1. Get Rid of the Misperceptions
While there is a popular sport where a boat pulls you up in the air and you maneuver a parachute, this is not that sport. Kiteboarding is exactly what it sounds like: you have a specialized kite pull you over the water while you ride a wake board. While a boat can pull you horizontally, the advantage of the kite is that it you can steer it as it pulls you forward while creating aerodynamic lift. This gives you the ability to perform aerobatics for all your admiring--but not as daring--friends and family members. The craze began at the end of the 90s, with now-famed raiders like Adam Koch inventing the process as they went along. The sport has now progressed into a full-fledged business and recreational activity with professional-grade boards and kites.
2. Surfing With a Twist
Practitioners liken it to surfing, but with a twist. Practically speaking, you could kiteboard on land with a skateboard, on sand with a smooth board and on snow with a snowboard. The water, however, offers the best chance for a full expression and range of movement. You steer the kite by gripping and controlling the kite handles, so you have more control over your course and direction than you do in water skiing or surfing. Your speed is dependent on the force of the wind, but the kite's design takes full advantage of the possibilities.
3. Flow, Don't Fall
When learning, keep your legs flexible, but be careful as you bend your knees. Every time you do so, the board reacts. Since you have lift as well as horizontal velocity, a simple bend of the knees can cause the board to pop out of the water, potentially taking you up into the air. During practice, get used to riding the board on the water, before going above it.
4. Get to Know the Basics
As with any sport with high-speed aspects, there is potential for injury, so you want to practice techniques before you jump off a cliff. The kite you purchase comes with directions for its specific brand and type, so follow the launching and landing instructions carefully. Practice with a trainer kite before you graduate to full-scale kites. Get comfortable with the required movements, preferably under the guidance of a capable instructor, before you go out on your own. Practice in wind while on land in order to get used to turning the kite, pulling yourself up from lying down and using basic left-to-right control movements.
5. Kiteboarding Works Your Whole Body
This is skateboarding on water, at greater speeds with lift. Your whole body gets a work out every time you hop on a kiteboard, and even more so if waves take part in your experience. Be ready for your shins, abs, hands, back, quadriceps and hamstrings to take a beating from your many and varied body contortions.
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