Kitesurfing is proving to be a popular pastime on the Costa Blanca. Internationally, the sport goes from strength to strength and it’s not hard to find out which coastlines (or lakes) people are riding on.
Riders use a water-relaunchable kite to ride through the water, using the energy from the wind and technique to perform fast speeds, amazing jumps and cool grabs; such as The Indy and The Seatbelt.
If you want to join the growing force of riders, you will firstly need to find your nearest school and registered instructors (see Resources section at the end for more details). On the Costa Blanca you will be able to find kitesurf schools in Calpe, Santa Pola and at Los Alcazares on the Mar Menor in Murcia.
It is important you learn with a pro, a serious amount of energy can be harnessed through these huge kites and if you make a mistake, it can be fatal. Learning with a school means that you learn the fundamentals before you even get in the water.
During your kitesurfing ‘baptism’, you will learn about equipment, wind direction, safety, basic piloting, emergency release, how to launch and land and about the ‘wind window’. It is essential you are taught the different elements to safety and etiquette. This all makes sense when you consider that riders can now reach speeds of up to 50 knots!
There are various styles of kitesurfing, with ‘expression riding’ being the most popular. This consists of ‘freestyle’ (when riders do jumps, spins and grabs) and ‘wave riding’. Performing ‘big air’ jumps is popular, when riders are in the air from 5 – 10 seconds. A popular variation for those with previous board-riding experience come in the form of ‘kickers’ and ‘sliders’, ramps and rails located in the water and used as props.
Just remember; try before you buy, always tell someone where you are and make sure you always have water and a high factor sun screen if playing out in the sun. And as always, respect the sea.
RESOURCES:
International Kitesurf Organization (IKO) website: http://www.ikorg.com/
British Kitesurf Organisation (BKO) website: www.kitesurfing.org
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