A little inspiration for anyone getting out this weekend:
Front Blind Mobe – Aaron Hadlow:
Double Back Roll One Footer – James Busse:
S-bend to Blind with an Airpass: James Busse:
Planning on hitting the water this weekend? What tricks are you gonna be trying?
I remember going down the beach with my powerkite, flying around having a great time on land, while guys were out on the water going big and throwing some amazing old school tricks which were not so old school at that time 
Riders such as Steve Kelner, Jason Furness and Brian Kelner were the local hot shots at my beach, and at that time kitesurfing was about sending it hard and and getting that board off your feet.
It took a few years before I took the plunge and got on the water. When i came to learn my first tricks the spotlight was on nailing unhooked tricks and kiteloops. These took me a while to do, but i managed to add raleys, s-bends, surface passes, krypts, f16s and dangle passes into my trick list, any urge to learn board offs had disappeared with the experience of unhooking.
Unfortunately last year I had a nasty accident and dislocated my shoulder quite badly. It took 12 months of physio and a full on operation to get things working again. However my arm no longer sits in its original place and i have found unhooking is putting too much stress on my joint.
The reason i love this sport is due to it’s versatility, and the fact i couldn’t unhook anymore was upsetting but I can still work on my hooked in style and wave-riding.
Now I really wanted to start trying some board offs, so with the new Progression Player app and a quick download, I headed down the beach ready to give it ago!
The foot out was a simple starting point for me, the trick itself isn’t to hard. If you can jump and grab the tail of your board you can try these out with ease. We have a great video available that will show you the progressions that lead up to a board-off, including this important one-footer step:
My main struggle was the mentality barrier. I kept imagining getting my foot out and not being able to put it back in, thus ending in a knee jerking landing. The fact I had previously been off the water for a year didn’t help, but with a nice 20 knots hitting my 11m I sent the kite on my first tack and got the trick, and the stoke was back. A bit of confidence really does make a big difference!
Top Tips for one-footers
After I’d started building confidence with the single foot out the time came around for a board off.
Later that week I was blessed by the wind Gods with a 30 knot flat water session so out came my 9m and a big grin on my face!
As soon as I was up on my board I spotted the perfect kicker and sent the kite hard, this time grabbing the tail and taking both feet out. It was an amazing feeling not being locked into straps, so good I actually forgot I needed to put the board back on to my feet!
Unfortunately a trend then started of me getting the board off and not back on. No matter how hard I tried or how high I jumped, I couldn’t get my board into the correct position to get it on to my feet.
Frustrated by my half completed or failed trick, I went back to the board off chapter on my Progression Player, and practised in front of the tv flicking the board on and of my feet by using my wrist to correctly position the board. This helped a lot!
It took a few more sessions on the water for me to nail the board off, I found the wind hitting the board itself made things tricky but i can proudly say I now have board offs down, and am excited in how i can progress in this style of kiting. Definitely a fun session when the wind is strong and you are hanging with too much power to try anything more technical.
Board off top tips
There are lots of different ways to grab the board and make a board of a little more fun and interesting. Here are a couple of variations:
If you’re keen to learn to Board-offs then either install the Progression Player on to your iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad or get the Progression Kiteboarding Advanced DVD.
Even though I am employed by Progression I have been using their products from the beginning, and continue to use them both for myself and with my students during the summer season. If you are interested in watching some great footage during the transitional stage of kiting where the handles passes became the top trick for comps, have a look at A.C. This was our first and only action kite movie and is free to watch online (all 45 minutes of it!). You might even spot a certain 5x World Champ back when he was just 14 years old and throwing down some massive board offs!
Thank to all the riders in the photos and videos:
Bas Koole – www.baskoole.com
Tom Hebert – www.tomhebert.com
James Busse
Christian Harris – www.ckperformanceclinics.co.uk
There is no way of escaping it, TV adverts are already in full force, parties are being planned – Christmas is coming!
So its time to get the perfect kitesurfing Christmas present for your brother, sister, mother, father, niece, nephew, son, daughter, grandson or grandaughter – or maybe just get it on your own wish list, so you get something you want this year! Progression DVDs are the ideal gift for any kitesurfer from Beginner to Professional, with over 2 hours of detail instruction on each DVD, you’ll be giving your kitesurfing obsessed relative something that will make their next session a guaranteed win!
And we’ve got some great deals for the Christmas Holidays:
Whether its for the early beginner (Beginner & Intermediate Volume 1), the super keen novice (Beginner, Intermediate Volume 1 & 2), the go getting Intermediate (Intermediate Volume 1 & 2), aspiring advanced (Intermediate Volume 2 & Advanced) or wannabe Pro (Advanced & Professional) – we’ve got you covered!
Buy them now from the Progression Online Store with worldwide shipping or you’ll find our DVDs in pretty much every kitesurfing store around the world!
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.
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.
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.
Its a double whammy with this blog post – showcasing two new advanced ’trick definition’ videos and giving the answer to our recent “Name That Trick’ competition where you could win a North Airstyler Harness.
This time we tried to confuse you all as much as possible by mashing together two different tricks performed by the stylish New Caledonia rider Tom Hebert:
Did you work it out? Well the first one is a Crow Mobe – or in plain english a toeside front roll to blind:
Most people got that but it was the second one that cause quite a few problems! We had back to blinds & back mobes – WRONG! Alot of people got close with a Slim Chance but unfortunately WRONG! For the Slim the body needs to get fully inverted during the pass. So that left the correct answer… the NIS (Non-Inverted Slim) and then just to catch a few more people out there was a grab thrown in for good measure!
Now the last thing regarding the NIS, there was a pretty even split between answers for the NIS and the S-Mobe. Essentially they are the same trick (and in Wakeboarding the NIS doesn’t really exist) but in kiteboarding there is a small visual different between the two. The NIS is a front roll with a frontside 360 where as the S-Mobe is a s-bend with a frontside 360. Other than the front roll / s-bend difference you can usual see the difference in the frontside 360 – the bar pass on the NIS happens slightly off axis where as the S-mobe is a very flat frontside 360. As we are feeling generous (and we think its pretty much the same thing) we have included all those who answered NIS or S-mobe!
Anyway, the moment you have all been waiting for… and the winner of the North Airstyler Harness is….. PHILIP SNOUCKAERT!!
Thanks to North Kiteboarding for their support and thanks to everyone who took the time to enter our competition. Watch out for the next Name that Trick coming in the next few weeks…
A final note on our ‘ Trick Terminology’ videos:
These videos do not have any in depth instruction but instead can help you quickly and visually define a particular kitesurfing trick. Whether you want to line up your next kiting progression, find inspiration or just appear more knowledgable down the beach these videos are an easy way to get clued up fast!
If there are any tricks you would like us to cover in our ‘Trick Terminology’ videos then just add them into the comments below and we’ll get it done!
Its been a while since we posted our last trick terminology video but we now have a dozen lined up and ready to roll out over the coming weeks.
Today we start off with a couple of stylish twists on some of the standard tricks that any intermediate should be aiming for, all courtesy of one of the most stylish riders we’ve had the pleasure to work with – Dutch Kiteboarding Champion and Airush Rider Bas Koole.
Spice up that front roll!
Take your standard hooked in boosted front roll, add a grab and kick back your head and shoulders to get inverted:
A transition with flair!
Ariel transitions can be pretty plain but not when you double up the back roll rotation and once again add in that grab and invert – smooth and stylish, we love this move!
Next week we’ll have two more tricks for all the advanced riders – and they might just give you a better idea of what Tom Hebert was doing here!
These videos do not have any in depth instruction but instead can help you quickly and visually define a particular kitesurfing trick. Whether you want to line up your next kiting progression, find inspiration or just appear more knowledgable down the beach these videos are an easy way to get clued up fast!
If there are any tricks you would like us to cover in our ‘Trick Terminology’ videos then just add them into the comments below and we’ll get it done!
Have you ever had trouble getting up the next day after a kitesurf? Muscles tired and joints sore?
Kitesurfing can be a demanding sport and involves using many of the major muscle groups. When you exert these muscles groups kitesurfing, what you’re actually doing is tearing the muscle tissue – in a healthy way – allowing for your body to rebuild them stronger. However this requires lots of energy, and unless you are eating correctly (massive burgers don’t count!) you will wake up the next day feeling a bit worse for wear, potentially even missing valuable water time. This can be very frustrating, especially if you are away on a kitesurfing holiday and had planned to have that new trick nailed by your flight home!
Nutrition is key to making sure you are in great shape to go out for a session and allow for quick muscle recovery. However for many of us kiting is just a hobby so there is no need to go all on out and follow a strict regime of gym workouts and food plans, but you still should make sure you fuel yourself up before & after you have gone out.
There are many ways of doing this, but by far the most effective i have found is Whey protein.
What is whey protein?
Whey protein is a pure, natural, high quality protein from cow’s milk that is available at many supermarkets and health stores.
It is a rich source of the essential amino acids needed on a daily basis by the body. If you regularly visit a gym you will probably witness scores of gym-enthusiasts imbibing protein shakes. A common misconception is that protein shakes will turn you in to a beefcake, this is not totally true. A ‘simple’ whey protein shake will only aid recovery and help your bodies natural process for repairing damaged tissue and these come in at around 80-100 cals per shake. However the ‘all in one’ formulas you can get will aid with bulking as these contain extra calories (between 500 to 1500) and extra supplements. These types of shakes however will still not work at bulking you out unless you do the correct style of workout at the gym, which is heavy weights and low reps – and usually some grunting
Why Should i take it?
1. Increase in protein consumption - Protein is an important nutrient needed by everyone on a daily basis. It is made up of essential and non-essential amino acids, which are the “building blocks” for healthy bodies. Protein has a number of different roles in the body including the following:
2. Easily digestible - It’s always good to get some food in to you after any exercise, this is when muscles absorb the most nutrients and when glycogen, an energy reserve in your muscles, is replaced most efficiently. Whey protein is very easily digestible and is the perfect post kitesurf snack.
3. Quick - no need to worry about cooking anything up, just pop 2 scoops of shake in a bottle add some water and your ready to take it.
How do it take it?
Whey protein can be purchased in pre mixed formulas or in powder form. If you decide to try using this i would recommend purchasing a whey powder. It’s also about 80% cheaper per serving compared to premixed formulas and you can mix it in with a variety of things such as adding a scope to your cereal in the morning or popping it in a smoothie. (Check out some great smoothie recipes i’ve been using from Brighton Active for this).
Ideally if you can, take one shake 30 mins before your session with milk – this will allow for a slower release of the shake – and then straight after your session, with water. You can purchase special shakers that will hold up to 2 portions of whey, and they are a great size for taking down the beach.
What to look for?
There are tons of brands on the market and your best bet is to go to a sports store that deal with supplements such a GNC or Dolphin fitness. For those of you not wanting to bulk up yo need to look for the low cal versions. These should contain about 20/25g of protein per shake, and are known as whey Protein Isolates.
Out of the many i have tried the two brands that stand out to me as being the best in cost and results are Reflex & PHD nutrition. They are both great value and have a nice range of products whatever your goal.
REFLEX INSTANT WHEY
PHD PHARMA WHEY
Other benefits
Many of the proteins will also contain the “good bacteria” found in yakault or other similar products.
How much do I need to take?
You can just use a protein supplement for recovery pre and post workout, however if you want to include a shake in your daily routine to increase your protein intake then try this simple sum i found on a great Naish affiliated fitness blog to give you an idea of how many grams you should try consume a day: “divide your current weight in lb by 2.2, multiply that number by 1.4, the number you come up with is the number of grams of protein you should consume”. If you don’t think your making this through your normal diet add a shake in when you feel a bit peckish, I like to take one with milk in the evenings as this stops me snacking and allows a slow release of protein in to my body while i sleep.
So don’t let those tired muscles and low energy levels stop you from riding when you want to. Try out a protein shake and see if it can make the real difference to your progression!