Kitesurfing News: KSP announce 2012 Tour Dates

Mark Moore    kiteboardingholidays     kite, kiteboarding, kiteboarding holidays, kiteboarding news, kitesurfing, kitesurfing holidays, kitesurfing news, KSP Tour, watersports

The KSP (Kite Surf Pro) is a world tour that is designed to feature the world’s best kitesurfers riding the world’s premiere waves. 2011 was the tour’s first year and featured three events held in Mauritius, Peru and Cape Verde. Each event showcased 24 of the world’s best male riders and 12 superstar female kiters.

Sky Solbach on the 2011 KSP Tour/ Image: KSP

Aiming to model itself after professional surfing’s ASP (Association of Surfing Professionals), the KSP pushed the evolution of kitesurfing to new levels and it quickly became clear that this tour was something special.

Something to watch on this year’s tour is the shift from “strapped” riding to “strapless” kitesurfing.

Meaning: no more straps on the board. At the 2011 event in Peru, the entire fleet in the men’s field rode strapless and many girls followed suit.

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Kiteboarding: Top 10 Destinations in the United States

Mark Moore    kiteboardingholidays     kiteboarding, kiteboarding holidays, kiteboarding in the US, kitesurfing, kitesurfing holidays, Mark Moore

One of the best aspects of kiteboarding is that it is highly portable. The United States is jam-packed with tons of world-class kiteboarding destinations. If you cherish your job and/or family, don’t start to travel for kiting – it’s hopelessly addictive!

Kiteboarding in Southern Cali Image: Mark Moore

Secondly, get yourself a kiteboarding travel bag to avoid excess baggage fees. These bags are made by kiteboarding companies but feature the letters “GOLF” on the luggage to take advantage of airline policies that do not charge extra for golf clubs.

One of these bags can hold a few kites, a board and the rest of your gear. When you check in with your flight itinerary, pull out some golf balls and tees with your passport. With a Golf Digest Magazine in your back pocket, you’re golden.

Here’s my ranking of the top 10 kiteboarding destinations in the United States:

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5 reasons why you need travel, not Christmas

Mark Pawlak    ash     camping, kitesurfing, Kitesurfing Egypt, New Zealand, RTW, Spain, Travel, trekking, Walking, Xmas

If you’ve a travelling gene, every holiday is a chance to get away and Christmas is no exception. Now, if you’re living in the UK or northern Europe, it’s likely you’ve been waiting all year for that skiing or snowboarding holiday.

Can you spot Santa?

But, if you’ve needed thawing out since October and are dreaming of feeling the sun on your neck, you’ll be teasing yourself with trekking somewhere warm – or just going ‘random’ and rocking up at departures with half-baked plan and a dream…

So, here are 5 reasons why you need travel, not Christmas.

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Kitesurfing’s best kept secrets

Paul McWilliams    kiteboardingholidays     Egypt, kite, kite boarding, kitesurf, kitesurfing, kitesurfing destinations, Sharm El Sheik, Tarifa, watersports

Kitesurfing is one of the world’s fastest growing sports. If you’re what sales-speak might refer to as an ‘early adopter’ this could be a double edged sword. It’s satisfying in a ‘told-you-so’ kind of way but frustrating as you can barely open your front door without bumping into the newest kitesurf zealot, which leaves you even less room at the beach.

Rest assured there are still kitesurfing destinations where you won’t crash into your Gran. Here’s a quick guide to the best-kept kitesurfing destinations. But get there quick because people gossip, no matter how many times you tell them not to.

Getting too busy?

Exhuma, Bahamas

Ok, the Bahamas is hardly a secret destination and it’s certainly no stranger to tourists but not many of them kitesurf. It’s more of a ‘cocktails by the beach’ kind of place, which means you won’t have to share the crystal blue water and perfect conditions with many others. And it’s not the worst place to relax after a day in the water either.

Isla Sal, Cape Verde

This is the perfect place for the more advanced rider. Cape Verde is exposed to Atlantic winds which means things can get pretty spectacular. Great if you’re up for the challenge but just as good if you want to watch the experts show you how it’s done.

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Crash and Burn or Crash and Learn?

Tala    kiteboardingholidays     kiteboarding, kitesurf, kitesurfing, kitesurfing world tour, learning to kitesurf

A good friend of mine, also a professional kitesurfer, once told me when I was starting out “while one person hesitates because she feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becomes superior”.

I never forget these words when I am out on the water; progression in kitesurfing comes from not being scared to try!

Every crash takes you one step closer to learning that trick you’ve been attempting. It’s true that crashing is not pleasant. Still, I believe that with every crash you spot that little mistake to avoid next time.

When I am out on the water I focus on learning one trick at a time. I will try let’s say ten times, and with every crash I feel like I am one step closer to landing the trick that at first seems impossible.

You have to be willing to push yourself but to also know your own limits. Riders should go out and try the tricks most appropriate for their skill level. You cannot expect to learn one manoeuvre before first having the basics, and getting ahead of yourself is how injuries start happening.

An important phase in learning a new move is understanding it step-by-step, but most of all it’s committing 100%. When I’m training, I’m focused on what the trick looks like before I even attempt to try it, only then do I commit to it.

Tricks and clever moves aside, the most important thing when kitesurfing is to always have fun and to be safe on the water.

Kitesurfing: a newbie on the world tour

Tala    kiteboardingholidays     Competition, kitesurfing, kitesurfing holidays, kitesurfing world tour, women at war

I guess it is safe to say I am a newbie on the PKRA world tour. Having only turned professional a few months ago, the door was opened to a world filled with non-stop travel, living out of a suitcase filled with bikinis and board shorts, competitions and always in search of that perfect wind to keep on training.

Kitesurfing and loving it! Image: Flickr/Bitten Dallas

Last year I was living and working in Cabarete, and along came the world tour stop in June! I was asked to take part in the competition as they needed more girls to compete – in such a male dominated sport they only had about 10 girls competing compared to 40 men!

So there I was with absolutely no clue what the rules were, what the flags meant or even where I was meant to be on the water – as a result, I missed the first two minutes of my first heat with only five minutes to go, but what an adrenaline rush though of having to show everything you have in only seven minutes!

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Top Five Kite Surfing Tips for Beginners – How to Stay Safe

Paul McWilliams    ash, kiteboardingholidays     Adventure Sports, kite surfing, kiteboarding, kitesurfing, kitesurfing holidays, Safety, Safety Tips

One of the fastest growing and most exhilarating sports in the world, kite surfing can give you a rush unlike any other. Kite surfers are capable of reaching frightening speeds and getting almost unbelievable air (check out Lewis Crathern jumping over Brighton Pier in the UK, if you don’t believe us) but it can also be pretty dangerous. So it’s vital when starting out to ensure you’re riding as safely as possible. Here are our top five tips for staying safe, making the most of your kite surfing experience and avoiding what is known as a ‘kitemare’.

Protect Yourself

Make sure you have all the necessary safety equipment. Helmets and vests can save your life. Ok, you might feel a bit restricted and let’s face it, no one looks great in a helmet, but in the event of a collision or a board leash propelling the board at your head, it might just save your life.

Know the line

Watch out for lines, and not just power lines. One of the most common causes of accidents is getting caught, tangled or hit by your own kite lines. These things can move at quite a speed and can cause ugly injuries (lost fingers anyone?) so make sure you keep an eye on them and always carry a hook safety knife to cut yourself free from tangled lines.

Communication

Always let someone know where you are going but it’s best to try and always go with a friend. Let the authorities know if any thing goes wrong, even if you have lost a board at sea. This might be a minor annoyance to you, but it could be worse if they think that a kite surfer has been lost at sea.

Be sensible

Fairly obvious we know, but follow a few simple rules and you can significantly reduce your chances of having an accident. Avoid power lines and rocks, and always make sure you keep a safe distance from others. Hitting the water might hurt but not as much as another boarder or the rocks. Always check the weather before you go and avoid offshore winds. Get caught in one of those and it’s a long swim back to the shore.

Know your limits

Kite surfing is going to be fun and it’s going to be fast, but only when you are sufficiently practiced to know what you’re doing. Winds can reach incredible speeds and they don’t have much regard for what you’re doing. It’s easy to get overpowered and out of control and then you become a danger to yourself and everyone else.

Stick to these simple principles and there’s no reason you can’t have a lifetime’s worth of adrenaline rushes from kite surfing. But whatever you do, please don’t go trying to jump over a pier. Let’s leave that to the professionals.