miami fav #97 / kiteboarding
kite boarding is like wake boarding, except that you don’t have to rely on owning (or having a friend with) a boat to do it. however, it does mean that you have to wait for perfect wind-conditions of 12 mph (but at least you’re reliant on nature and not reliant on having to purchase something that costs more than a house – and i more than appreciate that). while it’s not uncommon to see riders launch into the air and soar to heights exceeding 20 feet above the water’s surface, we didn’t get that far (nor was i ready to). even though the instructors at miami kite boarding are amazing and make everything easy to learn. luckily for my nerves, i went on a day that ‘unfortunately’ did not have perfect wind-conditions. surprisingly, this did not make this lesson less fun or exciting. we stayed out of water for the lesson, but warmed up with some paddle boarding (another fav!). and then we got to the good stuff. we flew a kite. yes, i spent a day flying a kite. and, it was so much fun (when was the last time you flew a kite?). while it may sound so simple, let me assure you, this is no ordinary kite. it is one of the most powerful things you have ever tried to steer (yet, ironically enough, the power of steering is based on how lightly you handle it). and we only used the training one. if we used the kite that we actually kite board with… let’s just say you would have sworn you’d seen mary poppins flying over downtown miami that weekend. except she would have been screaming. and it would have been me. if the wind had been right, we would have spent another hour in the water. the owner of miami kite boarding said he can have most people up with a three-hour lesson, and you can be kite boarding on your own with a full 6-10 hours of training. that’s some exciting stuff. and, even if you just get to do the kite lesson, i’m pretty sure you’ll be begging nature for wind every weekend. i am. i’ve been planning my next lesson since the time my hands first touched that kite. and i’m sure i’ll be a pro faster than you can say supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.
