Ashley’s First Kiteboarding Lesson

When Jason asked me to meet him at Oceano Beach last week, I thought we would be getting some aerial footage or doing another shoot with the gimbal.

However, when I arrived and saw the big California Kiteboarding van, I knew we’d be doing something different today. It was time to learn how to kiteboard.

It was a little windy at Oceano Beach but there were a couple of kiteboarders out in the water. I was relieved when I found out that the first lesson would take place on the sand.

First, Jason explained the Wind Window by drawing a diagram in the sand. It explains where you can fly your kite and the forces of the wind. It also shows you where you launch and land, the power zones, and zenith.

Then it was time to bring out the kite. We started on the Slingshot B2 Trainer Kite. Jason launched it and explained how to control the kite. He then demonstrated how to bring the kite down to the edges of the window.

Then it was my turn. When I first took hold of the kite I was surprised at how similar it felt to flying a kite at a park, except times 10. I practiced bringing the kite down to the edges and got a feel of how to move the kite. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it’d be, but there were a couples times when I moved a little too fast and felt the power zone. It’d drag me across the sand for a couple feet, but that was fun.

Next I practiced moving the kite in a figure eight motion. This was a little bit harder, but I think I got the hang of it after awhile. After about 45 minutes I started to realize how good of a workout kiteboarding can be. My forearms and core were starting to feel the burn and I wasn’t even in the water yet!

Overall, it was an awesome experience. I only fell once, which was a victory in my eyes. It was really fun and challenging, and made me want to learn more so I can get in the water and on a board.