. We hook up our students with the latest gear - after all, we are in the business of making kiteboarders!

In the fall, winter, and spring, students will enjoy their lessons in our indoor teaching area at our Board Sports Center at 16881 Hayes Street in Grand Haven. During those cold sessions, we will instruct you the basics while you remain toasty in our shop, then we’ll throw you outside to practice what you’ve learned.

Whether you’re kiteboarding or snowkiting, MACkite will follow you through the entire process. Why? It’s our job, of course! We love getting people stoked about kiteboarding.

Lesson Center Directions, Places to Eat, & More! 

Driving Directions:

From Chicago:

  • Take I 90 East
  • Take exit 21 (towards Detroit) to I 94 East
  • Get on I 196 N / US 31 N (exit 34 towards Holland/Grand Rapids)
  • Merge onto US 31 N via exit 44 on the left toward Lake Michigan / Holland / Muskegon

Grand Haven/Holland:
Take US 31 North to the Business 31 exit in Muskegon. Continue on Business 31/Seaway Drive for 4.2 miles to Sherman Blvd. Make a Michigan Left onto Sherman Blvd. (A Michigan left means that you must drive past the intersection and turn left thru the median onto the South Bound lane and then make a Right turn onto Sherman). Stay on Sherman Blvd for 2.9 miles until you reach the intersection at Beach St. (Sherman dead ends about 100 yards after this intersection). There are signs on Sherman and at this intersection directing you to the "Lake Michigan Beach"; follow these signs. Stay on Beach St. as it winds through a residential area and then pops out and parallels Lake Michigan. Continue driving until the road veers away from the Lake next to a large brick building and look for a parking lot on the Left hand side of the road. Park in this lot and rig up near the water's edge. Total distance from Grand Haven is about 17 miles.

From Milwaukee:
We recommend taking the Lake Express Ferry and saving yourself a long trip through Chicago and around the lake.

About Pere Marquette Park

Read about more places to ride in West Michigan, here...

Favorable conditions: North to WNW winds, low humidity, and clear skies all come together to boost the wind speed 3-7mph higher than other local beaches.

Things to know:

  • You CAN NOT kite in or around the swim buoys North of the rigging area.
  • Do not kite inside the pier walls. There are also several small steel jetties South of the rigging area.
  • Do not walk with a kite up the beach next to the roadway (in front of the large brick building - dropping your kite on a moving vehicle would likely be the last mistake you ever make.

About Our Camps

We design our camps to get the most bang for your buck, offering knowledgeable staff and in-depth lessons about kiteboarding. This little red-brick building with blue trim has been the center of West Michigan kiteboarding for many years, and we pride ourselves on our service. We love sparking the passion of the sport, as it's what many of our staff love and participate in throughout the year.  Rest assured, you're in good hands. 

Requirements

All of our lessons require riders to have a minimum weight requirement of 80 lbs. If you’re under 18-years old, we will need a parent or a legal guardian to sign a waiver. We also our students to be able to run and swim.

What to consider bringing to your camp:

  • Lunch/snacks
  • Water
  • Sunscreen
  • Towel
  • Beach attire
  • Hat
  • Sunglasses

Cancellation/Rescheduling Policy

You may cancel your lesson or camp up to 10 days prior to the camp for a full refund. We will do our best to reschedule lessons to accommodate yours and the instructor’s schedule. Any cancellations 24 - 48 hours before your lesson will result in no refund.

When rescheduling, please remember that we have a limited number of spaces available for each lesson. Any cancellations may result in another potential rider losing their spot for a lesson. Thank you for being in this regard.

No Wind? No Worries!

We will cover everything else that you need to know for kiteboarding, such as wind directions and safety, kite setup, and the basics of launching and landing kite, as well as self-rescue.

You'll be surprised with just how much you can learn in light wind conditions.

In most cases, the wind shows up in time to finish the lesson. We reimburse in the form of in-store credit or refunds in the event we cannot reschedule for any unused portion of your lesson.

If you have any more questions, feel free to call or email us at any time. Remember, if you don't start this year, you will still be just watching next year, wishing you were on the water with us.

Helpful Links

MACkite Kiteboarding Knowledge Center

Muskegon Lakeshore Chamber of Commerce

Grand Haven Chamber of Commerce

MACkite Lessons YouTube Playlist