Beginners Snowkiting Course
Our beginners snowkiting course is a real passion for team leader Gilles Boudreau. If you want to learn, he wants to teach you. Gilles loves to introduce new people to the sport and loves helping them progress from rookie to rockstar in a few easy steps.
Snowkiting can seem daunting at first but with expert guidance you can progress much more quickly than you might think. We’ll teach you everything you need to know from scratch. You’ll learn where it’s safe to snowkite, how to fly a power kite, how to control a foil and or leading edge inflatable (LEI) kite and gain the skills and confidence you need to get up on the board and ride the powder.
Our beginners snowkiting course is scheduled to run over 3 days. We recommend private tuition for beginners – it’s the quickest way for you to make progress, making progress will make you happy, and we want you to be happy!
TEACHING METHODOLOGY
All our snowkiting lessons are focused on you and the way you want to learn – we understand that different people learn in different ways, and Gray has devised a training methodology that will help you learn in the way that suits you best. To find out more about our training methodology visit this page.
Because beginners need a high level of attention we highly recommend booking private lessons while you learn the basics. Once you’ve got the key skills down you might want to switch to semi private or unlimited lessons to save a bit of money while you focus on improving more advanced skills.
COURSE GUIDE
Our beginners lessons are structured to teach you what you need to know in a specific order. That’s necessary for your safety, and to teach you the key skills you need to fly in a complementary order including:
Understanding safety procedures, reading the weather and location, flying a trainer kite, bar control, flying a foil and or LEI kite, and board starts.
Click here for a step by step guide to what you’ll learn from our beginners snowkiting lessons
| DEPARTURE TIME | 45 minutes before lesson is scheduled to begin | ||||||||
| RETURN TIME | 45 minutes after lesson ends | ||||||||
| WEAR | You will need a polypropylene under layer for vipping sweat, thermal clothes for minus 20 conditions and preferably goretex as your outer layer for water proofing | ||||||||
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| NOT INCLUDED |
Level 1A
- Understand safe wind directions and conditions for kiting
- Identify hazards in a snowkiting spot
- Set up a foil and or a leading edge inflatable (LEI) kite with a full de-power system
- Learn the use of kite safety systems
Level 1B
- Learn to fly a trainer kite
- Launch and land a trainer kite with an assistant
- Twist and untwist the lines while flying the trainer kite
- Walk and change directions while flying the trainer kite
- Understand the wind window
Level 1C
- Set-up a leading edge inflatable (LEI) kite with a full de-power system
- Learn how to check safety equipment and settings before flying the kite
- Learn how to check equipment and settings in flight
- Understand and use the international communication signals
- Launch and land the kite to an assistant and as an assistant
Level 1D
- Control the kite while it’s hooked into the harness
- Understand the de-power system and learn to use the safety systems
- Learn advanced flying skills with the de-power kite
- Gain full control of de-power systems while the kite is in flight
Level 1E
- Learn to use the quick release and activate the leash
- Learn to recover the bar and kite
- Self land the kite
Level 2F
- Re-launch the kite from the snow
- Maintain correct kite position in the wind window
- Recover the kite and bar in the snow
Level 2G
- Understanding the theory of riding position and your body, board, balance.
- Knowing correct weight distribution in your body, hip, legs for upwind riding in the snow.
Level 2H
- First board starts and holding your edge
- Combing correct Kite control and power with board start
- First Superman (intentional or not)
- Control Edge of Board and power of Kite while maintaining speed
Level 2I
- Board starts in both directions and ride a short distance
- Come to a controlled stop
- Understand weather forecast and wind effects
- Determine the wind strength, direction and quality
- Learn the right of way rules
- Know equipment set up and choice
Level 3J
- Control the riding speed by edging
- Consistent riding in both directions
Level 3K
- Consistent riding in all directions including upwind
- Ride amongst other riders and snow users and respect right of way rules
Level 3L
- Change of direction without stopping
- Full pack-down in the snow
Level 3M
- Risk assessment and awareness of the riding area
- Self launch
Level 3N
- Make a toe side turn
- Knows the theory and the safety rules for jumping.
- Land a basic jump
When you learn all that you’re good to go kitesnowboarding on your own!
