Is kiteboarding extreme?

[Wavebunny]

Toby, most kiters I know take lessons. The problem is the quality of instruction is not guaranteed. Sometimes it's better to learn from a friend or a relative, if they are experienced and responsible. You know the kids in Cumbuco learn for free from each other. They can't afford lessons. On the other hand, I did get to know a few nutjobs in Cumbuco who didn't have the small change to spend on instruction, so they learned from online videos and ended up hurting themselves. Also, the moment I mentioned kitesurfing to one German ambassador, he rolled his eyes and volunteered the classified info that injured kitesurfers without international insurance policies are his biggest headache. He had no respect for the sport, so please be responsible for all of us! By the same token, tourists in Mallorca routinely end up in the hospital with alcohol poisoning. You can't police humans from themselves! Lack of common sense is pretty universal among our species; has nothing to do with kitesurfing. The article above is third-grade journalism. We have better contributors than that on this forum. Just be responsible, enjoy the sport, and let live!

[g00se]

Also, the moment I mentioned kitesurfing to one German ambassador, he rolled his eyes and volunteered the classified info that injured kitesurfers without international insurance policies are his biggest headache.!

You know the German ambassador? I hope you offered him these.

[g00se]

Most sports like windsurfing, kitesurfing, mtb, skiing etc etc can be as extreme as you like.

[edt]

windsurfing you can just let go of the boom, skiing you can sit down, mountain biking you can use your brake to stop. kiteboarding is one of the few sports where if you don't know what you are doing you can kill yourself on the first try. Maybe that makes it extreme.

[Luke Palin]

Relatively 'extreme' in terms of the fact that when things go wrong you can die (drown, slammed etc.) But, I wouldn't say it's extreme at all in terms of likelihood of general injury/ putting yourself in danger of ending up in hospital. Not in the same league as skateboarding, downhill bmx, rugby etc

[Pemba]

I guess some things in kiteboarding might be pretty extreme. But I would definately feel very small and be very quiet around these guys in the wingsuits (but also around the guys in the KOTA etc). Spectacular.

[RickI]

It depends on how you approach it and realistically, "extreme" is in the mind of the beholder. What might be extreme for one, might be routine for another.

[alamos_kiter]

It depends on how you approach it and realistically, "extreme" is in the mind of the beholder. What might be extreme for one, might be routine for another.

This.

[windrider1]

I would say kiting can definitely be a more of dangerous sport vs extreme . However Back in the day it was definitely an Extreme sport with the type of gear and lack of knowledge out there . I used to always say u had to be a little crazy to do this sport but however nowadays its less so. So dangerous definitely yes, extreme may be a little bit so but will depend on how you want to ride.

[aendorphin]

I can tell you, when I was doing these jumps in the video blow:
My heart was beating so hard like never before.
I felt the adrenaline in my stomach.
I felt superhappy after landing the ones over the piers and the bulrushes.

I believe anyone can make it be extreme. If you feel these it must be extreme

https://vimeo.com/164699823

https://vimeo.com/164699823