Our new Progression Player app has had a great reception with awesome feedback, loads of downloads and a lot of you buying videos! Thank you!
We’ve created a Promo video that should give those of you who haven’t downloaded the app, or don’t own an iOS device, a better understanding of what is available through the Progression Player…
And this is just the start, we have big plans for the Player so any feedback or ideas – send them over.
We all know that kitesurfing is a comparably expensive sport. A bit of research online puts the cost of entry into this sport at about £1000 but that’s just for starters as most of us have more than one size of kite and also more than one type of board these days. It’s no wonder that famous (and rich) entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson and the founders of Google are big fans!
But once you’re up and running you should be quids in right?
Wrong! With so much to learn and new places to ride, the costs are endless. Obsession and ambition are not kind to your wallet in this sport!
Have you ever worked out how much you’ve spent on kiting? I thought i would quickly sketch out approximately how much i had spent personally on kitesurfing since i began nearly 5 years ago:
Kites (with bars) – £4,000
Now on my 2nd set and that is probably less than most. I only have two kite sizes because in reality i ride my 7m most of the time no matter what the weather. I also learnt on someone else’s kites so I’m not counting these….
Kitesurfing Boards – £1,700
Also only on my second twin tip board but i also have a wave board. Haven’t tried boots yet but they are on the shopping list!
Kitesurfing Lessons – £300
So i was lucky in that i knew a lot of people who kitesurfed so i had a lot of help for free, however i did do the essential beginner lessons at the start. I would love to get some one to one training though to help me learn to wave ride and also to start unhooking, that may be a new cost to add on soon!
Petrol to the beach – £500 (sure its more than that over 5 yrs)
Wetsuits / Harnesses – £800
Kitesurfing DVDs – £60
Ok so i kind of got these free but i have used the first three DVDs religiously to help me learn new tricks. I would have purchased them if i hadn’t been working here 
Kitesurfing Magazines – £110 +
My yearly sub to KW although i have purchased other mags adhoc over that time.
Kitesurfing Holidays – woah, it’s about £13,000!
Obviously these are holidays, like normal vacations i would take irregardless, but i can honestly say all of my holidays in the last 5 years have been purely about kitesurfing – the ultimate opportunity to step up my riding and learn something new. Living in the UK also means i holiday more often to escape the cold weather!
So that’s a total cost of just over £20,000!
It’s a lot of money, no doubt about it, but i still think it’s all money well spent for five years of pure pleasure
With our DVDs and now with our new app, one our key objectives is to help people learn faster and get as much out of the sport as they can. That includes getting as much out of the money they have spent too – like on a holiday or on some new kit, or even replacing the cost of one to one coaching session in some higher level cases.
Learning something new can also come at a different cost – the cost of injury! Some of our Facebook fans shared some of their experiences of injury costs and i know from personal experience that yes, this is actually a cost that is far harder to swallow than the monetary kind.
Although sometimes these just can’t be avoided, with good instruction you can reduce your chance of failure and hopefully avoid the ultimate cost of all – anything that stops you kiting!
Ultimately most of us are willing to invest in this sport at any cost, whether that’s money, time or sometimes even injury. It’s the sport that most definitely keeps you hooked, just make sure you’re saving your pennies
Here at Progression we have been working hard to give kitesurfers more digital options to view our premium instructional video content, following lots of customer feedback and requests in this area. We are now excited to launch our first iPhone app, allowing kitesurfers to learn anytime or anywhere they want!
The Progression Player app is free to download and will feature short promotional videos free of charge. Over 60 full instructional chapters from our library are available to download within the app from £1.99 each with all payments will be made through apple app store accounts.
We have chosen the iPhone (or iOS platform) for a number of reasons, mainly due to the stats on our website showing a high proportion of ‘device’ traffic came from iPhones or iPads and also because the apple store offers a great channel through which to distribute and manage our app.
We are really keen to get as much feedback as possible so please do let us know what you think. We have lots more plans for more apps next year, all aimed at helping kitesurfers get a head start on their session and make the most of their time on the water!
For more information, FAQ and to give us any feedback then check out the new player website here – www.progression.me/player.
So the PKRA is kicking back into action today in Fuerteventura and we’ll see if Youri Zoon can continue to dominate or whether the likes of Alex Pastor, Alberto Rondino or Marc Jacobs can steal a win. So its a good opportunity to highlight a couple of new Trick Deifnition videos that are well suited to your Pro Kiteboarder.
The NIS is a stable trick (thats a Non-Inverted Slim to the rest of us) that we have covered in various forms before. Today we have a couple more advanced versions to show off:
Rider: Forest Bakker, Location: Tarifa, Spain
Rider: Alex Pastor, Location: Brandvlei, South Africa
You may see these trick names reported over the next few weeks during the world tour events, so hopefully you actually understand what they mean!
Continuing our exploration into understanding some of the most iconic wakestyle tricks, today we have a Trick Progression for the KGB.
This is probably one of the tricks that confuse the layman kitesurfer the most as the name has no relevance to what is actually happening!
And even once you realise there is a back roll in there somewhere, it can still get your head aching trying to visualise it.
So heres the Progression…
You can spot a KGB by realising the trick has started with a back roll but then crucially the backside 360 rotation is notably in the counter direction.
One of the most popular additions is adding a grab, but generally Pro’s throw this into a Back to Blind or Back to Blind Airpass, giving them time to hold the grab and tweak the board and body!
Previous Trick Progressions:
More to come…
If you want to learn the KGB or any of the powered tricks leading up to it check out the Progression Kiteboarding Professional DVD for in-depth instruction and demonstrations from the wakestyle master Aaron Hadlow.
A summer breeze at Lancing Beach, UK.
If you’re new to kitesurfing then you are likely to be already bamboozled by the unique terminology associated with the sport – beaufort scales & south-westers, chicken loops & donkey dicks…..One thing you may have heard people talk about, particularly during the summer months, is a “sea breeze”.
So here are a few facts and tips about sea breezes that will bring you up to speed and rigged up ready on the beach with the best of them to make the most of these brilliant summer conditions….
What is a Sea Breeze?
A sea breeze is an on shore wind created by the difference in temperature between land and sea. If the land gets hotter, faster than the sea, then the warm air that rises from the land is replaced by cooler air drawn from the sea surface:
(Image from Wikipedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_breeze)
The strength of the sea breeze is directly proportional to the temperature difference between the land and the sea so this gives you some idea of how to plan ahead for them….
Be Ready – The Best Conditions for a Sea Breeze
If it is a hot and sunny day and you live in a country where your sea rarely reaches above 18 degrees centigrade then the chances of a sea breeze are high.
If wind direction is already cross or cross on shore, even if its only blowing a gentle few knots, this will give the sea breeze a helping hand. Even if the wind is offshore, as long as it light, then it can generate some of the best sea breezes as it starts up the cyclic effect but if the offshore is over 15 knots then don’t get too excited! And surprisingly a dead onshore wind is more often than not a let down – it might tempt you with an increased 10 knot breeze but it rarely rises to much more and just frustrates the hell out of you!
The best time of day for a sea breeze is typically between 2 – 6pm, this is because the land has heated up sufficiently and has not yet started to cool. Time to start thinking up some good excuses to get off work early……
Some spots rely purely on this effect and can reliably do so because of the consistent appearance of the sun. Other land features can enhance the thermal effects further – mountains or channels specially. The South Downs which run along the South Coast of England aid in giving places like Brighton & Worthing amazing summer seabreezes. The channel between Baja and mainland Mexico helps La Ventana to get consistently strong cross shore winds thought winter season. Check out the wind line approaching in this picture of La Ventana – it can turn on like clockwork every afternoon!!
Some spots that have good ‘natural’ wind can also benefit from an extra boost in wind from a sea breeze effect. Places like Cape Town for example see this a lot due to their hot weather and cold water – 5m kites are the norm here as it “f@*king nukes” on days like that!
Seabreezes can be light if the sun gets interrupted by patchy cloud or the natural wind direction holds it back, but this doesn’t mean you can’t get out. We have some tips for light wind riding in our blog next week so keep an eye out for them if you want to improve your technique.
Be Safe – Sea Breezes Can Be Unpredictable
It may seem impossible that the wind can go from zero knots up to sometimes high twenties or early thirties but it does happen. Often people are caught out, rigging large kites or only bringing one size of kite to the beach. Although its tempting to get out and make the most of it, it can be useful to wait for an 1 hour for the wind to build and then make your decision on which kite to take. The wind will also be cleaner and smoother which is definitely worth the wait, if the forecast says sun all afternoon then its likely it will only get better.
Sea breezes can also drop off quickly as the day starts to cool. I have had to self rescue myself when a sea breeze dropped – and then the wind flipped round to off shore! As with any session, keep an eye on the wind and the clouds, and come in as soon as it starts to lull as it can quickly drop from there – much more so than on ‘normal’ wind days.
There are also usually a load of other beach users enjoying the sunny weather so keep their safety front of mind and if there are designated areas for bathers and kiters then stick to them.
I personally LOVE seabreezes as it basically means Kitesurfing in the Sunshine, and as this type of wind is rarely forecasted it kind of feels like a bonus session! Where so many of us, across Europe at least, will have to put up with grey rainy miserable low pressure weather systems to get any good surf in, sea breezes make you feel like you are kiting on holiday. Finish it off with a beer on the beach with your mates, now really, what more can you ask for??
So get out and enjoy those summer breezes
It’s all too easy at the end of a bad session to point the finger at your kite for holding you back – it felt gutless/no bar pressure/slow to turn etc etc – we’ve all said it and sometimes it may be true, but more often than not it may just be that your kite needs a little love to bring her back to her former glory!
This is especially true of second-hand kites, those which you are not using the supplied bar with or maybe you’ve just past the beginner stage and have been dumping your kite in the water repeatedly causing all your lines to stretch under the strain! Whatever the case with a little knowledge & advice from us you will hopefully be able to diagnose any potential problems. There are three key areas to focus on:
1. Front & Back Lines Common Problems:
Front Line too long, back lines to short
Front lines too short, back lines to long:
2. Difference between Right and Left sets of Lines:
Visual tells: When the kite is stationary above your head, you have to pull lightly on one side of the bar to keep the kite directly over head.If after checking your lines they turn out to be equal then you may need to check your bridle. This far harder to check and something that can be very different between bridled kites. Speak to your local kite shop or the manufacture for help with this.
3. Kite Attachment points 
Over the years kites have been developed and refined, with handling characteristics becoming broad reducing the need for multiple kite attachment points. However, many kites still have two or more options and they can have noticeable effects on the handling characteristics of your kite:
As you can see there is a lot you can do to tune your kite, to solve negative handling characteristics and also to broaden the range and style of your kites function. Next time you head out, give your kite a little bit of attention and ensure she is giving you her best!
If you are new to kitesurfing and some of this still confuses you, you need to watch a 30 minute DVD chapter that completely focuses on Tuning your kite across all these scenarios. Check it out on our Kiteboarding Intermediate Volume 1 DVD.
In part 1 of this blog post we introduced you to some top tips for popping whether you are riding Hooked-in or Unhooked. The two videos have had a great response but check them out if you’ve yet to watch them… But now we thought it would be good to show you how you can take the basic technique of popping and move it forwards into more advanced tricks.
What next – Hooked-in Popping…2. Next up has to be grabs and there are a lot of them to try, which in itself can keep you busy for some time!
When it comes to unhooking then possible tricks that lay ahead are endless! But to start with heres a few of the first progressions you should look at taking…
The number of tricks, requiring good pop, that you can try beyond that are numerous. Here are just a few examples to get you started:
So there you have it, your next steps for popping whether you are hooked or unhooked. If you want more in-depth help with your kitesurfing then check our the our Progression DVDs which cover many of these tricks in full detail, including common mistakes and key elements helping you to get it nailed faster!
In Issue 51 of KiteWorld, their Motordrive section cover how to “Get Pop”. Now for any riders wanting to perform unhooked tricks learning to pop is a necessity but for those of you who aren’t quite ready to make that step yet, popping hooked-in is still a vital skill to learn. To that end we have created two ‘Top Tip’ videos for kitesurfers learning to Pop Hooked-in & Pop Unhooked.
Now fundamentally the technique for popping is the same whether you are hooked-in or unhooked:
The unhooked version however requires better timing and control to ensure you can harness that power correctly – but start learning your pop hooked-in and you’ll be half way towards the next progression of unhooking.
Popping hooked-in is a great technique as it will not only giving you leg up when it comes to unhooking but also offer you a range of new tricks to learn whether its popping to toeside, popped grabs or trying back rolls without sending your kite.
Want to master this trick in full? The Progression Kiteboarding Intermediate Volume 1 DVD covers popping in-depth within a 45 minute chapter of high quality instructional content about learning how to jump in kitesurfing - buy it now from our online store.
For those wanting to uphook, getting good pop is vital for Raley’s, S-bend’s, in fact every powered trick that exists! Quite often the most common problem for any unhooked trick comes back to the very beginning and mistakes in that initial pop.
Want to master this trick in full? The Progression Kiteboarding Advanced DVD covers everything from setting up and learning the basics of unhooking, to learning to pop and then on to in depth instruction for how to throw down a raley and a s-bend -buy it now from our online store.
So this is just part one of the ‘art of popping’ from Progression, in the next blog post we’ll run through some of the progressions you can take after the basics of popping to spice things up a bit!
Last night the wind howled all night here in Tarifa, rattling my shutters – and me – awake in the early hours. Kiters are rarely praying for less wind but with only a handful of diehards able to make it out here the last week or so you wonder whats best – howling strong winds or no wind at all? At least in no wind you can turn to activities like cable or SUP, and of course lounging in the sun without being sandblasted!
Now we would never advocate going out in winds that you didn’t think you could handle but sometimes people limit their sessions unnecessarily when really it just comes down to learning good technique that will enable you remain in control in all types of conditions. Being able to go out in a wider variety of conditions not only will stop you being a frustrated kiteboarder but will make you more skilled – ready to deal with challenges when they arise even on an average day.
Approach new conditions and locations as you would any new trick. Assess, understand and practice. Strong winds can deliver some awesome sessions so don’t be put off, just be prepared and follow these five top tips:
Tip 1 – Keep The Kite Low.
You want to be in control and in kitesurfing, control is all about your edge. It might feel natural to keep your kite high and out of the power zone when its super windy, but this will pull you up and off your edge making it hard to resist gusts. Keep your kite low at 45 degrees, that way you’ll be flying the kite and not the other way round.
Tip 2 – Edge Really Hard.
Pushing hard with your back leg, push your board edge deep in the water. Not only is edging about staying in control but its about keeping your speed low. By edging hard you also drive your kite to the edge of the window which again, will allow you to reduce power and stay in control.
Tip 3 – Power Stance
The classic piece of advice you get when you learn is “shag it don’t shit it” as an eloquent way of illustrating the right position to hold your body in. In strong winds though you need to “shit it” a bit more. Sit back down in your harness so your hips aren’t so forward but still keep your shoulders back and arms slightly bent. This is the power stance!
Tip 4 – Assess The Risk Factor
In new places you probably do this all the time but you need to do this even at your local spot if the winds are strong. Hopefully others will be out or rigging up so first up see what sizes they are on, but importantly also consider their size, weight and ability in comparison to you. If you only have one size of kite and its not right then don’t just risk it – you wouldn’t drive a car down a busy high street if it could only go at 90mph! Sit it out this time and keep yourself amused by watching how others cope with the conditions – it could give you some useful insight!
Tip 5 – Be Safety Conscious
This is basic stuff really but we all know how we can lose our head when we are excited to get out! In strong winds though if something is gonna go wrong, its gonna go really wrong. Double, triple check your lines are set up ok, preferably find someone to launch your kite who you know and trust, never self launch and don’t hang around on the beach. Sometimes you can feel overpowered on the beach but fine on the water so get out as soon (but as safely) as you can.
Kiteboarding is all about taking considered risks – well, it is an extreme sport! Never put yourself in a situation you can not handle and be as prepared as you can by watching instructional content, listening to others advice and taking time to assess the situation before you take the plunge. Most importantly though, have confidence and enjoy the session, if you can nail your tricks in extreme conditions you are that much closer to being a more competent and skilled kitesurfer!
