Riding the wind and the waves

Joanne Zhang with her kiteboard

Pierre Pradier

The strength and direction of the wind decide whether kiteboarders in Shanghai will hit the beach or stay home. Almost 15 years ago, Frenchman Pierre Pradier, who was then just a kiteboarding novice, would paddle out into the waves regardless of rain, sleet or snow. "But now I won't put myself in such a harsh situation,'' he said.

Kiteboarding is a water sport that is something of a hybrid between surfing and paragliding. They ride boards similar to surfboards while secured to a kite that flies above them, allowing them to harness the wind to pull them along. The sport started in the US in the 1990s and then spread around the world.

Pradier said he usually packs two kites and one board when he goes on vacation, which for him is always to a place with sandy beaches and good wind, such as Hainan Province, the Philippines or France.

Pradier described kiteboarding as a sport of freedom. It gives him a feeling of freedom that other sports don't provide. While kiteboarding, he can travel as far from shore as he wants. Because he is harnessed to a kite, he can jump 10 to 12 meters into the air. As a sport, it has a lot to offer the individual, yet one can't do it alone. Boarders need another person to help them launch their kites. It's also better to have other boarders along for safety reasons.

One of the area's best places to kiteboard is Qidong in Nantong, Jiangsu Province, which is a 90-minute drive from Shanghai. The city has perfect wind for the sport.

Pradier brought his kiteboarding expertise to Shanghai seven years ago. In that time, he has seen more people coming to the sport, especially women. The local kiteboarding community has nearly 50 people who go kiteboarding once a week. About 20 percent of them are women.

No pain, no gain

Joanne Zhang is an active local woman who swims, surfs, rides horses and goes rock climbing. However, she said she gets the most out of kiteboarding. "It's an easy sport to learn," she said.

The sport requires good reflexes and balance, as well as strong hands for controlling the kite, steady feet to stay on the board, and a lot of abdominal strength to support her body, she said.

Although Zhang has been kiteboarding for about a year, she had a few secrets to share. "Don't be afraid to fall down,'' she said.

Kiteboarding is like riding a bike. You have to know how to fall. When the wind weakens, it's easy to lose your balance and fall, she said. Sometimes, she ends up with bruises.

Azalea Ignacio, who is half Polish and half Filipino, has often finished boarding trips with bruises, scrapes and cuts since she began learning this sport a year ago.

Occasionally, the kite has pulled her into the air for several meters before dropping her into the water. "I can only get up from crashes and learn from them," she told the Global Times.

Ignacio said her passion for kiteboarding has grown every day. It's a sport she could grow old doing, along with running, cycling and bodybuilding.

Pradier said he has never been seriously injured in his 15 years of kiteboarding, primarily because he has such a good feel for the kite and board.

According to a Reuters report, 130 people have died while kiteboarding as of 2012. But the death toll hasn't scared people away. Because of the sport's popularity, the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) announced in 2012 that men's and women's kiteboarding would be included in the 2016 Olympic Games.

Migrating south

Winter is not a perfect season for kiteboarding, yet many kiteboarders find a way to do it.

Ge Xiaolin, a local kiteboarding coach, is now in Hainan Province. He is usually based in Shanghai and has certified more than 50 kiteboarders, from 8 to 58 years old. He said he could teach anyone to kiteboard in nine hours.

Ge has been kiteboarding for more than six years. He called kiteboarding the greatest aerobic sport. That's why he quit his management job to become a coach. He teaches his students about wind and kiteboarding gear. A safety evaluation course helps to prevent injuries and deaths.

Although Ge has only been coaching for one year, he has seen a growing number of Shanghai residents come to the sport. Within the Shanghai kiteboarding community, about four new Chinese mothers have taken it up. "It's because Shanghai has an advantageous location. And people are more open-mined and brave to try it out," Ge said.