here’s no escaping it: kitesurfing is a daunting sport for beginners. Don’t be fooled by the name – it is nothing like flying a kite in a park. On the first day of a week-long kitesurfing course in, I found myself in the sea attached to an enormous polyester wing that was powerful enough to lift me clear of the water and send me hurtling through the air.
The Stagnone Lagoon is a great place to learn – shallow enough to stand up in, no waves and protected by four islands Then we plunged straight into the sea to take turns trying to launch our 8 sq metre kite and control it with both hands gripping the bar. Our instructor, JB, kept a firm grasp on our harnesses: until you learn to keep the kite directly overhead, it can pull you into an unwilling, ungainly lurch through the water.Once we’d got to grips with the kite, it was time to lower ourselves into the water and attempt “body dragging” – deliberately letting the kite power us forwards.
The penultimate day’s challenge was getting my feet into the board’s foot straps – a tricky juggling act that involved keeping the kite at 12 o’clock with one hand, while floating on my back like a beetle, legs bent, groping with my feet. Once my feet were in but my body was still low in the water, I practised steering left and right, then generating a little power to feel what it would be like to come up to standing.
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