Got a lesson? Post your kite school experience here...

pkh · Since 27 Feb 2005 6549 Posts Couve / Hood Honored Founder

We'd love to hear your reviews on local kiteboard instruction centers! Please actual lesson reviews only, all other posts will be removed.

K4L · Since 19 Jan 2009 483 Posts Obsessed

It has been a few years but TJ did a great job when I took lessons with NEW WIND and Andy down at Floras Lake was excellent as well....three lessons and I was headed upwind Very Happy

ALL Jet Ski assisted...only way to go

doubleb · Since 29 Jul 2008 57 Posts Lyle

I second your opinion on TJ. Unfortunately he doesn't work there anymore.

STORMRIDER · Since 17 Jul 2007 229 Posts Stoked

Will Brady @ floras lake........ jet ski supported, walkie talkie in your helmet to give instant instruction, and the lakes shallow water.

wylieflyote · Sun Jun 06, 10 8:35 pm

My vote will forever go to Jeffro's Urban Surf school up at Jetty Island. Steady, fan winds, waist deep water, and very intuitive, professional help. I would send anyone there.

mschulz · Since 29 May 2007 530 Posts Reno, NV Addicted

I worked with Toffer (sp) a few years ago. Not sure where he is working now, but he was great. My progression was very fast with his help. Worth every penny.

rich · Since 30 Nov 2005 306 Posts portland Obsessed

I took my lessons from New Wind, Jim Bison. Dudes were cool, was riding shortly thereafter. My bud Thom hit up Will Brady and his crew down at Floras last july, he was riding second lesson. If i did it over i'd go down to floras. Will and co. seem pretty top notch in my view and have competitive prices. They spent a good amount of time 'off the clock' w/ my bud. The bigger advantage in my view is that you can practice 'til you've had enough w/out your instructor in a lake that doesn't really seem to get 'too' crowded that you are maybe waist deep in just about anywhere. Add to that that will and his crew jumped on their skis and went out and helped lots of people. Seems like the right place to be. Kiting takes a few consecutive days, down there you don't have much else to distract you from being on the water.

jcohenx · Since 28 Aug 2007 250 Posts Portland Obsessed

bulae99 · Since 12 Jul 2006 1691 Posts I give out bad advice.

Hey this is a great post! I think that it might be a good idea to set up some evaluation criteria, for example:

Conditions during lesson, cost of lesson, school description/type, type of gear, location, and last but not least the type of lesson given:

a. orientation to trainer
b. 4 line orientation, lines, kite, etc..
c. self rescue
d. body drag
e super man to board
f. getting on the board
g. riding

Ya know what I mean. It just seems like an area that needs some less subjective data.

There is just so much going on in a lesson. It seems unfair to judge a school or brand by just the actions of one instructor etc.. I watched TJ teach and he was really amazing. But at the same time Jazz was bilingual and people really loved her style and stoke. Then there was many other instructors who were and still are terrific.

Without a doubt this is an area that deserves some subjective criteria.

wytcap · Since 10 Mar 2005 203 Posts NW oregon Stoked

I would have to say Matt Thames aka Sol Flyer would be a great option over at kite the Gorge, he taught my daughter and had her up and going in no time, This was down at Floras lake. besides you would be taught on the new Epic Renegade's. (sorry not a big company Laughing

)
But he does a great job!!

A.K. · Since 01 Jul 2006 190 Posts Stoked

All the HR programs located at spit, event site, and hook are good. Your experience is primarily determined by the specific instructor and the wind conditions.

WIND: trying to pick a lesson time, ask your instuctors to pick the best time according to forecast wind. In other words, clear your day and be flexible to jump on the lesson slot with the best wind.

INSTRUCTOR: best bet is to find out who owns the school and make sure you get that guy/gal as your coach. Cool

Enjoy it, no handle pass or loop will ever compare to the beginning. We are all just trying to get a taste of that sensation again.

MasViento · Since 03 Mar 2009 235 Posts 97031 Stoked

I had a few different schools and instructors here in HR and other places.
Hands down Carlos at Kite the Gorge runs a great operation.

http://kitethegorge.com/

Also will repeat what Wally said Matt Thames (sol-flyer) recommended as a super patient and knowledgeable guy. Very safe. He works at Kite the Gorge.

- If I was gonna take my female friend to learn kiting I would have her learn from Tonia at
Cascade kitebording :

http://www.cascadekiteboarding.com/

Props to you both for running first class operations !

arehn · Since 24 Mar 2008 166 Posts Hood River, OR Stoked

I would have to say that Carlos at Kite the Gorge runs one of the best programs i have seen. I have taken lessons at Jetty Island, Hawaii, and Mexico and no one has even come close to the instruction of Kite the Gorge. They are very concerned with safety and have made it their number one priority. They are very easy to work with and are equipped with very talented and fun coaches that will get you up and riding in no time! If you are going to the Gorge to take a lesson Kite the Gorge is the best!!

pauls · Since 20 Jun 2005 564 Posts Northern Portugal Addicted

I had a really helpful coaching session from Tonia at Cascade Kiteboarding last Summer. I'm an intermediate rider wanting to improve and the set up Tonia had with jet ski and helmet radio was great. We talked about what i wanted to cover on the beach and then i launched and rode out into the river to meet up with Tonia on the jetski. Tonia watched me ride for a few minutes and then coached me on the moves i wanted help with. Being followed by the jet ski i didn't have to worry about staying in any particular spot so could do roll after roll or transition while really focusing on the instructions and not staying within shouting distance. We were also free to train well clear of anyone else. Tonia's adjustments to what i was doing have really helped me get over a plateau. Her communication skills are excellent - she explained ideas so that i could act on them. I'll probably get another coaching session in later this summer. If you do book an advanced or intermediate coaching session my advice unless you are incredibly fit don't make the session too long - the intensity of riding whilst being coached is much higher than freeriding.
I'd also recommend her lessons for beginners, she takes them on the jet ski well away from everyone else so no pressure or worrying about collisions.
Not least Tonia gives back a lot of time and energy organizing KB4C Thumb's Up

pollywog · Since 07 Aug 2009 291 Posts Obsessed

I took lessons from a few different people/organizations. My first two lessons were at the beach in Seaside from a gentleman named Jason. Josh at Cleanline recommended the guys who were teaching out of seaside (I don't think they have an official business name, at least they didn't when I took lessons). He was great, very friendly and made me feel comfortable. He gave me a lot of useful information about understanding the weather and answered my questions after the lessons via email.
The 3rd lesson I took was from Jim with Hood River Water Sports. He was good as well. Very serious and safety conscious. I think he wanted to be sure I knew what I was getting in to. I appreciated his respect for the sport. He gave me one piece of advice I will never forget and I hope I never have to use.
The last lesson I took was from Lubo (one of the white shacks on the spit, can't remember their name, sorry). He was competent as well.
I liked learning from different people because they all had unique ways to describe and handle situations. All were friendly and knowledgeable. I would recommend all of them!

During the time I was taking lessons, a friend was teaching another friend how to Kiteboard. The friend who received the lesson is a disaster to this day (3 years later). His disasters are plentiful and his life has been threatened at least 4 times. The friend who taught has said numerous times he wished he would never have taught him. Luckily (unlucky for me) he kites where we live (another secret spot) and not in Hood River. Sad and frightening.

Lessons rule Exclamation

Nak · Thu Jun 17, 10 7:35 am

My first lesson was in August of 2004. Went to HR and picked a likely looking school. I brought my shiny new 11m and 15m fuels with me; thought I'd use those so I could get used to them. The lady running the school that day and the instructor agreed that my 11m would be great! BTW, it was blowing about 35 knots. Rolling Eyes

Last minute, they stuck another guy with us. They didn't think he'd need much help, because he had already had lessons somewhere in Mexico? I had already flown the trainer kite, studied my ass off, watched a bunch of DVD's and practiced rigging the kite at home. I thought the wind was a bit much for my 11m, but the instructor assured me it was fine. Rolling Eyes

Long story short, the other guy had no clue what he was doing. The instructor spent most of the next 90 minutes chasing him screaming "release the chicken loop!" My instruction consisted of "OK, body drag over there." After a few passes body dragging it was "OK, get up on the board and ride over there."

During those 90 minutes I learned just how many scrapes and bruises you can fit on the human body. I did not learn anything useful other than that. I learned to be very frightened of my kites. I learned, erroneously, that kiteboarding lessons sucked. I spent the next year trying to learn on my own, without much success. I stayed away from the Gorge for a Long, LONG, time. Very Happy

I spent most of my learning time in Kailua on layovers while working. Every time I went out I started out with a knot of fear in my belly when I rigged up the kite. But I went anyway. Finally, I got real tired of not getting up on the board. I took a 30 minute wakeboarding lesson to get the feel of the board. Then I took a 90 minute kiteboarding lesson from Paul Porter in Kailua. Woo Hoo! I was up and riding by the end of the lesson! Smile

Paul was an absolutely fantastic instructor and restored my faith in kiteboarding lessons!

Moral of the story: Get a good instructor to learn how to kiteboard. Even if you survive, self-taught lessons aren't worth the price. ( A LOT of bruises and time, if you're lucky. )

I haven't named the Kiteboarding School in Hood River, because I'm unsure if the guy that owns it now ran it back then. As for my instructor, I've never seen him anywhere around here since. Twisted Evil

Tommy · Fri Jun 18, 10 7:24 pm **I'll throw in my two cents here...**

So I took a couple of one-day lessons, two or three weeks apart, with an independent instructor last summer, at a location which has since come under some, shall we say, *access issues*. The instruction was great (as was the location; don't know what the situation there is now, and I'm not gonna bring it up). I'd put in about 20 hrs with a trainer prior, and was able to focus on flying the kite, self rescue and body dragging during the first lesson. I was surprised at how easy it was to fly the kite (this was a 7M Rev, in pretty gusty 7M conditions). I was expecting a lot more pull than the trainer, but if anything the opposite was true. During the second lesson, we continued with body dragging, this time with the board, and water starts. And I actually managed to nail a few, and stay up on the board for 15 or 20 seconds before face-planting. $50 an hour, very economical, and one on one instruction. It was a pretty good introduction to the sport. I picked up a 7M Waroo not long after and headed out a couple times on my own later in the summer to get used to the kite, practice body dragging and self rescue, etc. Didn't fully commit, though, and wound up hanging it up for the time being come September...

This year, I decided it was best to jump back into it with some more instruction. I considered heading down to Floras, but once I'd factored in the cost of travel and lodging, it seemed like it would make more sense to put something together in the Gorge (I live in PDX), and I set up a two-day lesson in early June with Greg at Cascade Kiteboarding. The first day went off without a hitch, basically a revisiting of the fundamentals. The second day was called on account of weather, has been called several more times since, also on account of weather (this is a good thing, which I'll get into in a bit), and is tentatively set up for tomorrow or Sunday. At about $110 per hour, it's a good deal more expensive than the lessons I took last year, but worth it, I think, for a couple of reasons. The first being the jet ski, the second being the helmet radio system. Neither of these things, as it turns out, made that much of a difference in my case (with regard to the jet ski, we ended up at the Sandbar anyway, and with regard to the helmet radio, mine was malfunctioning, but it should be said that this was not a big deal as Greg and I were within earshot of each other the whole time). But as Pauls points out, for an intermediate working away from terra firma and the rest of the kite pack, these factors are, theoretically, big selling points, so I stand by my assessment that they justify the cost. One other thing that sticks out as very postitive about my experience with Cascade relates to the postponement of the second lesson, specifically that Greg, recognizing that I'm still not very far up the learning curve, is willing to wait for a day with good consistent wind, rather than just trying to cram in my second lesson and get it over with. This wins big points for these guys in my book.

If there's one caveat I would offer about Cascade, though, it's that they teach on kites with short lines (in my case, anyway; I forget what the length was). While this might be a good way to go with students who haven't touched a kite at all, having learned, and practiced a little bit, on kites with normal length lines last year, I found them to be more than a bit touchy, and might prefer to be using something closer to what I'll be getting out there with afterward, as would many of you reading this, I'd imagine. Also, I should reiterate that the independent instructor route can be a good way to go, especially if you're on a budget. I was very satisfied with the instruction I got last year (don't want to mention the instructor by name, given his association with "the secret spot," but his name rhymes with "mob the Rhine," so ask around and you'll find him; he's good and his rates are very reasonable). That said, I've been very happy with Greg's instruction and look forward, wind willing, to getting back out there with him this weekend.

I'd also point out that Nak is dead-on regarding fearing the kite. One of the reasons I didn't progress further than I did last season is that I was very intimidated by the prospect of what was essentially piloting a ski-boat in the sky, with tensioned meat-slicers between it and myself... When I'm climbing, I'm perfectly comfortable setting an anchor a full pitch off the deck, but when it comes to flying a kite, that knot in the stomach Nak mentioned is still with me. Unless you enjoy the benefit of testosterone poisoning, that fear is perhaps the biggest barrier of entry in all of this. It's a fear that at once gives and takes away.

But as Derek Hersey said, it's not ansy-pansy tennis...