Allen often accuses me of being interested in too many things, especially when it comes to sports. It’s true, I love having new experiences, but trying all different sports can be costly. I’ve noticed though that I’m settling into kiteboarding/snowkiting as my primary sport. It’s the one I plan for most often, try to do most often and try to get new people into most often. If you haven’t tried it, here’s 10 great reasons to pick it up.

1. FUN: Kiting is the most fun thing I’ve tried hands down. The first time my brother showed me how to fly a kite, it was like nothing else I had tried. Keep in mind, I have tried a LOT of sports and while I enjoy all of them, nothing was like the thrill of feeling the powerful wind pulling you, even on a 3 metre trainer kite. It’s a rush and I was hooked the first time.
2. EXERCISE: Kiting is an amazing workout combining cardio and resistance training. You quit at the end of day because you’re physically exhausted, never out of boredom. Kiters also get great bodies.
3. GET OUTDOORS: People spend WAY too much time indoors. Running on the treadmill is good, but getting fresh air & exercise together is great.
4. COOL: Kiting is a niche sport and when I tell someone I do it, the reaction is either that they don’t know what it is or that it looks so cool. It does look cool! Even watching beginners just flying the kite looks cool, but check out what the pros can do.
5. YEAR ROUND: It’s tough to find an outdoor sport that you can enjoy year ’round in Canada. Kiting is one. The photo above is of me kiting in the summer and me kiting in the winter. Winter & summer kiting aren’t identical sports, but they’re similar and both very enjoyable– so long as you dress for it. Snowkiting goes a long way to making winter an enjoyable season instead of a miserable one.
6. COST: Startup costs for kiting aren’t cheap. However, time spent snowkiting is time I would normally have spent skiing or snowboarding at a resort. With kiting, there’s no $50 lift ticket each time. With the amount I go snowkiting, I’m saving money despite the upfront costs.
7. ENVIRONMENT: If you’re a wakeboarder, consider kiting instead. Use a kite instead of a boat and minimize your environmental impact while enjoying a sport powered by nature (wind). Getting back to costs, kites are way cheaper than boats.
8. COMMUNITY: Kiters are social people. You often need assistance from other kiters on the beach launching & landing, so most kiters are cooperative so someone else will help them. This has created a open community where you can easily make friends.
9. TRAVEL: Because of kiting, I get out of the city almost every weekend and discover new places I may have otherwise never visited. Try & carpool with fellow kiters to keep your footprint down.
10. VERSATILITY: You can kite in a lot of different places: inland lakes, ocean surf, fields, mountains, the prairies, etc. Plus, kiting equipment is relatively small & portable. You can take it anywhere that there’s good wind & few obstacles.

Sound interesting at all? Want to get started?

• First and most important: take a lesson or two or a dozen! You can never learn too much. I’ve taken lessons and I still plan on taking more this spring. Kiting can be dangerous if you do not have a foundation to learn on.
• Buy some gear from a local kite shop. I shop at Silent Sports where they always give out great advice and you meet new people to kite with. Find a great shop in your area.
• Find some local kiters to kite with. In my neck of the woods (Toronto, Canada), kiteboarders chat & plan trips on SkyPilotKiteboarding.com. Find the forum/Facebook group that locals use.