Are any of you adventurous folks looking for a new sport/hobby/obsession? One word... KITEBOARDING!!!
Once or twice on the North Carolina coast I had scene a scattering of folks ripping through the ocean attached to a large kite, but I would have never guessed how popular this sport really is. And now I know why. Once I determined that I was going to spend a couple of months in Baja and coincidentally enough, in one of the kiteboarding Mecca's of this hemisphere...I decided that I had to do it. So I wen
t out and bought a kite, harness and lines. Everything I would need to fly like a bird across the ocean. One problem...I had no idea what I was doing. And this is the kind of sport where training and instruction are critical in order to not get dead.
So once I arrived in Los Barriles, luck would have it that the house directly behind our rental was full of super experienced "kiters" from California. One of the fellows, Tyler Bradfield is a full time instructor and immediately offered to help me in my quest to learn this new sport. Tyler spent hours with me, patiently explaining safety, technique and the geothermal nature of wind. He even got in the water with me one day and taught me some critical kite skills necessary to generate enough power to get up out of the water and on to the board.
I have spent my entire professional life "guiding" people in the mountains, so I know what it takes to teach a "newbie". It takes a lot of patience and personal skills. Tyler showed exceptional patience and skill with me....regularly giving me suggestions and hints to advance my skills and stay safe.
So now I'm up and riding. Not exactly flying through the air yet...but that will come.
If you have any desire to pursue this wonderful sport, there is only one guy you should use. Tyler can be found here tybradfield@yahoo.com. He is typically either teaching in Maui or the San Francisco Bay area, but is typically willing to travel to destinations for personalized instruction.
