Only a foil kiter will ever understand

Learning to ride a bicycle is a two-dimensional task. At the beginning, we need training wheels to prevent a fall when we lose our balance. Eventually, our brain and muscles “get it”, our dad takes the wheels off, and we start cycling freely.

Learning to kitesurf on a foil board is a three-dimensional task, while, at the same time, the kite tries to pull you constantly out of balance just like that mean kid at the playground tried to push you off your bike. Moreover, there are no training wheels! Literally hundreds of wipeouts have to happen before the glide above the water happens for the first time… and, I am just talking about riding in a straight line so far!

The journey of “Ten Thousand Wipeouts” is only about to begin when you decide to learn changing directions with a simple maneuver called Foil Tack Transition. A “weightless dance” on the board has to take place during each transition as the feet have to swap their position from the front strap to the back and vice versa. To keep the board gliding above the water throughout this into-the-wind maneuver, you need to maintain speed while redirecting the kite and the board simultaneously, in order to achieve a precisely coordinated moment of near-weightlessness for your feet to quickly dance on the board to their new position. Of course, the pack of mean kids is trying to push you off the bike tirelessly from all directions, and they succeed about 9,999 times.

Today though, you are ready to counteract their mischief and punch back while working your kite, board, feet, waves, gusts, and other elements to keep your balance and your cool. This time, you ride victoriously away with no fall or touchdown – and you make it look easy and effortless as if there was “nothing to see here.” The seemingly never-ending cruelty of monumental crashes with a nose full of water up to your skull is finally left behind, and with a sweet middle finger salute, you peacefully sail away towards your new horizons.

---