How hard can it be to fly a kite?

I’m not the sportiest person in the world but I love trying extreme sports that have the ‘edge’ where you are almost guaranteed that adrenaline rush and excitement. That’s why I took up snowboarding instead of skiing, I love skydiving and have recently taken up rock climbing but I can safely say that nothing could prepare me for kite surfing.

As I’ve snowboarded a few times, I’d been told that I should find kite surfing a little easier as I already knew how to ride the kite surf board so I thought that all I had to master was flying the kite and hey, how difficult can that be?

Turns out very difficult, especially if you are me and you are built for speed rather than strength. My weedy little shoulders had no chance against the power of the wind and a 5 metre kite. Within seconds, kite surfing turned into paragliding as I was whipped up by the wind and found myself uncontrollably flying out to sea. I was so glad of the radio helmet and safety equipment as my IKO kite surf teacher shouted instructions to get me back down.

I certainly got the adrenaline rush I was looking for! I must admit, I quite liked flying so I resisted a switch to a smaller kite and insisted on trying again only to fly off into the sea one more time. I finally agreed to switch kites and I must have really scared the instructor as he also insisted on attaching weights to my waist to keep me down. It worked though, I mastered the kite flying and over the next couple of days moved onto body dragging and then finally riding the kite surf board in the water.

If you have the shoulders for it, indulge your need for adrenaline with this extreme sports holiday activity and experience the most thrilling sport ever for yourself.

Kite surf courses on offer in Tarifa, Fuerteventura, Albuferia or Lagos in Portugal with new courses coming soon for winter sun destinations.