"What are you doing? You are scaring me!" The voice of Dieter after he had rescued me from disaster once again in my first session of flying a 7.0 kite. On my first two tries I had momentary success at feeling the rhythm, the kite was moving from 12 o'clock to 3 o'clock and I was feeling the power. In barely 10 knots of wind with occasional gusts of 12 knots, I was impressed with the power of the kite and then each time disaster struck. The kite moved past 12 o'clock, a clear violation of the cardinal rules, Dieter called out the adjustments and I panicked. With Dieter screaming right, right, right… I froze with that "deer in the head lights pose." The kite was clearly in charge and while my mind raced for an answer of what to do… a file called what to do in this situation opened and it was empty. On both occasions the kite crashed as if commanded to do so by the kook in charge… me. On my third and final try again I was doing great, OK just good… and then the kite took over. This time as the kite passed through 12 O'clock it moved quickly to 11 O'clock and then 10'clock. Miraculously the kite missed an iron wood tree and with Dieter's help we pulled the kite up and out of disaster. As we stalled the kite at 12 O'clock Dieter uttered his now famous remarks about me scaring him.

In truth, I am a prime example of the person who needs to be extremely careful in attempting to learn how to kiteboard. I learn best by jumping into a sport and learning from my mistakes... and, I think I can learn to do anything on my terms. This approach worked in windsurfing and snowboarding. In these sports most of the damage suffered as a result of my approach was to me. In kiteboarding, I am clear that this approach will not work. I was indeed lucky that no one got hurt and nothing was destroyed. I need to spend hours sailing the smallest sport kite available in a field without trees to build awareness related to the movement of the kite. To know what to do when the kite wants to take charge is a conditioned response that I don't have. Building this response is the first step in learning to kiteboard and this step can not be bypassed. As we were walking away from my first lesson, Dieter smiled as he said; "now you can write a story about kiteboarding."

Indeed, Dieter is right, there is no substitute for experience. Experience is the best teacher, and learning to kiteboard is about building a response system that will allow you to control the kite in a variety of situations. Regarding the kite, control is the issue and as I found out in my visit to kookdom, you do not want the kite to be in charge.

The Ladies in Kailua
We didn't need John Grey, the author of "Men are from Mars and Woman are from Venus," to tell us that men and woman have a different approach to learning to kiteboard. As the sharing from these three women demonstrates, women tend to be way more cautious and sensitive to the process of learning to kiteboard. A fact and an approach that we all (men and woman) need to keep in mind.

Jean Hamai
"Me and kitesurfing, at first it was merely a curiosity to see what it's like to fly it. So I did. I was surprised how fun that was, how very playful and alive the kite was up there, dancing around in the wind and how immensely powerful it could become if I was not careful. In just a matter of minutes, my curiosity became intrigue. Control, lot's of well-spent time learning how to work the kite before getting in the water. Then the body dragging down the shore and the salt water draining from my eyes, ears, nose and throat or so it seems. But that kite still so very playful and every bit of it fun. Then I started using the board, a few face plants but the kite wants you up so it helps you and off you go. Now learning to stay upwind and return to same place I started. Each stage of my learning has been fun, unlike windsurfing! The kite, playing with you, teaching you, some lessons more wild and crazy than others.

Initially, my first impressions came from seeing Robby doing things that do not look recognizable to me. Watching him, I think it's not something I can do. Then one day I saw Katie Naish kitesurfing in a completely different manner. The sport didn't seem to be about how many tricks she could do or how high she could get, instead it seemed like a nice, fun ride, graceful, easy, comfortable and solo, just her and the kite. I thought, now that, maybe, I can do. Thank you Katie for translating kitesurfing into something I can aspire to."

Dr. Lynne Gilson
"The appeal of the kites is universal, definitely not the providence of either gender. The brightly colored balloons bobbing in the brilliant sky over Kailua Bay; the prospect of being lifted into the air and floating back down; these images reawaken the child within us all.
I have been extremely fortunate; the guys who pioneered kitesurfing in our area invited me to join in the fun early on and experiment with the nuances of this new sport. Ok, truthfully, in the beginning, I may have been part of their experimentation. The question of whether your average girl could learn to kitesurf was still being debated. However, I wanted to hold onto one of those kites so bad it was just killing me, and the boys were kind enough to humor me. After the first rather hairy afternoon of numerous crashes and one incident involving a tree, it was a few weeks before I tried again. However, from then on things progressed relatively quickly.
The following week was filled with being taken for wild rides by gusts of wind down the bay and bathing suits being twisted into less then modest arrangements as I was dragged through the water. I would do short, half hour sessions, and while my adrenaline levels fought to return to normal I would try to visualize what I would do in the next session. The challenge was great fun and I felt encouraged by, and a responsibility to, the women who were giving me the thumbs up as I walked back up the beach with the kite. I think that the aforementioned question was answered in the affirmative fairly quickly.
The serpentine motion of the kite, which at first may look chaotic, intimidates many women, but once I explain that the motion is purposefully done in order to generate pull, they relax. Being able to break kitesurfing down into its two components, kite handling and board handling, also takes some of the anxiety away. Developing the kite handling skills, is itself a lot of fun and there is no rush to use the board until you are entirely comfortable."

Maja Whitesell
"Hmmm.It sure is a little addicting. Doesn't it look just so easy that you think, "I can do it"? Then you take the kite and try it on the beach, "easy"- and pang the kite's in the trees. After that it's harder to get the husband to teach. He's more afraid that I'll get hurt than I am. Body drags are great fun! I love them. Then the first try with the board, YEA!!! I get up and it does feel just like gliding through some fresh powder on my snowboard. I WANT MORE! Now I get irritated when there's just not enough wind. Kiting! It reminds me of the early days of snowboarding when everyone was a beginner-stoked about every little success, everyone helping each other, giving out tips. There better be wind tomorrow so I can go before work."