Santa Cruz , CA --For women who have always wanted to learn to kiteboard but weren’t sure how to begin, two upcoming women-only kite clinics are just the ticket. Sponsored by the Women’s Kiteboarding Association (WKA), Slingshot, and Girls4Sport, the clinics provide a safe and supportive environment for women to learn from other women.
The first clinic, the Women's Kiteboarding Beginner Kite Clinic, will be held Thursday, August 10, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Hood River Marina in Hood River, Oregon. The free clinic is designed for newcomers to the sport and will cover flying trainer kites, basic safety, and launching and landing. Laura Maher, Stacy Lawry, and Tonia Farman will lead the instruction and guide women on how to continue pursuing the sport. Registration is free; participants need only to wear comfortable clothing. For more information and registration, visit www.womenskiteboarding.com.
The second clinic, the Women’s Wave Daze and First Step Clinic, will be held Saturday, August 19, from noon to 6 p.m. at Ft. Stevens State Park, 10 miles west of Astoria, Oregon. The clinic has two sections: one for beginners and one for intermediates. The beginning clinic features trainer kite flying instruction. The intermediate level clinic is designed for kiteboarders who want to try riding waves for the first time or for surfers who want to try kiteboarding. The clinic will cover learning to enter and exit the waves and beginning wave riding. Laura Maher and Mira Kwon will lead the instruction. Participants in the beginning clinic need only to wear comfortable clothing. Participants in the intermediate clinic should bring a wetsuit and harness. Kites and boards will be provided by Slingshot and an on-site massage is included in the package. The package fee is $100. For more information and registration, email Maher at mnlamaher@yahoo.com or Kwon at mira@slingshotsports.com.
Slingshot team riders Maher and Laurey began offering the kite clinics last year and received an overwhelming response. “We filled 35 spots in 48 hours and had to turn another 30 women away. Women love to learn from other women,” said Maher. “We tend to be more visual learners and have a need for a deeper understanding and knowledge. We don’t need to be coddled, but there is a certain dynamic created when we’re able to learn from other women. We can relate to each other better and create a less intimidating, more comfortable learning environment.”
The Women’s Kiteboarding Association (WKA) grew out of Maher and Lawry’s first kite clinic last year. WKA (www.womenskiteboarding.com) is a non-profit organization dedicated to the promotion of women of all ages and abilities in the sport of kiteboarding. Slingshot (www.sskiteboarding.com) is an innovative leader in kiteboarding, manufacturing kites, boards, and accessories. Girls4Sport (www.girls4sport.com) designs rashguard sets and wetsuits for women by women and supports programs enabling women of all ages to lead active, confident lives.
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