13 April 2008, by LME
Share it with someone you love
Kiteboarding should be shared. Period. Nothing compares to the feeling of a sunset sail with someone you love.
I experience it myself with my husband, Shay, all the time. When we are out on the water together all the struggles of running our business and life together melt away as the sun fades behind the palm trees. It helps us to re-connect, to realize what is important in our lives. And it makes for great conversation on the ride home - trading stories of the session. Its all about connection.
I see it in my clients, neighbors and friends. Parents and their children, Nieces and Uncles, friends...it brings people together.
Oh ya, and anyone who has learned kiting knows how addictive it becomes, how it can tend to take over your life and dominate your conversations....so it's a big plus if the people you hang out with are stoked onkiteboarding as well...
If for nothing else, for safety. Having someone you love (and who loves you) makes kiting safer for everyone. If you get into trouble they will be right there. If they see you doing something dangerous they are going to call you on it.
When I was a kiteboarding instructor in Kailua, Oahu I had the opportunity to teach my younger sister (and best friend), Dr. Amelia Star Eastman. After a successful beach flying session we headed into the water.
For the first water session I liked to go in with my students, hanging on to the back of their harness, like this I was able to calmly and quietly correct their errors, encourage their successes and save the kite from crashing, and help them re-launch when it did crash.
I had taught dozens of students like this, but Amelia was the first student who began to giggle uncontrollably from the time we got flying until we were on the beach. I was delighted! She loved it! She had fun!
Thinking back to our younger years - hours spent "peppering" for volleyball and then snowboarding/climbing/kayaking/hiking all over Montana together I was convinced she would be my new kiteboarding buddy.
You can not imagine my desperation when we finally landed our kite and I asked her, "So you want to try the board??" and her reply was, "No, I just don't think I am into kiting."
I was destroyed, my vision of sailing with my sister falling to pieces in front of me. That was 7 years ago, and since that time I think I have managed to muscle her into flying a trainer kite once.
So, despite my failed attempt with Amelia, here is my best advice for how to get the people you love stoked on kiting.
- Resist the urge to push or force, it's counter-productive
- Leave kiteboarding magazines innocently lying around where they will find them
- Convince your local kite school or shop to have a demo/intro day where they give free trainer kite flying lessons
- If your loved one goes for that and likes it buy a trainer kite immediately and begin to organize fun picnics on the beach or in the park when you think the wind will pick up
- Know what they like/what their fears are - find ways to minimize their fears and highlight what about kiteboarding will stoke their passions
- Organize a holiday to a kite destination where you know there is a good school and have the school propose some lessons for your loved one
- Realize the kiteboarding is not for everyone, and if its not going to happen just let it go
On that note of course I must admit that 7 years later I am still not letting go of my vision of Amelia and I kiting together. She is my number one person in the world I would want to: dance with, surf with (sorry Shay, you hate to dance and like to surf too extreme waves!) And gosh darn it, I want to kite with her!
Well there is some hope....in June she and her surfer husband will move from La Jolla to Texas for 3 years residency....no waves.....some wind.....THERE IS ALWAYS A CHANCE!!
Best of luck, Good winds and Aloha!
Laurel
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