Kiting has taught me balance, confidence, determination, patience and simplicity. It has provided me with a passion that I could not imagine myself without. My life currently revolves around wind forecasts and constantly looking at the ‘wind in the trees’, shared moments with many kiting friends often filled with adrenaline, nervousness, “OH S***!!!” moments, ‘cappuccino surf (wave) running, and absolutely amazing sunset sessions.
Kiting represents much more than a sport to me and currently takes center stage in my daily experiences.
I remember paragliding over the golden sand dunes at Rainbow Beach, a beautiful day filled with unforgettable memories taking time to enjoy the views and really appreciate the moment. As I looked down onto the water, I saw a distant object in the distance flying across the waves – I was taken over by an immense sense of freedom as I watched this thrill seeker weave in between the waves. I had been looking for something new to drive my next passion and from that moment I was completely blown away by the sport.
Learning to kitesurf was a bitter-sweet experience where I have discovered different aspects of myself, including character strengths and weaknesses that I had not recognized previously in my earlier life pursuits. The early days of kitesurfing were very challenging, my first Wipika kite was a 2-line to 4line convert and I would spend hours dragging myself along the shore drinking copious amounts of sea water. I was definitely determined.
I’ve lived mostly taking each day as it comes and focus my energy on building my strengths, becoming a more balanced individual and living a non-materialistic, minimalist lifestyle.
Kitesurfing allows me to travel to many corners of the globe and enjoy the ‘buzz’ with my fellow adventurers, equipment continues to change and develop allowing us to pursue even more locations with ever changing weather patterns.
Much appreciation to the developers and pioneers of this great sport! Thanks to your inspiration I continue an exciting journey.
Has kitesurfing added value to your life? Take a moment to tell us about it. Look forward to hearing from you!