One year of Berito blogging

One year of kitesurf blogging. Sounds dramatic, right? In reality, it’s me sitting behind a laptop, half salty, half stoked, trying to make sense of everything I learn on the water. But here we are, twelve months in. I wrote, I posted, I sometimes even applied what I wrote. And honestly? It’s been pretty amazing. So here’s a little recap, category by category, because Berito wouldn’t be Berito without structure (and a bit of chaos).

Wind and weather

This category has probably taught me the most. I went full weather nerd this year: radar, clouds, gusts, sea breezes, storm patterns. And the wild part is, I actually used it. In Cape Town, I found myself remembering things from my Understanding waves blog. Suddenly, a closeout wasn’t just “ugh, this wave sucks,” but “oh right, that’s a closeout, no shoulder, bail early.” I can read peeling waves now instead of just blindly charging in. On hot summer days at home, I’m borderline obsessed with spotting sea breezes. I even catch myself looking up at cirrus clouds and thinking, “ah, change is coming.”

The win here: my sessions are smarter and safer. The loss: sometimes I still ignore my own advice and end up testing storm clouds when I should’ve been testing coffee shops.

Material

Ah yes, the gear rabbit hole. Line length, rocker curves, eco footprints, twintip shapes… I wrote about it all, and now I can confidently say I actually understand my kites and boards better. My wave kite feels so much quicker and snappier than my all-round freeride kite, and I finally know why. Directional boards aren’t just sexy surf toys, they change how you use power, rail, and wind. Writing about gear gave me nerd-vision on the water.

The win: my sessions feel more in control. The loss: I’m still lazy with tweaking things like fins or bar trim, even though I know it could level me up. If you’re looking to start your own gear journey, I still recommend checking out the Right board, right vibes twintip guide, it’ll save you from dragging furniture around the water.

Goals

This is the big one. Remember when I set myself the mission to become an insanely good kiter in 365 days? Cute idea. Ambitious, but also… nope. Six months in, I realized it wasn’t happening. Maybe because it was unrealistic. Maybe because I’m inherently lazy and half-ass my own goals. Or maybe because progression in kitesurfing just doesn’t follow a neat yearly plan.

But here’s the kicker: the posts I wrote in the goals category still hold up. Things like Why should we track our goals made me realize that if I had actually applied my own advice, I’d be further ahead now. Writing about goals was useful. Not using them? That’s on me. Lesson learned: write less, apply more.

No wind

Some of my favourite posts came from flat, windless days. Turns out there’s life beyond the forecast. I had fun digging into the science of happy hormones from kiting, and how to trigger them when the wind ghosts you. I played around with balance training, visualisation, and other sneaky off-water hacks. My Balance training for better kitesurfing piece still makes me laugh, me wobbling on a slackline like a baby goat, but it genuinely made me stronger on the board.

The win: no-wind days turned into something valuable instead of wasted. The loss: I’d still rather have wind, always.

Me saying stuff

This category is pure chaos, and I love it. Posts like How not to be a douche while kiting or random reflections on my best moments gave the blog a human side. Not every post needs to be a guide. Sometimes it’s just my opinion, or me venting, or me trying to put words to the feeling of a sunset session. It humanizes Berito, and honestly, it’s the most fun to write. I’m keeping this category alive, even if it’s just me rambling into the void.

Looking ahead

So what’s year two about? For me, it’s more deep dives and more useful guides. Less “quick post, publish, done” and more quality, practical stuff that riders can actually use. Think: how to pick a board for your weight, how to choose the right kite for a spot, maybe even destination breakdowns. SEO might sound boring, but I’m curious what happens if I play that game a bit smarter. More traffic, more traction, more Berito.

I’m also hoping I’ll finally use my own advice more. Apply the goal-setting stuff. Apply the weather-reading. Apply the gear tweaks. Because if blogging taught me one thing, it’s that knowing isn’t enough, you’ve got to ride it too.

Sooo yeah

One year in. Stoked, sure, confused, also sure, but definitely better for it. I gained knowledge, hopefully shared some, and had fun along the way. Year two? More guides, more deep dives, more fun, maybe even a little growth. Thanks for reading, thanks for riding, and remember: if you don’t know who on the beach is overthinking their kite goals… it’s probably me.

xox Berito