If you’re looking to entertain your inner thrill seeker, one way to get your adrenaline pumping is kiteboarding. Just ask Jeremy Lund, owner of New Wave Kiteboarding, who got started in the sport at 18 in the snow-covered fields of Colorado. He has since traded white powder for surf and opened his Stuart-based business in 2007, helping locals and visitors alike learn about the fast-growing water sport that blends wakeboarding, surfing, and sailing. Riders glide on a board similar to a wakeboard wearing a bodyweight harness that gives full control of the kite through the wind. Lund likes to take trainees out to Indian River Lagoon, which he deems “the ultimate flat-water destination that makes for a more comfortable and safer approach to the sport.”
Newbies to the sport first join Lund on land to learn about kite setup, control, and etiquette before moving on to a lesson in body dragging, where the kite is used to propel through the water in the desired direction without use of the board. It’s then time to perform a water start (standing up and actually riding on the board), followed by harmonizing kite and board control for longer rides. Riders are also radio-equipped with a helmet, allowing for real-time instruction from Lund. Private and group lessons are offered year-round.
Text by Melissa Puppo
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