Kiteboarding Lesson – Where the Ride of Your Life Begins!
You are visiting White Salmon and are looking to get out on the Columbia River for the day. But then you realize the wind is up. You could decide to whitewater raft or kayak the White Salmon River, head up to Gifford Pinchot National Forest for a hike, take a mountain bike guided tour, OR how about a kiteboarding lesson?! Did you know that White Salmon and the Columbia River Gorge is one of the top kitesurfing destinations in the USA?!
What is kiteboarding, aka kitesurfing? Kiteboarding is a wind-powered watersport that uses a kite and a board to glide you across the water. You don’t need waves – all you need is wind and water. With your first couple of lessons, you will master the basics of riding along and staying upwind. If you are back for intermediate lessons, you can start going faster, jumping, doing freestyle tricks, and riding waves.
Don’t worry if you are new to watersports; your lesson will start from scratch. You also don’t need to be super fit. The kite is lightweight, so you don’t need lots of muscle strength. For safety reasons, however, you should be comfortable swimming in open water.
The Kiteboarding Lesson
We headed 10 miles east of White Salmon to SA Kitesurf Adventures and a huge sandbar which boasts some of the best, most consistent winds the Gorge has to offer, not to mention, warm shallow water, wide-open spaces for riding, fewer crowds, and the vast sandbar for setting up the kite. Not only are the conditions at this spot perfect for beginners, but the sandbar is surrounded by breathtaking views of the Columbia River Gorge.
We pulled into SA Kitesurf Adventures and were instantly greeted by Dale and Erika along with a couple of sweet dogs. The vibe is laid back, unintimidating, and friendly.
We didn’t know a boat ride was included in the lesson! Dale drove us over to the boat ramp, and we enjoyed a ride in the Zodiac over to the tip of the sandbar. Locals who hang out on the sandbar or are playing with the rope swing under the Klickitat River bridge use the trail but have to cross the railroad tracks. Many people also put in at the boat ramp on non-windy days to stand-up paddle or canoe up the Klickitat River or around the shorelines of the Columbia River.
June through September is Kitesurfing season in the Columbia River Gorge. Our kiteboarding lesson was the beginning of September, and the conditions were perfect! All of their instructors are IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) certified and had us up and riding in just a couple of hours! SA Kitesurf Adventures uses the latest technology in two way Bluetooth communication helmets, the latest kiteboarding equipment, and boat support for when you are riding, to ensure you get the fastest and safest progression available.
In this first kiteboarding lesson, we learned how to set up a 4 line inflatable power kite, kite control techniques, the safety release systems and landing/launching with assistance and first feel of the “power zone.” It was SUPER exciting to get up on the board for the first time ON the first lesson!
What are you waiting for?! Book your 2020 White Salmon, Washington summer vacation and kiteboarding lesson where the ride of your life begins!
