Latest News, Blog & Videos

This is going to be another quick, information-packed blog. I wanted to cover a question we get almost daily: How do I pick the right size kite? This video is aimed at new riders, but I will address intermediate riders at the end of this blog. When picking the correct size kiteboarding kite, there are four things to consider: How much do you weigh? Is this your first kite or are you adding to your quiver? What kind of conditions will you be riding in? What style of kite are you looking at? …

I get asked all the time, “How do you keep progressing” or “How do you stay motivated”? These are completely valid questions. Most kiteboarders will experience plateaus in their progression or times where it is difficult for them to get to the next level. Whether this is working up the courage to send a first jump or bringing it all together to land that first handlepass, we all face similar challenges holding us back from our next big progression breakthrough. A lot of …

All wakestyle is freestyle but not all freestyle is wakestyle. This is a video I’ve been meaning to do for a long while now, but I’ve put Versus on hold the last few months. It’s a common question I hear and there are a few opinions floating around on the topic. Kiteboarding borrows from a lot of sports! There are plenty of crossovers, from surfing and wakeboarding to snowboarding. And of course there is the unique big air aspect of our sport. It’s one of the most …

Heads up, this is a special edition. If you've been following our bi-weekly "How to Jump with Style" videos, stay tuned. We’ll be back on our regular schedule with these next week. So you want to become a kiteboarder? Maybe you’ve seen it on your local beach and now you’re curious what it takes to get into an adventure sport like this. This video and extensive blog should break down the steps you need to take, and breaks down in detail many questions you might have. We’ …

Yes, These are the rules...but you should know that not every kiter follows them or knows what they are!   If you see someone who doesn’t seem to know what they are doing, just kindly inform them of what you have learned from this video.  Safety is Key!  Don’t expect other kiters to get out of your way.  You can tell by watching their kite movement as they approach you, if they are going to give you respect or not.  If you have any questions, give us a …

This is Blake Olson here at Smathers Beach in Key West, Florida. I'm about to teach you how to do your first starts on a kiteboard. Ben, the person behind the camera, is going to be demonstrating as he's learning. Here are five simple steps for a successful waterstart.  5 Steps to a Waterstart  1) Fly the Kite with One Hand  The first thing you need to do is to practice flying the kite with one hand while holding the board in your other hand. Be sure to grab the bar in the middl …

Keep Your Kite Crisp and Clean Have you ever wondered how some kiters manage to master the perfect kite fold? Courtesy of Slingshot, we've got the easy 5-step process to keep your kite looking brand new regardless of it's age.  5-Step Process: 1. After deflating your kite, fold from the wing tip to the first strut loosely. 2. From there, fold to the middle strut. 3. Roll the remainders of the kite in. 4. Repeat on the other side. 5. Fold the rolled kite in 3. You've got no air stuck in t …

I used to profess this simple concept back when I was a kiteboarding instructor and I know it to be true today. Kiteboarders are simple creatures. We like windy days, good people to share the stoke with, and a good feast afterward. Easy enough.         Hey, new guy—just show up with some pizza, introduce your self, and be humble—it'll be all good!" Seriously though—here's how you break into your local kiteboarding scene and be welcomed into the fold. Dec …

7 Steps to Becoming a Kiteboarder Have you seen someone kiteboarding while on vacation or at your local beach? Or maybe you saw a video on YouTube and were like, "what is that?" Your next thoughts were probably "how do they jump so high and land so soft", followed by "I want to do that!" For those of you that want to get started in the sport of kiteboarding but are not sure how, listed below are seven steps that will take you from watching on the beach to riding on the water. 1. Trainer kite Th …

A lot of you probably don’t know this but in Michigan, during the winter our beaches get a decent amount of shelf ice along the coast. This weekend, we had a bit of a thaw, some sunshine and some decent weather for kiteboarding. Some of our shop riders like Logan Armstrong and Marc Hoesksma  put some time in at our local slick. It got me thinking about how hardcore some riders can get just to get a session. Kiteboarding can seem overwhelming when it’s warm out but going out in …

Are you one of those people at the beach, endlessly watching the kiteboarders and thinking to yourself, “hey—I wonder if I could do that?” Yes, you can go kiteboarding. One, are you physically able to get up and walk around the block? OK, it’s a little more demanding than just that, but I don’t want to over complicate things either. People tend to associate kiteboarding with having a higher level of physical exertion than what’s actually required. Kiteboardin …

Last week, we did a video on Light wind vs Strong wind and how currents and tides come into play. Contrary to what I expected, it seemed to be well received. So as I said, I’m going to elaborate further and talk about conditions a little more. I know these conditions videos are a little beginner centric so for any experienced riders who watch this series for gear reviews I’ll get back on track with another gear video next week. That said, you might find some of the points in this …

This video covers how to perfect your kiteboarding stance as well as some of the basics concepts such as heelside, toeside. Goofy foot vs regular foot. Riding blind and riding wrapped. If you need help putting your footstraps together for the first time give us a call and we'll walk you through it. 800-622-4655 This may seem like a simple one but in reality when do you ever learn how to set up your board? They don’t teach you this in a lesson. I’ve done it myself where the footstra …

Step One: Catch someone’s attention on the beach by tapping your head. Make sure that as you are coming in you have gotten the attention of someone before starting to put your kite down. Make sure the person knows that you want them to land you before putting your kite down low at the edge of the wind window. If they are not there in time and your kite crashes it can launch back in the air and take you with it. This will not only be bad for you but for your kite and everyone on the beach. …

Dear kitesurfers: have you ever paddled into a wave on a surfboard?  If yes—you already get it. If not, however, please read on. Surfers have been "out there" for much longer than kiteboarders and kitesurfers have. Since the 18th century in Tahiti and Hawaii, surfers have been paddling out, catching waves and enjoying the stoke. Eventually, it hit mainland USA and became a subculture. Boards went from long to short, and back again. Shortboarders feud with longboarders, who now get sna …