Good - BAD (IKO-certified) Kite Teachers

[nomorebikinis]

When I am on holiday I always take kite lessons because I am a beginner and do not know the environment. Also don’t wanna kill myself ( seen too many accidents). If it comes to teachers I become sad. Unfortunately some teachers I had were often more entrepreneurs or guys with very little patient and also men who just don’t seem to care. In June next I have exactly 1 year of kite experience. Prices of kite lessons are extremely high and this is often the reason why people take so little of them. The quality of the lessons is often poor so why should you take lessons if progression apparently is not guaranteed. Perhaps something should change. Up to the moment that things really change I would say to any beginner: stop taking lessons anymore, save aaaall your money and spend a very very long time in Brazil and practice a lot

[tungsten222]

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[nomorebikinis]

so true tungsten222. (btw love your avatar).
Lying in my bed now and reading this book of Malcolm Gladwell, title: Outliers. I think when I got the book I felt a bit frustrated. What I read is that it's all about how many opportunities you get (or take) to practice. No one is born better, smarter than the other. It's what you say: just what special opportunities you have and a lot of practice....well, makes me feel more at ease now, but still don't believe in lessons

[reiley]

i think that kite instructors as i know a lot need to be passionate with the sport, you can not be inpatient or rude to a student, it has to be the other way around, you being happy of teaching skills to a beginner

[PAFF]

Everybody should get lessons at first.


But when you are safe enough, so that you can take care off yourself, and others around you, then the need for lessons is only for you faster development, and not your safety, the choice needed for quality is interesting to discus.

I have IKO instructors and non IKO instructors working. IKO has nothing to offer besides only the most basic training needed for a instructor.
Those who are able to see each student next step in progress, and relay get the feel for what they are ready to learn, is a gift some have, and some don't.

A good instructor is cheap, taking in to account the time you save, and the better you feel about yourself after getting a lesson.
And a bad instructor, is money out the window.

It is like when we where in school, they all could learn you ABC-Z, but very few made you feel confident about your ability to progress. And did know exactly when to challenge you at the right time, so your own ability solve problems was brougt to the surface and you automatically understood what was the next step in a long progress.

[FredBGG]

Lying in my bed now and reading this book of Malcolm Gladwell

Malcolm Gladwell is full of crap.....
He is very good with words... but full of crap.

In particular what he claims is total bullshit when it comes to sports.

You could take a crowd of good kiters and give them all the practice and opportunities Ruben lenten had, but I very much dobt that you willget another rider like him.

If you want to get a good idea of how full of crap Gladwell is read this article he wrote wrote for the New Yorker about how wonderfull Premarin is for women and see how he attacked Dr Susan Love
who was warning women about the risks Premarin.

Here ios some BS from Gladwells article:

Refering to premarin...

"Taken over the long term, as part of a regime of hormone-replacement therapy (H.R.T.), it has been shown to reduce the risk of hip and spinal fractures in older women by as much as half, to lower the risk of heart disease by somewhere between forty and fifty per cent and even--in recent and very preliminary work--to either forestall or modify the ravages of Alzheimer's disease and osteoarthritis."

"estrogen does such a good job of fighting heart disease that most women who are on H.R.T. live substantially longer than women who aren't."

Here is the warning info from the Premarin website:

"What is the most important information you should know about PREMARIN (estrogens), PREMPRO (a combination of estrogens and a progestin), or PREMARIN Vaginal Cream (a cream of estrogens)?

Estrogens increase the chance of getting cancer of the uterus.

Report any unusual vaginal bleeding right away while you are using these products. Vaginal bleeding after menopause may be a warning sign of cancer of the uterus (womb). Your health care provider should check any unusual vaginal bleeding to find out the cause.

Do not use estrogens with or without progestins to prevent heart disease, heart attacks, strokes, or dementia.

Using estrogens, with or without progestins, may increase your chance of getting heart attacks, strokes, breast cancer, and blood clots. Using estrogens, with or without progestins, may increase your chance of getting dementia, based on a study of women age 65 years or older. You and your health care provider should talk regularly about whether you still need treatment with estrogens."

Gladwell wrote plenty of articles that made big pharma and chemical companies very happy bringing their advertizing to who he worked for furthuring his career I guess...

This dick even wrote an article praising DDT....

Don't believe his BS.

Pitty that this man with such skill with words can't put hem to better use.

[switch313]

yes that is true in some senses ( not the post above ^^^^ wtf??), however if you go to a smaller school or a private instructor i think you will be better off if you are concerned about quality, definately go with the iko however because if you dont once you sign the papers there is no regulation on what they can or cant do, nobody to complain to (if unfortunate circumstances occur) and there might be a lapse with insurance.................. im not saying this will happen and i know many very good non iko instructors but there is allways the chance of a 'cowboy' so to-say.

anyways hope this helps and if you are really worried and in europe drop me a p.m. and come take some lessons with me!

[nomorebikinis]

@FredBGG, of course you are right. This is the 1st book for me to read about this subject. 2 days ago I returned from a holiday to a Caribian Island where I had lessons from an IKO certified kite teacher. You must know that I do snowboarding and skimboarding as well. In snowboarding you get a better stance on your board when you take lessons and someone corrects you as from the beginning when you learn. If you adapt your own style it is difficult to change style and I really enjoy watching when someone has a nice stance on his board. I thought it would be the same with kiting. Therefore took some lessons in my country but also lessons on the island. The first 2 lessons from the teacher were not good. There was no trust between me and the teacher, no respect it just didn't feel good. As from the 1st day I knew (and feared) O no, this is gonna cost me money and I will not progress. Therefore at the end of the second day (he made me do a waterstart with 10,5/11 knots, I was so f#cking deadly tired) I asked for a new teacher (a girl). I feel insecure with men, therefore a girl (is less frightening or so, It is difficult to explain). The next lessons were okay. But these lessons were nothing in comparison with a few lessons which I got from a local black Brazilian (not certified) girl in Cumbuco. She was really gentle with me and I really progressed a lot in just a couple of hours. After all this experience I just want to say something to other beginners, who perhaps just get rid of their gear because progression is not as fast as they hoped it to be. It all comes up to exercise, with or without a teacher. Practice practice and practice. So if you do not feel too secure than you just grab a book to become positive. At the airport this was the book of this writer. Perhaps a crap writer, but I don't through away my gear and just go on, until it is October and I go back to Cumbuco. Sorry to say guys I am really really disappointed in so called "certified" teachers. Something S#CKS regarding the IKO certificate, instruction lessons whatever. And do you know something: I HAVE PAID FOR IT, AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. IKO certification says nothing about quality, it makes me angry. No more IKO teachers for me! I have no idea what the IKO lessons teach but it is not helping me. My Dutch (girl) friends say the same, only they do not dear to post on any forum. Why? If one does not progress you always blame it on yourself.

[Bidello]

i think that kite instructors as i know a lot need to be passionate with the sport, you can not be inpatient or rude to a student, it has to be the other way around, you being happy of teaching skills to a beginner

Being passionate with the sport doesn't make one good at teaching. I mean, an instructor can't be impatient or rude to students whatever he/she teaches and whichever skills he/she's got.
Teaching is a very difficult task, and way too many kiteboarding "instructors" are people that "live the dream" and teach as a way of being part of that dream and, of course, be involved in the sport (and ride) full time.

Passion for teaching is needed, not necessarily passion for what one teaches. OK it does help, but it's not essential.
My point is, becoming a certified kiteboarding instruction does not make for a good one. The opposite is true though, a good educator will be excellent at teaching kiteboarding once properly instructed.
So beware of those wannabes sporting their shiny "licenses" but unable to deliver knowledge as one would expect from an "instructor".
Oh, apologies to all the serious and competent instructors out there, no offence intended

BTW, Fred is spot on on Gladwell. That guy ain't got a clue what he's talkin' about

[Bidello]

@FredBGG, of course you are right. This is the 1st book for me to read about this subject. 2 days ago I returned from a holiday to a Caribian Island where I had lessons from an IKO certified kite teacher. You must know that I do snowboarding and skimboarding as well. In snowboarding you get a better stance on your board when you take lessons and someone corrects you as from the beginning when you learn. If you adapt your own style it is difficult to change style and I really enjoy watching when someone has a nice stance on his board. I thought it would be the same with kiting. Therefore took some lessons in my country but also lessons on the island. The first 2 lessons from the teacher were not good. There was no trust between me and the teacher, no respect it just didn't feel good. As from the 1st day I knew (and feared) O no, this is gonna cost me money and I will not progress. Therefore at the end of the second day (he made me do a waterstart with 10,5/11 knots, I was so f#cking deadly tired) I asked for a new teacher (a girl). I feel insecure with men, therefore a girl (is less frightening or so, It is difficult to explain). The next lessons were okay. But these lessons were nothing in comparison with a few lessons which I got from a local black Brazilian (not certified) girl in Cumbuco. She was really gentle with me and I really progressed a lot in just a couple of hours. After all this experience I just want to say something to other beginners, who perhaps just get rid of their gear because progression is not as fast as they hoped it to be. It all comes up to exercise, with or without a teacher. Practice practice and practice. So if you do not feel too secure than you just grab a book to become positive. At the airport this was the book of this writer. Perhaps a crap writer, but I don't through away my gear and just go on, until it is October and I go back to Cumbuco. Sorry to say guys I am really really disappointed in so called "certified" teachers. Something S#CKS regarding the IKO certificate, instruction lessons whatever. And do you know something: I HAVE PAID FOR IT, AND I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE. IKO certification says nothing about quality, it makes me angry. No more IKO teachers for me! I have no idea what the IKO lessons teach but it is not helping me. My Dutch (girl) friends say the same, only they do not dear to post on any forum. Why? If one does not progress you always blame it on yourself.

Just read your post, Nomorebikinis. Couldn't agree more with you.
See, a kiteboarding organization like IKO should take great care at certifying people as "kiteboarding instructors". Clearly many of these instructors are just the wannabes I was talking about above I'm still unclear regarding who allowed IKO to define the standards for teaching kiteboarding

Good luck with improving your skill. There's plenty of good instructors out there, just ask around. I'm sure you and your friends will soon be wicked riders