TIPS FOR VIEWING - The Kiteboarder Magazine

shop
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Calikites offers group tours
to places like San Felipe, Baja
California. Photo Ozvisuals
Smack
calikites
owners: Shane Banner and Brian Schwarz
Ages: 29, 30 Location: San Diego
Contact: www.calikites.com, 619.223.5483
Riding for how long: 10 years
Favorite Conditions: Warm water, 12 or
smaller, and friends are a must.
When did you first get exposed to kiteboarding
and when/where did you learn/start? Shane: Brian
and I went to college at the University of Colorado,
Boulder. We were looking for things to do when
we weren’t skiing; I mean studying. A bunch of
us started flying a foil kite. We flew that for a few
months and then we incorporated it into snowkiting
on Lake Dillon Reservoir. When summer came
we did some road trips to Lake McConaughy and
figured out how to get going in the water. After that
we were hooked.
What motivated you to get into the kiteboarding
retail business and lessons? Brian: I had moved out
to San Diego with my girlfriend and joined a finance
firm. On every lunch break I was running to Fiesta
Island and changing out of my suit and putting on a
wetsuit. The local guys said I wouldn’t last long and
they were right. I found a shop in Coronado and knew
I needed a partner so I called Shane who was living
in Denver. Two weeks later we opened the shop.
What is the kiteboarding scene like in your area?
What makes it special in your view? San Diego is
a really interesting place to ride. This is one of the
friendliest areas I have ever been in. As most people
know, the wind is light here, so when we do get the
occasional good day, everyone drops everything and
runs to the beach. No riders here take it for granted,
so I think that’s what keeps it so friendly.
Why did you recently move your shop location? We
had sort of lost track of why we started the shop.
We wanted to be out there riding with everyone, but
over the years our school got busier, and we spent
more time at the shop and less time on the beach.
Our local riders kept telling us that we would be
doing more business and having more fun if we were
at the beach. So we changed our business plan and
will be out a lot more.
Do you require your instructors to have certification? Why
and what kind, or why not? Everyone who has ever taught
at Calikites has been PASA certified. I believe that being
certified by either PASA or IKO is very important. When
I got certified six years ago I went in with an open mind.
After the course was over I had learned so much that it
completely changed the way I taught. PASA is really good
at their job and I think that is one of the main reasons our
school continues to be successful. It is important to have a
network behind you so if anything ever did go wrong with
our shop, school, local beach regulation, etc., they would
be the first people I would call.
How does your shop support the kiteboarding
community? Are you involved in helping the local
community in general? We organize lots of trips. Since the
wind is light we find it necessary to travel for better wind.
There are so many good places to go that are so close to
San Diego. We are usually going somewhere to chase the
wind every month. We have planned trips ranging from
weekend outings to a trip that had a 50 passenger bus and
an entire takeover of a hotel. We are constantly traveling
to come up with new hotspots to take people.
Where do you draw riders from? What tips can you offer
experienced kiters who want to come kite your area? San
Diego is a great place to get started on a kite trip, so we
draw riders from all over the world. You can take new guys
out and get them started in the lighter wind and get all of
the kinks out. If you have a few people that want to go to
Baja, give us a call and we’ll build you an itinerary based
on the wind forecast for Baja. We are the last kite stop
before the border, so if you need help or have forgotten
something give us a call and we’ll hook you up.
What is the best way for people to check the forecast
and current conditions in your area? There is no great
forecast for San Diego, but www.ikitesurf.com is the
best way to check on current conditions. The more north
the wind is showing the better it is going to be. For Baja,
check out www.buoyweather.com, but nothing is as good
as local knowledge.
What is your
biggest challenge
as a kiteboarding
retailer? Finding
time to ride, but
we are working
on that.
There’s never a dull moment with the
CaliKites crew. Photo Paul Lang
Photo Shal jacobovitz
F-One is growing its network of US
riders and welcomes Gary Rhodes, Evan
Fairchild (pictured) and Freddy Zamora to
its team. Rhodes is well known in Hatteras
and has worked for many years at Kitty
Hawk Kites. Evan Fairchild from Santa
Cruz, California, is a young and promising
freestyler who has turned heads at 3rd
Avenue and is just starting to get noticed
on the collegiate kiteboarding scene, and
Freddy Zamora from Puerto Rico, one of
the best riders on the island, is eager to
show his talent during upcoming contests.
www. f-onekites.us/team
video
reviews
By James Brown
Trainer Kite:
Boot Camp
Flying a trainer kite is a step
in learning to kiteboard that is
unfortunately, is often skimmed
over. The stress-free time
spent learning about wind direction, the wind
window and building muscle memory makes
the advanced steps much easier. Leading Edge
Productions now offers a popular 2-meter
two-line kite and includes a companion DVD.
The video shows how to set up the kite prior to
launch, describes the wind window and talks
about kite control to get you started.
Running Time: 6+ minutes
For more information go to:
www.leadingedgeproductions.ca
Shades of Green
They say nothing in life is free. But in this case,
Ben Wilson and his sponsors have generously
made this full-length documentary-style
film available online for FREE! As featured in
this magazine beginning on page 30, check
out some of the best kitesurfers in the world
charging epic Indonesian waves. They make
it look fun and easy—until things go wrong. I
suppose the high risk of riding huge barreling
waves is what makes it so thrilling. Featuring
Ben Wilson, Reo Stevens, Bear Karry, Ian
Alldredge and surf photographer Jason Wolcott.
What brands do you represent and why? Every year
we get a bunch of kites from the manufacturers and Any words of
we go down to the beach and test them all with a wisdom you want
few of the local riders and get feedback. Then we to share with our
choose which kites from which brands we want readers? Brian: It’s
to stock. We have gotten really good at carrying a better to be outside
Running Time: 37+ minutes
wide range of kites to cover almost every rider. If looking in than
To view the video go to: www.benwilsonsurf.
someone wants a kite from a brand that we are not inside looking out.
com/benwilsonvision.htm
currently stocking, we are still able to keep that Shane: Demand
customer happy.
the can.
You can also buy kiteboarding DVDs at
www.thekiteboarder.com
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