Kite 2012

Last December 1-7, 2014 KB4Girls held the #internationalfemalekiteweek all over the globe. This event was not only held to invite more female kiters but also to celebrate the past, present and future of female kite boarders. The event was over flowing with girl power and what better way to celebrate than to go kiting, connect with other female kiters and win awesome prizes.

December 1, 2014 – Mexico Chapter: Downwinder from ExotiKite Kiteboarding School to Buena Vista

December 4, 2014 – Morocco Chapter: Downwinder from Moulay to Essaouira

December 5, 2014 – Dominican Republic Chapter: Waveriding Clinic with Audrey

December 6, 2014 – USA/Maui Chapter: Gathering of female kiters at Pavilions

December 6, 2014 – USA/Charleston Chapter: Fun at the Indoor Trampoline Park

December 6, 2014 – Dominican Republic Chapter: Self Rescue Refresher for Female Kiters

December 6, 2014 – Dominican Republic Chapter: Downwinder to Enquentro lead by LEK and Bianca

December 6, 2014 – Israel Chapter: Girls Gathering and SUPing

December 7, 2014 – Australia Chapter: International Female Kite Week celebration

December 7, 2014 – UK Chapter: Girls Week Celebration

If you don’t live near any one of the locations above, you can hold your own event.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you itching to kite yet? or are you still not quite sure you want to try it? I’ve got it covered! Here’s why you should.

And if you wanna be part of KB4G click here to go to their site. Or you could also donate.

The International Female Kite Week 2015 will be held on November 30 – December 6. Don’t forget to check their site and Facebook page once in a while for updates! See you there!

 

It’s not just fun and games. Kiteboarding, as extreme as it is can definitely burn some serious calories. Swimming is the best cardio work out there is, combine with it the hardcore tricks and you got yourself a really good work out. But exactly how many calories do you burn on, let’s say, an hour’s worth of kiteboarding? Well, it’s hard to tell but we’ve combined a number of studies to give you a good estimate on how much. Of course, there are a lot of factors to consider like what kind of wind, the level of kiteboarding (intensity), your weight, height, gender and age, the tricks your perform and probably a few more external factors.

One way to measure it is by finding out how much oxygen you take up at rest and how much you consume while doing the activity. Metabolic Equivalents can be a good indicator on how much calories you burn by measuring how much oxygen to take in. One MET is approximately or assumed to be 3.5ml of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute. Extreme activities like Kiteboarding are estimated to be 10-11 METs. Which would mean that you took up 10 (or 11) times the amount of oxygen that you normally would when you are at rest.

The computation would be: average METs x 3.5 x (body weight in kg / 200) OR 10METs x 3.5ml of oxygen x (80.6kg / 200)

For example, the average weight of guys in Sweden is 80.6kg

10 x 3.5 = 35 (80.6/200 = 0.403)

35 x 0.403 = 14.105 calories burned per minute

On a good two hour run, you wouldn’t be consistently doing extreme kiteboarding (or would you?), so you can adjust that number accordingly.

Another factor that you’d have to consider would be the climate and how cold / warm the water is. Aside from the many health benefits you’ll get from swimming in cold water like it boosts the immune system, it invigorates and energizes, it also helps burn calories.

“A study performed at the University of Florida showed slightly more calories are burned in cold water exercise than in warm. In the study, men who exercised for 45 minutes in 68 degree water burned an average of 517 calories. The men who exercised in 91.4 degree water burned 505 calories, on average.” -from an article in LiveStrong  (November 13, 2013 by Susan Presley)

 

 

 

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Salinas Bay is located in the far northwest corner of Guanacaste Province in Costa Rica. It is a remote location that’s often windy with gorgeous untouched beaches not to mention the beautiful scenery. It’s a great place to go to experience the island life, it’s a place where you can be at peace or be the adrenaline junkie that you are. Salinas bay is the go-to place for wind surfers and kiters alike.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re a beginner or if you can own the air in your sleep, there’s a place for you to surf in Salinas Bay. It also doesn’t hurt if you know a great kite school that’ll cater to your needs and has programs for your specific skill set. Costa Kite has created programs for every level of kiters, they are committed to help you get the most out of your kiting vacation. All their instructors are IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) certified and their gears are always up to date. They’ll make sure all your lessons are fun and safe. It’s always good to try something new when you’re on vacation but at all times, you should put safety as your number one priority; Making sure you have all the right gear and using the proper techniques will do just that.

Salinas Bay has constant winds from November to March, this makes it a great place to visit specially for kite boarders and wind surfers. The things you can do while you’re there is not limited to just that though, you can also go hiking, biking, kayaking, fishing, go on boat tours and a lot more. There’s always a lot of things to do when you go on a trip so it’s a good idea if you plan ahead to maximize your time. OR you can just lay on the beach, relax and enjoy the beauty of Costa Rica.

**If you want to inquire, book, or know more about kiting in Salinas Bay, click here.

When we hear ‘Tahiti’, it’s like our mind automatically relaxes and we envision paradise. And that’s actually not far from the truth because of it’s spectacular view, it truly is a magical place. Tahiti is the largest island in the windward group of French Polynesia. The island is located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the central Southern Pacific Ocean, and is divided into two parts: The bigger, northwestern part Tahiti Nui and the smaller, southeastern part Tahiti Iti. It is composed of 118 islands with rugged mountain peaks, coral reefs, blue lagoons, white sand beaches and luxurious resorts, there’s definitely something for everyone.

The most popular place for kitesurfing is Motu Martin (a good spot for beginners) which is not far from Papenoo wherein you can find waves for all levels. Taapuna is also a good place to visit since it’s a large lagoon with great free ride conditions. If you’re looking for a challenge then head over to Sapinus and Maraa, both of which are for more experienced kiters. Teahupoo, despite its beauty, is known for being one of the most notorious spots world wide. Baie Phaeton and Vairao are two of the more beautiful places you can kite, the former offers easy-going conditions in a shallow lagoon and the latter is ideal for wave riders.

We stumbled upon a video made by F-ONE KITES and I have to say that they captured the essence of Tahiti on video, of course there’s no substitute for the real thing but this one comes in a close second. In the beginning of the video it was peaceful and as it went on they showed how the kiters lose themselves completely in the sport, how they become one with everything. The second part of which shows the friendships and the bond that’s formed when you’re with people who have the same passion. Even if you’re not a rider, you’d definitely appreciate all the work they put into it and their love for the sport shines through.

 

Watch the video and see for yourself!

“Once again the F-ONE team went off to discover new landscapes and live an extraordinary adventure.

Raphaël SALLES put on his captain’s hat for the time of a far-off journey to meet his Tahitian team and experience the magic surrounding their idyllic islands. Accompanied by his faithful sidekicks as well as newcomers, they went on to board two catamarans for 25 days of pure happiness in another world.
Tahiti is well and truly as you can imagine: wild, powerful, with the force of the ocean being ever-present and where sharing and wisdom are common values within a whole people.

Riders : Mitu MONTEIRO, Poenaiki RAIOHA, Robinson HILARIO, Micka FERNANDEZ, Marie SWITALA, Aude LIONET CHANFOUR, Alexandre CAIZERGUES, Filippe FERREIRA, Manutea MONNIER, Rémi QUIQUE, Patrice CHANZY, Raphaël SALLES.”

“Once word went out and the sport started to blow, that’s when Red Bull approached us with doing an event and that’s when we came up with the name ‘King of the Air’ and it stuck because at that time it was all about getting big air and the wow factor”  -Joe Keuhi

The first Red Bull King of the Air competition was held at Ho’okipa in Maui around year 2000 and at that time there were only a number of kiters who joined. It was still part of kite surfing’s experimental stage where in everything was so new, unexplored and yet to be tested. As the years progressed so did the equipment and the number of followers. Now kite surfing is considered the fastest growing water sport with 1.5million surfers and counting.

2015 can’t come any faster -at least that’s what kiters all over the world are thinking. Red Bull’s King of the Air competition is coming up and we’re all excited! It’s South Africa’s biggest kite competition where 24  kiters  (top 12 from the previous year and the other 12 from video submissions -8 of which will be picked according to online rankings and 4 from coming from the event committee) compete for the title. It will be held at Cape Town, Big Bay, Blouberg on Jan. 31 to Feb. 15, 2015 and all you need to do is upload a minute long video of you doing some sick air moves. Fill out the application form and you’re done! view the full mechanics here.

Last year’s jump records were:

1. Tom Hebert – 25.04m

2. Andris Fourie – 23.33m

3. Kevin Langeree – 21.55m

4. Jerrie Van De Kop – 21.41m

5. Billy Parker – 20.22m

6. Reno Romeo – 18.89m

7. Luke McGillewie – 18.51m

8. Jesse Richman – 17.83m

9. Gianni Aragno – 17.58m

10. Graham Howes – 17.30m

Final Result:

1. Kevin Langeree (NED)

2. Ruben Lenten (NED)

3. Steven Akkersdijk (NED)

4. Andries Fourie (RSA)

5. Aaron Hadlow (GBR)

5. Jesse Richman (USA)

7. Tom Herbert (FRA)

7. Billy Parker (USA)

Although not everything is fun and games. Extreme sports have their risks and with the added pressure of competing against other kiters. There have been some incidents and one of the more popular one is when Tom Herbert came down too hard from a big jump (at least 25meters in the air) and crashed. In an interview with North Kiteboarding he said “I arrived late to the kicker which put me off balance straight away. At 25 meters high and mid rotation I saw that my kite was pointing down towards the water. I lost all orientation and had very little control. I tried to correct it and get it right but it was too late.”. According to African Extreme there were other two rumoured injuries, one by Jessie Richman (King of the Air 2013) who was said to have had anything from a torn ACL to a bad fracture, the other one would be Oswald Smith, and this would be more of a rumour than anything, was said to have had difficulties moving his head to either side. Accidents and injuries are a part of it all, especially when you want to achieve something great.

 

 Check out some of this year’s wild card:

https://vimeo.com/109142802

Visit the Red Bull site for more!

What does it take to become a legend? It’s not about being a trendsetter or having a lot of fans or followers. You have to have what it takes to surpass expectations, to be able to do things in epic proportions, and your name has to echo throughout history as one of the awesome people who did it not just for fame and fortune but because you loved every minute of it. Who are we talking about?

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Jesse Richman

 

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Shawn Richman

 

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Robby Naish 

 

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Flash Austin

 

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Kevin Langeree

 

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Ruben Lenten

 

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Youri Zoon

 

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Aaron Hadlow

 

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Susi Mai

 

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Lou Wainman

 

“Lou Wainman is unquestionably the most influential kiteboarder of all time.” -SBC kiteboard                                                    No truer words have been spoken. Lou is the one who started the wake style movement. He’s also the one who’s said to have created the most of the tricks you see today. It was no surprise when a company (Wainman Hawaii) was named after him and that he was made a partner. Unfortunately though that partnership didn’t last, he posted on his facebook page that he quit Wainman Hawaii. Although he isn’t into the competition or performing for the benefit of others, there’s no doubt in my mind that Lou’s contributions to Kitesurfing and his name would forever be known in Kitesurfing history. I can’t wait to see what he does next!

 

Ever stop and ask yourself where it all began? Well, I’m here to tell you a quick story about a sport which we now call kite surfing…

Kite Surfing dates back to as early as the 1800’s wherein George Pocock used large kites to propel carts on land and ships on water which they used as an alternative to horsepower and mainly because they wanted to avoid horse tax. And from then on it was mainly used to move items from one place to another with improvements here and there. Gijsbertus Adrianus Panhuise from Netherlands was the first one to receive the first kite surfing patent in Oct. 1977 which covers a water sport using a floating board of a surf board type where a pilot standing up on it is pulled by a wind catching device of a parachute type tied to his harness on a trapeze type belt. Even though it did not result in any commercial interest, he could be considered as the founding father of kitesurfing. After that, there were occasionally successful attempts to basically combine kites with other sports. Bruno and Dominique Legaignoux came up with an inflatable kite design in the late 1970’s and the early 1980’s. In the USA, Bill Roeseler and his son Cory Roeseler patented the “KiteSki” system which consists of water skis powered by a two line delta style kite controlled via a bar mounted combined winch/brake. The Roeseler’s design was commercially available in 1994. And in the late 1990’s, Cory’s design evolved into a single board similar to a skate board.

“We knew it was gonna be something amazing but we didn’t know when or how” -Flash Austin

Kite Surfing has definitely come a long way and it’s all because of the people who have contributed their time, effort and passion to the sport. When you think about it, back then they didn’t have any material to teach them how to do it, they didn’t have videos that they could watch so that they could try to do it, kite school’s didn’t exist back then and the only way they were able to learn was thru the old fashion way -trial and error. Lou Wainman was said to have invented a lot of the tricks that are the standards now.

“To me Lou (Wainman) is like one of the early most progressive pioneers of this sport and he actually did start the whole wake boarding craze” -Mike Waltze

The first kite competition in which they dubbed the ‘Kite Surfing World Championship’ as a joke because the year before that there were only about 6 people who were in it. But now there are hundreds if not thousands of competitors who join each year and the market is now worth over $250 million dollars.

“Once word went out and the sport started to blow, that’s when Red Bull approached us with doing an event, that’s where we came up with the name ‘King of the Air’ and it stuck because at that time it was all about getting big air and the wow factor” -Joe Keuhi

Because of its exponential growth, kids as young as 13yrs old are now competing in championships, something they have envisioned and wanted to happen in the beginning. It’s not all about competition though, when you meet people who have the same passion as you, it’s when you make a connection and you build friendships, and it won’t even matter if you’re continents apart. And mainly that’s what they’re trying to build and want to achieve -and they have, but it isn’t over yet! The fun’s just getting started.

It’s always good to take a step back and remember where it all began or take a minute to learn how your new favourite sport came to be just to get in it deeper and also find a community where you can share your passion for kite surfing.

Watch the video and get a chance to know who we consider the forefathers or kiting, see amazing tricks on water and know how it all started: the trials they faced, how the sport developed, find out what their kitemares are and see awesomeness in action!

 

When you find yourself travelling to the Philippine Islands, you might want to take a detour to these places or plan your trip around it and not just for the spectacular view and delicious food but also for the renowned Kite Surfing spots that would make you want to stay there forever or maybe just extend your trip a few extra days.

 

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Boracay is known for many things; the epic parties, the white sand beach, it’s tropical beauty and a number of water sports like; snorkelling, skim boarding, surfing, wind surfing, kite surfing,  parasailing and a lot more. Boracay is approximately 315km south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. At the moment it is the go-to place to kite surf in the Philippines. Try visiting Boracay’s Bulabog beach and Union beach!

 

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Ilocos Norte is a province of the Philippines located in the Ilocos region. There are a lot of things you can do when you’re in the area like visit Paoay Church that has been there since the 1700’s and other famous churches and historical landmarks. You can also find the Bangui Windmills, Fort Ilocandia Resort & Casino and of course while you’re there, why not try the local cuisine? Don’t miss out on the Batac Empanada. Aside from that, Ilocos Norte is also known for it’s breath taking beaches (one of my personal favorites). Ilocos Norte’s Kingfisher beach and Bangui beach is a kite surfer’s dream.

 

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To get to Seco Island in Tibiao, Antique you’d have to take a plane to Iloilo then a bus/car ride and lastly take a boat to the island itself. It seems like a lot of hassle but doesn’t it look like heaven? totally worth it.

 

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Bagasbas Beach in Camarines Norte is also a good place to visit if you’re looking to surf, wind surf, kite board and paraglide.

 

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Palawan is my paradise. If there’s one place I could live in for the rest of my life, it’s here and yes, it’s because of their gorgeous beaches. The most popular tourist spot in Palawan would have to be the underground river which is now included in the new 7 Wonders of Nature. You can also visit the crocodile farm, socialize with the inmates at Iwahig Prison and Penal Farm and get down with the locals and go to the market to get some green honey. Puerto Princesa, Cuyo Island and El Nido Palawan are the places to visit when you’re itching to surf and do all sorts of water activities or you could just simply sit back, relax and enjoy the beauty of the island.

**For Cuyo Island you can go to Victoria or Capusan beach.

 

 

 

 

Youri Zoon has currently been hosting a kite camp in Neretva river, Adriatic sea, Croatia, which is said to be one of the best kiteboarding spots in the world, but I guess that´s what most locals say about their own spot. Anyway, this is a pretty nice video with some good action, for instance some crazy dude that climbes up on a bridge using the power from his kite. There are also some scenes of the recurring “sausage parties” that we usually see in context with kitesurfing competitions and kite camps like this one. Girls, please start kitesurfing so that the atmosphere stop being so damn gayish! ;)

The Lake Garda by Beekite

The lake of Garda is famous all over the world for it´s great variety, breathtaking nature, huge choice of  sports to practice, amazing villages in the tipical tuscan style as well as fot the multitude of gastronomic varieties.
There are many types of water sports you can practice on the Garda Lake. Thanks to it´s wind certainty the lake is a popular destination for Windsurfers and in the meantime also for Kitesurfers.

 

 

 

 

The Spot by Beekite

Our Kiteschool “BeeKite” is located in Castelletto di Brenzone directly on the sea. The kite gets started directly by the boat in the middle of the lake. That´s why there is no risk to hurt anyhow on the beach. We drive you then to where there are the best wind conditions and where you have enough space. Our training area is 15 km long and 4 km large.

The Wind by Beekite

There are two main winds on the Garda Lake. The “Peler” and the “Ora”. The “Peler” comes from the north and begins already soon in the morning by 6 am o´clock. It can be gusty and and achieve up to 30 knots. Around 11 am the “Peler” eases off  and the “Ora” comes up. So the best time to be on the water is from 2 pm to 6 pm. The “Ora” offers perfect conditions for beginners as it´s a quite stabil wind and achieves around 16 knots.

Description of the classes by Beekite

Every participant gets teached individually and in order to his level. The classes adhere to the guidelines of the VDWS and IKO. After long year experience we use the different teaching-systems well directed. As there is no “standing area” it is much easier for beginners who want to learn this type of sport. You can see that already at the first flying exercises. Faults like tighten the “Bar” and flying the power-area are not a problem thanks to the deep water and the huge space we have available. Due to that we can save up until 3 hours of time,  besides there is no running back in case of loss of height until 15 km because we drive you back by boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Looking for a great Kiteboarding holidays? Amazing Scuba diving for no wind days? Crazy night life or relaxing family Resorts?
Welcome to the unmatchable Carribean destination: Playa del Carmen.

Playa Del Carmen is right in the middle of The Riviera Maya, also known as the Mayan Riviera,  a tourism district following the coastal Highway 307 which parallels the Caribbean coastline of the Mexican state of Quintana Roo, located on the eastern portion of the Yucatan peninsula.

Originally a small fishing town, Playa del Carmen, or just “Playa” as called by the Locals, became a world famous Scuba Diving destination right on top of the second longest barrier reef system in the world and  rapidly  developped over the past few  years with many new luxury residential condominium buildings, restaurants, boutiques and entertainment venues.

This is the place for sailing, Jet skiing, snorkeling,scuba diving , swimming in cenotes, swimming with dolphins, zip lining, horse riding, guided jungle tours and recently KITEBOARDING.

KITESURFING SPOTS in Playa del Carmen area:

SANDOS PLAYACAR RESORT/PDC KITEBOARDING SCHOOL:

The beach of the Sandos Playacar Resort in playacar Hotel Zone is the main Kiteboarding Spot in the Area and also the only Authorized Kite beach and School of Playa del Carmen.
Starting from the Sandos Playacar Resort toward south, you will find a designated  mile long white sandy Kiteboarding  beach with no rocks, no obstacles and a lot of space to rig and launch/Land your Kites.

Right on spot is PDC KITEBOARDING SCHOOL, the only Authorized kiteboarding School of Playa del Carmen, which offers IKO beginner courses with International certifications, Equipment rental and supervision, Equipment sale and Demos.

The staff is very friendly and speaks up to 6 different languages.

On site you will find toilets, Shower and fresh water tank to rinse your gear off.
The Resort offers 12% discount on your online Resort booking if you come for Kiteboarding. Ask PDC Kiteboarding to get the “Promotional Code”.
WHEN TO COME:

The Wind season is from October till the end of May ( Sometime mid June). You should be able to ride 4/5 days a week during this period.

Windguru forecast: https://www.windguru.cz/es/index.php?sc=133819

Wind is usually from 13 to 22 Knots on the Caribbean coast and works with NE, E, SE and S.
NE wind is usually the best as it is a bit colder, denser and pulls much more.
When the wind turns North (Called here “El Norte”), it blows from 25 to 35+ knots, and then you need to go to Isla Blanca Lagoon north of Cancun(ask PDC Kiteboarding about Lagoon excursion).

 

ACCOMODATION IN Playa Del Carmen FOR KITEBOARDERS:

• If you are coming to learn and take your IKO certification course, if you like All inclusive Resorts, if you to have your family doing their own activities few feet away from the Kite area or if you just want to be as closed as possible from the Kiteboarding School and spot, the best option for you is to stay at the Sandos Playacar Resort which is right next to the spot.

Also, as a Kiteboarder, you can get 12 % of your All Inclusive Resort booking with the special promotional code. Get in touch with pdckiteboarding@gmail.com to get the code.

• If you prefer small hotels downtown (only 7min by taxi to get to the Kite school/spot), there are hundreds of them right in the center of PDC.

Have a look at “La rana Cansada”, https://www.ranacansada.com/.

KITEBOARDING SCHOOL IN PLAYA DEL CARMEN:

PDC KITEBOARDING, www.pdckiteboarding.com.

Info at pdckiteboarding@gmail.com.

FLIGHT INFORMATION:

From Europe the cheapest is to fly from Brussels Airport, Belgium with www.jetairfly.com , straight to Cancun.
Plenty of flights from USA and CANADA.

Naish has really put a lot of effort into their promo videos for their kiteboarding gear 2013. We´re not talking about just one video, but a whole bunch of them! The Park, The Torch, The Ride, every model has its own promo video as well as the boards and the new light wind kite, Naish Fly.

Gear Preview for the 2013 Collection

The 2013 Park


2013 Naish Torch

2013 Naish Ride

2013 Naish Fly

For further information about Naish Kites, check out Naish Kitesurf.

This video is pretty cool! Not so much kitesurfing, but still an interesting video! Must have taken some time to make it…!

Here is a nice video from the kiteboarding world cup in the Netherlands 2012. Alex Pastor delivers as usual and not surprisingly becomes the winner in the freestyle competition.