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This is the first blog of the ultimate beginner guide. This is a series meant to be used as a companion to actual kitesurfing lessons. So give this a watch before, during and after your lesson with a certified school. Do not attempt to use this as your sole source of lessons. We've left a great deal out and nothing beats real professional instruction. You will save yourself time, and most importantly you'll be keeping yourself safe and the local beaches in your area open to kiteboarding! Tod …

The goal of this video is to inspire you to try some more transitions and mix up your kiteboarding. You can really add a lot of flow and energy to your riding by mixing in very basic tricks into every transition. This week, I'll break down three of my favorite transitions from beginner to intermediate. Transition One - Beginner Half Loaded Melon to Toeside with a Downloop This is a mouthful but it's super simple. You can do it hooked in or unhooked for extra style. Just get a bit of sp …

This is part two of the master your kite and board videos. Last week, I covered a new angle on how to control your kite with the edge of your board. I’m going to expand on this now, and help you really get control of your board and riding position. Kiteboarding is funny because unlike other board sports we have a lot more going on with controlling the kite. The thing is, It seems like a lot of kiteboarders never learn how to ride a board properly and it actually holds back their pro …

Today, we’re going to do one of the most important videos we’ve ever done. 3 tips to master kite control. This is part one of two, I’m going to do a second video on advanced kiteboard skills to expand on this next. We're lucky to live in a time where all kites are really user friendly but it came at a cost. It seems like most new kiteboarders don’t know how to control their kite with their edge. Riding in a boarding stance is important In the early days of kiteboarding, riders had to …

This is the last video in the fundamentals playlist for now. Soon, I’ll be filming an intermediate level playlist. This week, we're going to cover the Back to Revert or Back to Toeside. In kiteboarding, I’ve been pushing that all advanced moves are combinations of the basics and this is going to be your first combo. You'll be pairing a backroll with a frontside 180.This is the second progression into the Back to Wrapped or the Backmobe and its super fun to turn into a downloop transition. …

This week's tip is going to be short and to the point. It’s a stylish variation of the pop and an important movement pattern that builds on many things for later on in your progression. This will be your first 180, and a good introduction to landing toeside with power. Remember, landing blind is just toeside with the kite behind your back. Aside from that, you'll be learning how to rotate frontside. This is important for tricks like the rally to wrapped or the back to revert. Later on, this i …

I wanted to cover a topic that comes up all the time. Can, or should, you mix control bars? The short answer is yes. The long answer is... maybe. The last few years, I've used a ton of different brands. Cabrinha, Slingshot, Liquid Force, North, Duotone, Naish, Airush and more. When I started at the shop, I was surprised to see the crew was always mixing control bars. More often than not, you can mix any modern 4-line kite with any 4-line bar. However, there are some things to watch out for. I …

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 …

In season three of Ride with Blake we decided to focus on producing themed playlists. Blake and I took an RV road trip along Michigan's west coast to produce a "Jump with Style" playlist. Our aim was to teach kiteboarders how to improve the way they jumped and to help them develop a large bag of easy, yet awesome-looking kiteboarding tricks. For season four we decided to build on that idea. We'll be producing the ultimate kiteloop playlist- a progressive kiteloop playlist starting with the b …

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’ …

While not incredibly exciting, trimming your kite is important. It is imperative if you unhook, and it does help you jump better when your kite is set up correctly. Let's be honest, no one likes it when their kite isn't flying right!  Most importantly, a properly trimmed kite will prevent back stalling.  Step One: Find Some Space Find somewhere safe to park your kite, ideally over water or a large beach. You don't want any obstacles downwind of you or solid objects that you might …

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 call …

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 …