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IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

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clubkite
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IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby clubkite » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:29 pm

I know IKO has been discussed many times in this forum. However recently a newbie kiter who started kiting only in 2010 decided to become a kite instructor. Perhaps he felt that paying a couple of thousand dollars to IKO for the kite instructor course was actually going to buy him some credibility? I don't know...

It was hilarious to me when he actually handed out the 'IKO competency cards' or whatever IKO calls it to his newly graduated student and proudly posted his student's photo on his facebook page for having completed IKO level 1 & 2 with a picture of the proud student!

Couple of questions arise here. Firstly I am not aware of anybody ever needing to use the IKO card. If its not used at all, why give it? If it is given to a newly graduating student with the student believing he will need it for some other reason or other then that's fraud.

The bigger question I am asking is how IKO could have possibly accepted a newbie kiter with 1 year of kiting experience into their kite instructor course! I clearly remember myself after 3 years of kiting still refining my riding technique and picking up small pointers here and there from more experienced kiters. After 3 years of kiting and I was still busy learning and gaining experience and I still am today after 7 years of kiting.

Now IKO believes that they can teach a newbie kiter to become an instructor in 1 week! For some back ground, Our kite season is only 2 times a years and lasts for about 2 months. This new instructor has kited for a maximum of three short seasons and can ride upwind competently at best. I have never seen him so much as jump, ride toeside or even do a board grab! I seriously believe that he knows that attempting any such tricks will clearly demonstrate his lack of kite skills.

Just to highlight his incompetence, a few days ago, it was raining and windless. I looked way upwind and saw some clear weather approaching and I also felt some wind and so I decided to go kiting. Another instructor thought I was crazy to launch in 'no wind' but then also decided there was enough wind and off both of us went kiting happily while everybody else was still sitting around.

Our new instructor goes to the edge of the water and decides to go kiting too... However, being a newbie, he can't even estimate the wind, takes a kite that is too small, struggles to stay upwind, drops the kite, struggles to relaunch (how you can't re-launch a Cabrinha SB is beyond me) until about 30 meters from a jetty before deciding that walking back would be a better option.

By now the sun was shining, the wind picking up steadily and about ten other kiters are happily zipping up and down. So back to shore he goes to get his student to continue lessons. Unbelivable but true.

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby Toby » Tue Jan 03, 2012 5:38 pm

a shame if true.

How can we get the French system as a worldwide standard?

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby acctx » Tue Jan 03, 2012 6:34 pm

clubkite wrote:I

Couple of questions arise here. Firstly I am not aware of anybody ever needing to use the IKO card. If its not used at all, why give it? If it is given to a newly graduating student with the student believing he will need it for some other reason or other then that's fraud. .
I have needed it to rent equipment in maui/philippines. In maui if you have the IKO card one place at least will let you "rent" equipment while under light supervision of an instructor. It is still a "class" but much less expensive (20-30/hour?) and the instructor is just monitoring you for liability purposes.

I think requiring a card is a reasonable purpose for an IKO card. However IKO has to maintain standards for insurance companies to be willing to insure places that are renting equipment based on IKO cards. The whole thing will implode once insurance companies drop out.

On crowded beaches I think it is reasonable for a card to be required to kite there. For more remote beaches I think it is fine to not have a "license". It isnt clear that IKO is the right body to do the licensing.

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby plummet » Tue Jan 03, 2012 8:39 pm

sounds a bit dodgy.

But in fairness the most skilled/experienced kiters doesn't neccessarily make the best instructor.

See the quality of the students he produces. that will tell you if he's any good or not.

The advantage in being relatively new to it is that he will remember all the little things that helped him kite. The disadvantage he wont know other tricks of the trade. In particular weather knowledge.
Last edited by plummet on Tue Jan 03, 2012 10:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby GrodanBoll » Tue Jan 03, 2012 9:09 pm

I´ve done the IKO course, but I remember that the prerequisites were that you should be able to ride upwind, ride toeside, perform a trick and make a controlled jump.

I also think the course was good. In total each student was teaching for 10 hours and observing about the same time. The whole course took 10 days (assistance course included) and I think the course was of good quality. I did my course in Denmark. However, I heard other people taking this course that hardly got to teach at all during the course... The guy that was responsible for the course also told me that only about 50% pass the course, but that number perhaps vary over the world...

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby Jdizzle » Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:51 pm

clubkite wrote:I clearly remember myself after 3 years of kiting still refining my riding technique and picking up small pointers here and there from more experienced kiters. After 3 years of kiting and I was still busy learning and gaining experience and I still am today after 7 years of kiting.
I don't want to stir the pot, but I have only been kiting since September 2010 and I reckon I could teach kitesurfing, because the sport is a piece of p*ss to learn!

What do you mean by refining riding technique? Leaning back, holding an edge, riding upwind? Come on man! 3 years to refine this? You make me laugh :rollgrin:

Some people gain experience and skill 10 times quicker than others! I know people who have been kiting for 5+ years who are still useless and can't even do a back roll :rollgrin: Does that make them a good instructor? How are they going to teach anyone anything?

After one year I've cracked most of the intermediate moves on both tacks and am currently working on s-bend's and railey's to blind. It's all down to time on the water, commitment and the will to learn! I am lucky enough to be able to ride 12 months of the year mostly as a weekend warrior :D

P.S
I take more pride in spectacular slams than tricks landed :D
Last edited by Jdizzle on Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby Jdizzle » Tue Jan 03, 2012 11:58 pm

plummet wrote:sounds a bit dodgy.

The advantage in being relatively new to it is that he will remember all the little things that helped him kite. The disadvantage he wont know other tricks of the trade. In particular weather knowledge.
Why do you have to be a kitesurfer to have weather knowledge? I haven't learnt any weather knowledge from kitesurfing that I didn't learn from sailing.

Any way, maybe the dude in question is a Meteorologist...who knows?

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby frankm1960 » Wed Jan 04, 2012 12:37 am

Someone who's been kiting a year could easily teach a beginner kiter the basics IMO... IKO instructor or not. Pick the right place at the right time is pretty much it.

I've heard the saying that those who can't do... teach ... maybe it's true :D

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby laz » Wed Jan 04, 2012 1:02 am

I really wish there was a course that was a affordable price that actually taught you kite instructor skills and that did not have a 100% success rate of pay to pass.

Seriously if anyone wanted to get something started I would be interested in taking part PM me. I am studying business and have already had a part in starting a few successful small businesses in Chicago from a production company to kiteboarding lessons and gear sales.

Most importantly a strong passion for kiteboarding and keeping the sport as safe as possible for those involved and bystanders.

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Re: IKO Instructor Course accepts newbie kiter

Postby McAbe » Wed Jan 04, 2012 3:55 am

A newbie can absolutely be more suitable as instructor than any experienced air head, responsibility and talent to teach is more important than any back roll/handle pass skill.
It doesn't take long to learn the basics good enough to teach them in ideal conditions, however, newbies should NOT be allowed to teach as they hardly have experience enough to do the right thing quickly and instinctively in dangerous situations.


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