Eric Swanson kitefoiling (Credit: James Liao)
Watch Michael Brandon drawn into the sky by a large, colorful kite. Ask him about kiteboarding and hydrofoiling, and his response makes you feel this is something you’ve got to try for yourself.
“I love the freedom these sports offer,” he said. “It’s one of the best ways to connect with nature, especially in Charleston, with access to great beaches. You’re fully immersed and completely focused on the task at hand, allowing you to leave everything else behind on land. The learning curve is humbling, but as you become more comfortable, these sports allow you to experience some truly wild conditions with ease, giving you control in what might look like complete chaos.”
Meet Michael at Force Kite and Wake at 1405 Ben Sawyer Blvd., Suite 100. This has been his workplace for the past five years. Even if you’re reasonably athletic, walking into the shop can be intimidating. The space is packed with gear from every imaginable modern wind sport. It’s not only for the thrill-seeking soul who wants to soar into the sky pulled up and along by a kite; there’s something to these sports that can appeal to anyone.
“These sports all carry a relatively steep learning curve, but once you’re proficient, they’re only as extreme as you make them,” said Michael.
The attraction strikes everyone, with or without a background in wind or water sports, whether they be in Maui or San Francisco. Or, yes, Charleston. The sport is non-gender-specific. The area’s youngest kiteboarders are around 10 or 11, and the oldest is 80-plus.
The local wind and water community has grown steadily over the past 20 years, from a couple dozen enthusiasts to several hundred. This is in addition to the huge sailing community, which has also seen significant growth.
Spring in Charleston provides the best, most consistent conditions for learning any wind sport, with a reliable afternoon sea breeze due to the temperature gradient from cooler waters and warming air on land. Fall and winter winds are more often systematic and blow offshore. These winds generally come from fronts, or we can get some land breezes (the opposite of a sea breeze). These offshore winds are less conducive to learning but can still be enjoyed by more advanced riders, Michael explained.
What does it take in terms of strength and aptitude to try kiteboarding or the latest trend of hydrofoiling? According to both Michael and JP, two seasoned kiters who are among a staff of eight at Force, the very beginning might involve watching videos of the basics or spending some time on your own with a small trainer kite to fly on the beach. Then, you’ll have a better idea of what direction to take within the many disciplines these sports offer.
Kiteboarding, in particular, can be very leisurely, since your harness takes around 90% of the load from the kite. Learning to foil is like relearning to ride a board for the first time. It requires complete engagement, a higher degree of balance than a traditional surfboard and an understanding of the physics involved.
“It’s a more dynamic balance that just takes a lot of time to really dial in, but it is one of the most rewarding progressions, as it becomes much like a dance between you, the foil and the energy around you,” Michael said.
The experts at the store are happy to chat about the different sports and can suggest what may be the best fit and how to get started. It’s easy to look around and ask questions like: What is this item for? How do I learn? How long does it take before I can go out on my own? What does the equipment cost? What kind of care is needed for the equipment? What do I need to know to go about this safely?
Force encourages anyone interested in exploring the sports to come in and get information from its experienced staff. They always suggest a series of private or semi-private lessons for any wind sport. Kiteboarding is a practice of managing power, and it can be easy to make catastrophic mistakes as an inexperienced newcomer trying to teach themselves, regardless of experience in wind and water.
Brandon (Credit: Claudie Benjamin)
Safety is everything. From what size sails should be used for given wind speeds to which helmets are best suited to your sport, it’s all part of the training. Part of the learning curve includes checking wind and weather forecasts and sea conditions for good windows to go out. If there’s a chance of storms or a forecasted wind shift, it’s important to keep an eye on the clouds and conditions around you.
It’s crucial to familiarize yourself with indicators so you can anticipate changes to wind speed or direction while on the water. Two general rules are: don’t go out any farther from the beach than you’re willing to swim, and always practice the buddy system. Charleston can see some big tide swings, generating strong currents in many areas, so it’s critical to become familiar with where you plan to ride and know what the tide is doing while you’re out there.
Learning to control the kite is the key challenge, and there’s no shortcut—practice is essential. The feeling of freedom and ability to fly through the air is enticing.
Michael was introduced to water sports at a young age and learned to sail in middle school. After racing dinghies in high school, he was part of the College of Charleston’s Offshore Sailing Team—“one of the largest college sailing programs in the country,” he said.
Come into the store and you’ll be able to see, touch and feel some of the newest, technologically improved boards and wings. The latest eye-catching trend: hydrofoiling. Force uses electric hydrofoils to teach students how to foil so they can apply the foil board to kiteboarding, winging or other disciplines. This increases freedom on the water and opens up a whole new realm of wave-riding. With what is essentially an underwater airplane, the foil greatly reduces drag once the board lifts out of the water, allowing you to surf small waves that aren’t even close to breaking.
“There’s no shortage of foiling disciplines, and we have members of the community that take advantage in every aspect. We have a growing group of prone surf foilers in the area who paddle into waves and pop up onto the foil to surf; this is probably the most difficult discipline,” Michael said. “The foil allows them to add energy by pumping the board and accelerating with their input, giving them the opportunity to connect multiple waves in one ride. With an outgoing tide, the inlet at South Folly can seriously become a world-class spot for surf foiling, and there aren’t more than 20 surfers in the area taking advantage of this.”
The gear may cost a pretty penny, but so does seriously engaging in almost any sport, JP advised.
“Here, with these sports, there are no lift tickets, no annual fees or season passes. Once you have the experience and equipment, all you need is the right conditions,” he said.
He’s been in the field for about 20 years, and his two sons—both college graduates—and a third, still in high school, are near experts.