By Julie Gilbert
July 5, 2004
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Contrary to what you would think, kiteboarding doesn’t require that you
have body builder muscles. Look at a number of women that have been
kiteboarding for years. Sure, we are strong, but its strength we’ve
built up in our bodies by kiteboarding and cross training in the gym or
with other sports. There are a number of gals in this sport who are
petite, or have long lean muscles. The beauty of this sport is that the
gear itself is not heavy. The kite, board, bar and lines weigh a
negligible amount. Compared to windsurfing (and this is no slam on
windsurfing, because I used to do that sport too), the gear weighs a
whole lot less. There’s minimal lugging involved to get your gear from
the trunk of your car (yes, you read correctly…it can fit in your
trunk) to the beach. Once the kite is inflated, and you are ready to go
on the water, you will realize even more that your workout won’t be
from lifting your gear, but rather from kiteboarding with it on the
water.
Women are also great kiteboarders, because once the kite is launched in
the air, the sport requires finesse…something women have a lot of.
Finesse is important because like I said, muscling the heck out of the
kite doesn’t work. It’s better to work with the wind and the conditions
and “feel” the increases and decreases in wind strength and to work
with them. Since wind is not constant in its strength, there will be
many times while harnessed to the same size kite, you will have to be
able to either hang on through a strong gust, or be very efficient
through the lulls. This is something that will make more sense once
you start learning to kiteboard.
Flexibility is another important thing to have right from the
beginning. You may think you only need flexibility when you progress to
throwing more advanced grabs or handle passes, but flexibility helps
even in the simplest things like bending your knees and getting up on
your board. Those years of gymnastics, dance, soccer or just plain
stretching will all come back to help from the start.
Kiteboarding is also perfect for women because it’s one of the best
sports I have found for a total body workout. I used to run the
stairs, go for a hike, go to the gym, and do my other water sports, and
still I had to think about my caloric intake. Phew! It was a lot of
thinking and working, that’s for sure. The moment I took up
kiteboarding, though, it all got a lot easier. This sport can burn some
serious calories…and it works nearly every muscle in your body. It’s
one of the few sports I have done that work my legs, arms, torso, and
more, all while I’m having fun. It’s pretty cool to do a sport I love
so much, all while getting a healthy dose of exercise for my entire
body!
Last but not least, it’s important to note that women are social
creatures. One of the best things about kiteboarding is that it’s a fun
and social sport. Sure you can make it a sport for the recluse, but in
general, at the Sand Spit in Hood River, Oregon, or at Kite Beach on
Maui, you are bound to run into other kiteboarders, and when everyone
is taking a break on the beach, it’s a pretty festive vibe. Women have
a knack for social skills, so sussing out the situation and figuring
out what kite to rig is a breeze. We can usually find someone to launch
our kite, too. Who can say no to a woman when she asks for assistance?
And once on the water, kiteboarding is far more social than it looks.
After you get more comfortable with your kite, you’ll be able to look
around and see what tricks all your newfound friends are working on.
You’ll learn the kitespeak of hoots and hollers, thumbs up, and yahoos
and you’ll know why getting all of your other girl friends into the
sport is a priority….because they could be having as much fun as you.
So there you have it…some of the many reasons that kiteboarding is a
PERFECT sport for women. If you were initially interested in
kiteboarding but thought it was only for the boys, think again! When
you join the sport, you’ll see how many women just like you have
figured out what I have known all along…that kiteboarding is PERFECT
for women.
See you on the water!
Aloha--
Julie Gilbert
Julie Gilbert is sponsored by Red Bull, Cabrinha, Billabong, Zeal
Optics and Rainbow Fin Company.
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