Kiteboarding

Kiteboarding is fast becoming one of the world’s most popular extreme water sports. Using the power of Mother Nature to launch you into 30 foot jumps and then pulling your favorite kiteboard moves is the dream of every kiteboarder! Individuals at the elite level of kiteboarding capable of such feats often possess an abundance of natural talent and have the physical attributes to support the unique demands of the sport.

To be a good kiteboarder, you need to have a high level of both upper, lower body and left to right coordination and skill. Agility and balance are required in order to turn and react quickly to changes in both board and wind direction. Strength, power and endurance are other essential physical components and skills needed. Identifying, assessing and address the key physical components of kiteboarding is necessary for anyone serious about taking their performance to the next level, whether it be from the beginner to the elite.

Kiteboarding is very similar in many ways to many other extreme board sports i.e. wakeboarding, snowboarding, landboarding and surfing. The individual is attached to a board and is required to control and adapt to the ever changing environment around them (whether it be water, snow or the ground). The key difference between kiteboarding and many of these other board sports is that not only does the rider need to be capable of riding the board, but they must also be able to control and fly the kite. Those already adept at such board sports will often find that this transition occurs quite quickly.

Physical Components Important to Kiteboarding

• Balance
• Proprioception and body awareness
• Control and timing
• Coordination (necessary to control board for both front and back riding (goofy and straight style)
• Agility (important for change of direction in both board and kite control)
• Flexibility (lack of flexibility increases risk of injury)
• Speed (needed for deep water starts and change in direction)
• Strength (getting out of the water (deep water starts) and kite control (especially as the kite moves in and out of the power zone)
• Power (getting out of the water (deep water starts) and kite control require power)
• Aerobic and anaerobic fitness

Optimal performance involves training these skills and physical attributes.

Body regions that need to be addressed and trained include the upper body, lower body and the core.

No single muscle is more dominant or stands out in kiteboarding. Instead, there is a need to focus on training movements rather than individual muscles. Almost every action performed by a kiteboarder involves a balanced and controlled involvement of the upper body, lower body and core. Is there a solution to the question of, "How do we train for this kind of sport?" Yes! Address these areas and train them in exercises that assimilate the real life activity. You can do this by training multiple body regions and training them for the role for which they are required i.e. strength, coordination power, balance and speed etc. Therefore it is essential to address these areas and incorporate them into exercises that assimilate real life activity. It is also important to train these activities using methods in which they are to be used i.e. strength, endurance, power and speed etc.

Kiteboarding training can be broken up into various models. Examples of this can include training specific physical components, kiteboarding skills training such as learning to fly the kite (a training kite is a fantastic tool for this), cross training as well as combining all of these. Cross training is a key component for anyone looking to take their fitness and skills to a new level without causing injury or burnout.

Kiteboarding Training Equipment

• Training Kite (1.8 to 3.2 metres)
• Kiteboard Kite (10 to 20 feet)
• TRX
• Theraband
• Medicine Balls
• Dumbbells
• Swiss Balls
• Bosu Ball
• Dura Disc/Wobble Board/Core Board
• Landboard

Rules for Kiteboarding

• Kiteboarders don’t hold their breath during kiteboarding, so breathing must be separate of any activity.
• Exercises need to address the key physical components used: strength, power, endurance, flexibility, balance, coordination, agility, anaerobic and/or aerobic fitness.
• Select exercises which are more neurologically demanding, these are generally exercises which train movements and challenge multiple physical components (i.e., strength and balance).

Remember, a kiteboarder doesn’t have time to think about pulling in his transverse abdominis when riding out on the water. Therefore, don’t train this way. Rather, focus globally and train movements, skills and activities that mimic kiteboarding and will help the individual to react naturally and instinctively to the ever changing environment.

Kiteboarding Exercise Program

Upper Body - Chest

Why use these specific exercises?

• Good eccentric, concentric and isometric control of chest and arms required when flying kite.
• Good control and transfer of energy and balance from the upper body to the core improves performance and reduces fatigue and risk of injury.

Back

Why use these specific exercises?

• All actions with the kite typically use a bar attached to two guide ropes (if you cannot perform the exercises with a bar then cables are the next best choice).
• Kiteboarding requires concentric, eccentric and isometric contraction of the back and arm muscles.
• Good control and transfer of energy and balance from the upper body to the core improves performance and reduces fatigue and risk of injury.

Core - Obliques

Rectus Abdominis

Lower Back

Why use these specific exercises?

• The oblique muscles are engaged and required to work during upper and lower body movements.
• Isometric, concentric and eccentric activation of the oblique muscles is required during all movements when kiteboarding.
• A healthy core will help in movement execution and reduce risk of injury.

Lower Body

Why use these specific exercises?

• Kiteboarding requires learning to develop strength, power, balance, coordination on an unstable environment.
• Training the lower body will help to reduce risk of injury.

Advanced: Combination Functional Exercises

• Bosu Ball Wood Chop
• Bosu Ball Push
• Bosu Ball Pull
• Squat/Lunge and Wood Chop
• Squat/Lunge and Push
• Squat/Lunge and Pull

Kiteboarding Specific Skills Training

A training kite is an essential tool for any serious kiteboarder. Training kites range from 1.8 to 3.2 metres wide and are important for learning basic kite skills. Kite and water training is also important for developing the necessary skills for kite control in the water. Body dragging is important for learning how to manoeuvre the kite in deep water. For below exercises, pull towards the body (one hand and two hand).

Wood Chop

Figure 1	Figure 2	Figure 3

Variations/Progressions

• High to low (see Figure 1)
• Low to high (see Figure 2)
• Seated to standing position (see Figure 3)
• Squat jump to stand

One Leg Kite Flying (see Figure 4)

One Arm Kite Flying (see Figure 5)

Variations/Progressions: Wood chop (high to low, low to high)

Lunge Kite (walking) (see Figure 6)

Variations/Progressions: Wood chop (high to low, low to high)

Squat Kite (see Figure 7)

Variations/Progressions: Wood chop (high to low, low to high)

Kite Jumping/Plyometrics

Running/Walking

• Variations/Progressions:
  • High to low
  • Low to high

In all activities, you need to take the kite through the power zone. Start from either the 10:00pm or 2:00am position and cut down through the power zone. See Diagrams 1 and 2 for details on how to do this.

Landboard Exercises

• Standing on Landboard
• Landboard Squat
• Landboard Wood Chop (movement, dumbbell, theraband)
• Landboard Abdominal Extension (movement, theraband)
• Landboard Cable Push and Pull (theraband)
• Landboard Medicine Ball Catch (multi-directional)

Why use these specific exercises?

• Kite and landboard exercises are a great transition from developing physical components to kiteboarding itself.
• Learning balance, control, coordination, power, strength and endurance in activities that closely assimilate kiteboarding movements and actions is important for any beginner.

For more on kiteboarding, check out the following web sites:

• www.kiteboardingmag.com
• www.kitesurfingschool.org
• www.northkites.com
• www.realkiteboarding.com
• www.boardsportsschool.com

References:

1. Boyle, M. Functional Training for Sports, 2004
2. Cook, Gray. Athletic Body In Balance, Human Kinetics, 2003
3. Chuck Wolf, Human Motion, 200
4. Chek, P. Movement That Matters, A C.H.E.K Institute Publication, USA, 2000, p.p.
5. Chek, P. How to Eat, Move & Be Healthy!, A C.H.E.K Publication, USA, 2006
6. Liebenson, C. Rehabilitation of the Spine, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2nd Edition, 2007
7. McGill, S. Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention & Rehabilitation, Human Kinetics, 2002
8. McGill, S. Ultimate Back Fitness & Performance, Wabuno Publishers, Canada, 2004
9. Verstegen. M. Core Performance Essentials, Rodale, 2006