Reviews

An incredible learning tool. Bring instructor John Holzhall to your beach through this DVD. View it a hundred times and you could be a natural at this sport.

As a windsurfer entering kiting, i've been put off by the seemingly scary aspects of learning to handle my kite and not getting into trouble. In this nicely-produced DVD, the makers present a totally different approach to learning. Rather than starting on small kites on "normal" length lines, here you start with your FULL-SIZE kite, and move up through varying line lengths (starting at 0 length! you'll see what I mean...) as your skills improve.I'd reccomend this dvd (i think there is a book too) to anyone looking to learn kiteboarding, preferably with the aid of a proper instructor (not just one of your mates!), who can tell you about kiting in your area and help refine your skills.Also has some great "eye candy" kiting footage at the end to get you pumped up to go out, especially useful if you live in cold Scotland like me and not Maui where this is made!!

Reviews

If I lived near the ocean and was primarily interested in kiteboarding on the ocean, this would be an OK book. However, since I live in MN and am primarily interested in snow-kiting, it is of limited relevance.

This book is a big disappointment. The editing, quality and overall layout reeks of a small batch printing (the type where anyone w/ $300 can print anything). The typos are to the point where they seem to give misleading information. At times the typo contradicts the author and says the opposite of what he said before. I think this book can hurt a beginner, it is negligent to be sold in this condition and the author should be scared he will be sued by some dead kiter's family What is funny is that he almost immediately opens the book telling the reader that "most readers only read the two pages of a book" and 1 page away is this typo: "...depending on com-" Now I'm not sure what the rest of that sentence is supposed to be and I wonder, as an inexperienced kiter that bought a how to guide, if I am going to need that information? The general writing is self important and much of it just feels like "fill". There are sections on where to go in Maui - which seems great if you actually live there, but for the other 99.9 % of kiters you are merely buying a local guidebook.

I guess I'm luckier than most as John is personally teaching me to kitesurf in his Method Lodge School in Kite Beach, Dominican Republic, where he currently resides and teaches. He gave me his book to read and follow and I see why he has the most successful school in the Country. I see the difference between his method and those of the other schools and this is reflected in his book. Thanks John for introducing me to this great sport. His book is the next best thing to having him as your personal instructor but his method is clearly the best out there. Trust me, I see the difference every day.

This book is by far the most helpful material I have ever been able to get my hands on. As a relativly new kiteboarder, I wish I had been able to find this book earlier. This method, briefly, has the beginner start 100% safe & confident and then gradually extend the lines out to where the power & potential danger & frustration is. This was beginners learn from their mistakes without danger, frustration & hazards for other kiters(crashing kites, crossing lines, & out of control riders) I can't believe that more kiteboarding schools don't do this already. Watching beginners crash their kite, cross their lines, and swallow water reminds me of my 1st steps. I believe they would have been eliminated had I read this book earlier. Now I'm reading the steps in how to jump, and do tricks so I'm glad I bought it. Great book, thank you for getting your ideas down on paper for the rest of us.

Great book, a new method is taught by the writer. With this method, learning kitesurfing and kiteboarding is much more safer. I highly recommend it.