I have been meaning to post this message/synopsis/review of my lesson with Dimitri for a long time, however getting out on the water and actually signing up to this board has delayed me several months. I am a long time reader, but until now never felt compelled to post.
In the middle of 2007 I purchased two Skywalker boards. Kiteboards are a very personal choice and I have read numerous arguments over which board is better. I think Skywalker is great but this post has nothing to do with a review of my board choice. Rather the purchase turned me on to the idea of taking a lesson from Dimitri. After several quick emails we made tentative plans, subject to wind, for the week of my vacation to OBX.
Short description of my kiting ability. I am an intermediate kiteboarder who can handle most wind conditions, stays upwind, jumps, and at the time was just starting to explore tricks. I had never taken a lesson prior and was primarily taught by other riders at the beach. My main goal with Dimitri was to gain control and stability while kiting and especially while jumping. Basically cement the foundational skills, correct bad habits, and build from there.
Anyway...In September of 2007 I drove to Hatteras. As luck would have it my very first morning the winds were howling. Of course this came the morning after a grueling all day drive due to maintenance issues on my boat trailer. Dimitri and I got in touch early in the morning and I opted to skip the 15 mile down winder warm up instead, consuming numerous cups of caffeine in its most delicious form...coffee.
We met at noon near the elbow south of Avon sound-side. I am not sure what beach this is called but it seemed quite popular. We found each other quickly and spoke shop for a few minutes. Dimitri was friendly, outgoing, and very energized. He loves the sport more than anyone I have ever met and is eager to help the people around him. I immediately liked him. Another point I might add is that after our initial dialog via email money was never mentioned. He quoted me a price that was dependent on my full satisfaction.
We began with Dimitri following me for a short distance and watching my stance. He made several suggestions and we spent the next 15 minutes working on relatively simple board skills such as jumping from toe side to heal side and back over and over again. We also worked on kite position and on water transitions. Many of his suggestions were revolutionary to me as I have never taken a lesson. Simple yet powerful changes to my riding habits that helped me exact more control and generate more power. Without giving away all the details of a lesson the most profound was having such a knowledgeable teacher spend four hours educating me. We worked on many aspects of kiting and many drills with the goal of me taking those lessons and being able to hone my skills further. An important note I should add, even with my kiting experience and relatively decent level of fitness Dimitri taught me how hard kiting can be. At the end of the lesson complete and utter exhaustion set in. He was more than willing to continuing the lesson beyond the slotted four hours but I knew that I had nothing left. The next morning was perhaps the most painful morning I have ever had after kiting. He will push you to levels you never thought possible but despite the physical sorenesses the smile on your face will last a long long time.
I'm back in OBX for the middle of April. Will message you about another lesson if you are around.
Thanks again for a great lesson.
Oliver