Kite sports are considered to be some of the most extreme of the extreme sports, according to Daniel Joseph Zenner, a faculty member in the Department of Movement Sciences at the University of Idaho. Although not widely recognized in our immediate area as a popular choice of hobby, Zenner is trying to change that.
Armed with a passion for kite sports that was sparked by a trip to Hood River, Oregon, Zenner proposed to the university a kite sports class, titled “Intro to the Kiting Sports.” The proposal was accepted, but struggled to gain enrollment due to apparent confusion from students.
“The title caused confusion,” said Zenner, who ended up changing the title to Intro to Kiteboarding — which he said is admittedly also a tad misleading.
“Students will learn how to handle the kites, but the boarding must be done on their own time,” Zenner said.
The title change was, to Zenner, a big part of what got the class on its feet during the second half of the spring semester. Students were, at first, confused as to what exactly “kite sports” entailed, but once it was specified in the title, the course received a boom in enrollment.
“The class will be offered during the first half of fall semester, as well as the second half of spring semester, due to wind conditions,” Zenner said.
Kiteboarding is a vague title, for a good reason. Kiteboarding is any board sport that uses a kite for propulsion. Whether on water, snow, land, or any other board-friendly surface, kites can be used for propulsion. Through Zenner’s course, students will gain the necessary skills to begin kiteboarding on their own, and they are encouraged to carpool with other students to kiteboarding locations on weekends and breaks.
“The Hood River is about 300 miles away, but the way I see it, 300 miles isn’t very far when it’s one of the top 10 places in the U.S. to kiteboard,” Zenner said.
Learning to kiteboard can be an incredible bonding experience and a stress reliever, according to Zenner.
“Flying kites creates ‘ah ha’ moments,” Zenner said. “You begin to have realizations about information that can be crammed into your head in college.”
Students interested in kiteboarding are invited to watch the class, which meets from 2-2:50 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and Zenner usually stays for a short time afterward. The class’s location changes based on wind conditions, so look up in the sky and head toward the kites. The most common spot, however, is in the practice field north of the Kibbie Dome.
Karter Krasselt can be reached at [email protected]
MORE INFO BOX.
For more information, contact Dr. Daniel Joseph Zenner at [email protected]