Kiteboarding Thailand - Kitesurf Schools - News related Articles - Asia Times
On a wing and the wind in Thailand
By Karla Cripps
HUA HIN, Thailand - Popular as a weekend getaway, this seaside resort town 230 kilometers south of Bangkok certainly isn't renowned for its hardcore extreme sports, unless one considers golf an adrenaline-fed activity. But after wading through the throngs of sun-worshipping tourists who frequent Hua Hin's beaches and guzzle their Singha beers, I managed to find something new and little heard of: kitesurfing.
Almost like learning to speak a new language, mastering kitesurfing (also referred to as kiteboarding) is a gradual process, one that requires patience and perseverance - both characteristics I admittedly lack. But, after a few cuts and bruises and a lot of water up my nose, I managed to press on and have now become an addicted follower of the sport after a few lessons. Why? Because nothing is more exhilarating than gliding across an open stretch of clear blue water next to a palm-tree-lined beach in the warm Thai sun.
First it should be noted that kitesurfing is another one of those annoying things in life that end up being more difficult than they originally appeared. I had mistakenly estimated I would be sailing through the Gulf of Thailand, smiling and laughing with glee, in just a few hours. But what I didn't take into consideration was the giant kite pulling my arms out of their sockets, dragging me across the beach like a five-year-old child trying to walk a full-grown St Bernard that just spotted a wee kitty in its path.
For definitive purposes, kiteboarding is when a large powerful kite (which looks more like a parachute) is attached to a person wearing a harness, standing on a board, which is pulled through the water. One of the most amazing aspects of kitesurfing is the jumping. When you are riding, you can use your kite to hoist you out of the water. These jumps can be just a foot or two off the water, or as high as 40-50 feet (12-15 meters). I, unfortunately, have not reached this ever-so-exciting phase.
You may have seen kitesurfers before - the sport is quickly gaining popularity worldwide - and thought to yourself: "What kind of nut would attach herself to a parachute and head out into the sea with a board strapped to her feet?" A fair question. But, in reality, the sport is not as dangerous as it looks, if you receive proper instruction first.
Here in Hua Hin, there is one large kitesurfing school. However, the growing popularity of the sport has led others slowly to materialize in the area.
Through word of mouth, my roommate and I decided to give one of the smaller schools a try: Hua Hin Kitesurfing Co, run by Canadian Matt MacLeod. He assured us that we were the first females he had ever taught, dubbing us "kitesurfing goddesses". Were we flattered? Yes, of course; however, I do suspect his kind words had more to do with the 8,300 baht (US$210) we shelled out for a 10-hour learning package than our pioneering ways. To be honest, though, the price is very good, comparatively.
MacLeod's specialty is building boards out of unique materials such as coconut shells and bamboo, which he then ships around the world for use on both snow and water. The teaching is more of a side venture, he says. What drew him to the sport is simple: "I saw some guy doing it on the beach, I thought, 'That looks like a gas,' and asked him how to get started."
The largest school in Hua Hin is Kite Boarding Asia (KBA) , which operates two officially recognized International Kiteboarding Organization centers, both of which offer beginner, intermediate and expert lessons, as well as rentals. Their second center is on the Thai island of Koh Samui. On entering their Hua Hin shop, one realizes right away these guys mean business. In the corner, a TV plays kitesurfing videos depicting muscley young men flying through the air. A long row of colorful boards is stacked for sale along the wall among other kitesurfing equipment, and one of the owners, Raam Schnitman, can be heard trying to convince the father of a 15-year-old boy signing up for lessons that nobody is too old to learn - in fact, he has even taught a 70-year-old man how to kitesurf.
But it is not as simple as just hopping on a board and letting the wind do the work. The lessons involve sessions with a smaller training kite and the body dragging through the water before you graduate to the large kite where you're attached to the harness. Eventually, you're allowed on to the board as it takes a while to get used to controlling the kite in the wind - which generates an amazing amount of power - especially to keep it from crashing into the water. Should the kite go down while you're riding, it is nearly impossible to relaunch it without heading back on to shore. Schnitman says some people are able to pick up the sport in a few days, while others can take as long as three weeks.
For a three-day beginner course with KBA, the price is 11,000 baht ($275). One day involves a lesson of roughly four hours, and the class has a maximum of four students per instructor. The price includes water-scooter support, a quad motorbike to transfer students up the beach after a downwind run on the kite, helmet-mounted radios for board riding, and all equipment, including helmet and buoyancy and impact vest.
Schnitman says Hua Hin has become a popular destination for kitesurfers because of its world-class conditions. There are consistent breezes, plenty of beach space (the main beach is five kilometers long) and the tide goes way out, leaving ample room to maneuver away from the sunbathers. The best season runs from December to the end of May, when the rainy season kicks off. He says there are very few barriers preventing someone from learning, with the exception of weight, and he recommends the sport to anyone in need of some stress-free relaxation: "You go into the water for two hours, and your brain just switches off ... that's what I like."
After my lessons are over, if I decide to buy my own equipment, this is where my bank account will really take a beating. For a full set of equipment - which includes kite, boards and harness - it will set me back between 50,000 and 60,000 baht. But you aren't limited to the ocean. Unlike regular surfing, kitesurfing can be done on any body of water, provided there is sufficient wind. It can even be taken on to the snow - albeit not a very high selling point here in Thailand.
Aside from the water constantly lingering in my nasal cavities, this is one sport that I plan to keep up with for as long as I can. Eventually, I hope to bring it back to Canada, where I'll shock and awe my fellow Canucks when I head out on to the frozen snow-covered lake and go whizzing past their snowmobiles in the minus-40-degree breeze. All that will be missing are the scantily clad tourists and the Thai Singha beer.
(Copyright 2004 Asia Times Online Ltd. All rights reserved. Please contact content@atimes.com for information on our sales and syndication policies.)
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