Flying by with kite in hand

With wind blowing but few decent waves coming in, what’s a water sport fanatic to do?

Pick up a kite. Grab a board. Strap on a harness. Then, head out into the Bay.

Lucky for those living in the area, the Bay gives people the perfect opportunity to harness the wind for recreational use and what better way then flying a kite while tackling the waves?

If this is starting to sound like fun, kiteboarding may be a fun outing to try.

Using a large kite and a small board, which could be a surfboard, skateboard or even a snowboard, a rider can be propelled by the wind giving extra power and lift to the rider.

"It has all the fun of the free riding board sports and you’re 100 percent powered. There is no limit to the possibility. People who get into it get so excited about it. Every sport they ever did becomes kiteboarding. I used to surf, now I kiteboard,” said kiteboarder Steve Gibson.

Almost anyone can do it, but unlike surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding, experts wouldn’t recommend throwing on some pads and trying it solo without taking a few lessons first.

Wind Over Water, a kiteboarding school based in Burlingame, caters the lesson to the level of each person as they begin to tackle the sport.

Anyone with board experience will have a leg up when getting started. But overall there will be three lessons, one completely on land, one with time on land and in the water and the third completely in the water.

The equipment can be expensive, so those wanting to try out the sport are better off taking a lesson with everything included before running out and dropping hundreds of dollars.

At Wind Over Water, this first lesson, called "Get Hooked,” will run $450 for the two- to three-day tutorial.

The land exercise gets those adventurous souls a chance to get a feel for an extremely powerful kite while also going over some of the basic rules for safety in the sport, said Wind Over Water Owner Jeff Kafka.

This isn’t a Barbie doll $5 throwaway kite kids fly in the park. This monster is powerful, huge and very strong when it gets going. Any slight movement of the hand translates to a much bigger motion in the air. Mastering these moves can take some time. If it seems like something that’s a bit troubling for the newbie, the instructor might suggest buying a training kite. This $100 mini version of the kite actually used on the water is a lot lighter and easier to maneuver but aids in the handling lesson of the kite, said Kafka.

Once the kite becomes comfortable, it’s time to move into the water. This could be on the first day or on the second depending on the person being trained. The lessons are designed to be able to fit people’s skill level coming in and work with them at trouble spots before moving on, said Kafka.

All of the staff working for Kafka has four to five years of experience and has to go through some testing and training before working one on one with customers. Each instructor can work with two to three people at a time. This keeps the groups relatively small but helps keep the lesson focused on an individual’s needs.

The instructors won’t be far behind anyone learning, by using jet skis to follow in the water. First there is the body drag, which gets the new rider behind the Jet Ski. This gives the rider the experience of being in the water while flying the kite. Eventually the student will learn to launch the kite, and re-launch it if necessary.

It’s also nice because new riders who pick it up might get themselves farther out into the water than they’d want to swim back. This is one lesson Kafka recommends people learn early; don’t go out farther than you can swim.

People can take more lessons from there learning everything from beginning to jump to defining skills. Kafka’s company even offers packages to learn snowkiting, same concept but it’s with a snowboard and the trip takes anyone interested to Utah to learn the winter sport.

As for those just looking to get into the water sport, however, they’re already in the right spot as this area is one of the best in the world for the sport.

"For people that live in the Bay Area, it’s actually probably the best kiteboarding location in the world. We have so many different microclimates to drive the wind

every day, the coast, the Bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Sacramento River, the delta, all of Tahoe just wind everywhere. It’s all a matter of tracking it down,” said Gibson.

Normally the season runs from April through the beginning of October, but it is always weather permitting. This year the season began a bit late because of the rain.

It’s this long season that first attracted Kafka to the sport. Growing up in Pacifica, Kafka was a surfer and the weather didn’t always produce the best waves but the area was well known for wind. He got out there and tried the water sport with an air twist and was hooked.

Maybe getting into the action isn’t for everyone, but anyone can watch. At this year’s King of the Bay competition held in Foster City, voyeurs can enjoy the sport for free during the three-day event.

There are about 100 riders expected to turn out for the event, half of them local and the other coming from professional tours.

"The professionals are mostly teens or in their early 20s. These are the guys defining the latest freestyle moves, the big air combined with technical tricks. Not just spinning but passing the handle behind [the] back, moving the kite an entire range in the air, 30 feet up in air, making giant loops and landing faster than you would be if you were riding a wakeboard behind a boat. But here you’re not just behind the boat, you’re driving it too,” said event marketer Steve Gibson.

The 44-year-old will be competing in the event as well, and guessed he’ll be one of the oldest ones out there. He suggested anyone interested at least come out and watch how it’s done.

"It’s a mind blowing exhibition of a sport that transcends all the barriers,” he said. "It’s very three dimensional.”

Want a closer look?

King of the Bay

The 6th annual King of the Bay competition will be held in Foster City, Friday June 23, Saturday June 24 and Sunday June 25 on 3rd Avenue. For more information visit www.kingofthebay.com.

Wind Over Water

Wowkite.com

218-6023

Some of the beginning lessons offered:

Intro to Kiteboarding (Level I)

Students learn basic kite control in level I. Utilizing range of kites, students will learn: equipment set-up, safety systems, kite control, Wind theory, Kite mechanics, power zones , launching and landing and terms used. This course is two hours long and conducted only on land. By the end of the lesson, students will understand and demonstrate the proper way to handle and fly a kite. Lesson price $150

Get Hooked (Level I-III)

This course is highly recommended over all other courses as a safe and affordable way to get into the sport of kiteboarding. Get Hooked is a six-hour intensive lesson that includes the skills found in Level I-III. Students will learn: kite control wind theory, safety systems body dragging, water re-launching, self rescuing and board skills. This course is suited for the individual with pervious board riding experience such as, snowboarding, skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, or windsurf. Get Hooked is a fast-moving course that will get you on your way to kiteboarding on your own. Watercourses are boat or PWC assisted. Lesson price $450

The Body Drag (Level II)

Body dragging is an important step to kiteboarding and getting up on a board. Students will learn: water re-launching, dragging up and down wind, powering and depowering the kite, safety systems, kite control and self-rescuing. This is a two-hour course conducted in the water. Watercourses are boat or PWC assisted. Lesson price $ 175

Board Skills (Level III)

Board skills take you to the next step to riding. Students will learn: board placement, one-hand kite control, power strokes, edging, speed control and timing, hooking and unhooking and sheeting and self-rescuing. This course is two hours conducted in the bay where you will be free to ride as far as you can. Watercourses are boat or PWC assisted. Lesson is $175.

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