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Two years IKO free

Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 7:25 am
by kiwimike
As christmas rolls around i am reminded of another year of saving myself the fee i used to pay to IKO. i supported IKO by paying my fees and run 2 instructor training courses every year. after one problem with an ITC they refused to return my phone calls. i stayed up late every night calling martine in the office who promised to return my calls. this went on for some days. i had been paying my yearly fees on time for years and they would not return my phone calls. i got extreamly angry when instead of talking to my they just cancelled all of my training courses. thanks to some posting on kite forum 2 weeks later some finally called me back to try to stop me from posting on kite forum. he had no intention of fixing my problems or geting my ITCs put back on. i have been trying to get my annual fees back from IKO but they so have refused. i want to say to all the IKO schools out there to seriously reconsider paying your annual fees. you are paying for nothing. the only problem i have now is figuring out what i will spend my 550USD which i save every year on fees.

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:18 am
by dorothyinstead
Hmmm, was considering this route. Our local kite instructor is IKO level 2 certified, but to train me he was required to pay more fees to IKO. Then i was to pay fees as well. Seems like one big money grab, for pretty much ZIP in return after reading your above post.
As my instructor pointed out, his 13 years of kite knowledge, IKO should be paying him to instruct me.
Alas i have not proceeded with the course training.

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Tue Dec 25, 2012 9:06 pm
by dorothyinstead
Oh yes forgot to mention, paid an initial $50 fee to IKO to register to become kite instructor. For this $50 i have received nothing in return but an email receipt of funds.

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 12:20 am
by Kiteus Maximus
I don't know about IKO instructors but I recently met a PASA instructor who could not transition until first coming to a full stop...sinking down into the water...then redirecting the kite. I could not believe they were actually allowed to instruct students. This particular "instructor" had only been kiting 7 months too. Made me think that PASA was really only interested in generating revenue versus ensuring quality instructors were produced because this instructor was not.

IKO may have a similar ulterior motive based on what I have heard over the years.

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 5:48 am
by kiwimike
Kiteus Maximus wrote:I don't know about IKO instructors but I recently met a PASA instructor who could not transition until first coming to a full stop...sinking down into the water...then redirecting the kite. I could not believe they were actually allowed to instruct students. This particular "instructor" had only been kiting 7 months too. Made me think that PASA was really only interested in generating revenue versus ensuring quality instructors were produced because this instructor was not.

IKO may have a similar ulterior motive based on what I have heard over the years.


friend of mine is still in iko and says they are trying to sort out their stuff however they are still grabbing money every concievable way. to remain an instructor you have to register every student and pay to do it. we dont become kiteboard instructors to do office work. my club is alot easier to run without IKO. i still have some IKO instructors in case someone asks for one otherwise it is a all a waste of time.

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 8:29 am
by longwhitecloud
IKO sell you "tickets" that you fill out for each student, so every lesson you do you pay a few $$ to IKO - genius!

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 12:09 pm
by eree
you should cooperate with the other clubs of you region and create some kind of local association, non-profit for example
you can compose your own program suitable for conditions of your region, make up your own logos.
and best of all you can look up the quality of your instructors and you can legally register in your country.
as a legal organization you can negotiate with the insurance companies for good deals if you need to.

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Wed Dec 26, 2012 7:32 pm
by wazzaah
Start your own program, seeing ur nick name i guess ur from New Zealand. Don't know if there is a New Zealand Kite Organisation but i guess there is. Talk to them and get together with other kiteschools and create your own program.

In Holland there are still a couple of IKO school but most now use the Watersport Foundation Course set up by one of the first kiters. The training is even better then IKO.

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 12:19 am
by doublerumandcoke
Yeah MOST know the IKO Is a joke and just in it for the money, I'd love to see them shut down and the IKA finally do something for the sport and not for profit.
Many schools now produce their own IKO type cards, so not feeding the IKO hand thats always held out. Instructor courses are a joke and i watch some absolute crap being taught by trainers when they do their IKO ITC's at my local spot.
Alot of schools insist on qualified instructors but don't necessarily need you to be current, so do the course, pass, become as best as instructor as you can and forget the IKO clowns.

The creator of the IKO pyramid scheme Eric Beaudonnat is one of the most self absorbed assholes in kitesurfing. And he didn't write the books which have his name on them. So he's a plagarist as well as an nice person.

Save you IKO money and spend it on hookers and beer.

DRC

Re: Two years IKO free

Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 7:43 pm
by nikalaitzian
IKO my ass .... they are thieves!!!!who says that the can fix the rules??i know for sure that they gave 15 IKO instructor diplomas without even going to the water cause of the lack of wind!!!!everybody can have one ... if you got the money