Kitesurf friends are forever
Why you might leave your best friend for a kitesurf buddy
Let’s face it. Your best friend might help you move house, but will they help untangle your lines in 30 knots, barefoot and hangry? Exactly.
Kitesurfing friendships are a special breed. They’re forged in wind, salt, and the collective pain of waiting two hours for that one guy to pump his kite. The social side of kitesurfing is often overlooked, but once you’re in it, you’ll wonder how you ever did it alone.
The secret sauce of the kitesurf community
Kitesurfing attracts a certain type of person. Adventurous, slightly unhinged, and always checking Windy like it’s a dating app. That shared obsession creates fast bonds. You’re not just doing a sport, you’re entering a tribe.
Whether you’re at your local spot or halfway across the world, kitesurfers tend to look out for each other. Gear breaks? Someone always has a spare line. You crash your kite on the beach? Ten people shout conflicting advice while running to help.
But it’s not all sunsets and surf sessions. Like any community, there are politics, cliques, and the occasional self-declared kite god who thinks he owns the beach. The good news? Most of that flies away once the wind picks up.
Where to find your future kite crew
You don’t need to be a pro or own the latest Alula Kite to make friends. You just need to show up—and maybe bring snacks.
Here are a few hotspots for forming real kite connections:
Kitesurf hostels: Budget beds, shared showers, lifelong bonds.
Local WhatsApp groups: Chaotic, meme-filled, but great for finding launch buddies.
Other friend-finding gems:
Events and clinics: Nothing bonds people faster than shared humiliation during a downloop drill.
Local kite clubs: Great for meeting consistent riders (and some actual adults with schedules).
Downwinders and kite trips: Basically summer camp for adrenaline junkies.
If you're traveling and looking for solid kitesurf community vibes, this guide to the best kite hostels worldwide is a good place to start.
Why kitesurf friends feel like family
Kitesurfing friendships aren’t just built on shared hobbies—they’re built on shared risks, shared highs, and often shared sunscreen.
You end up seeing people at their most raw:
Struggling with fear or frustration after a bad session.
Screaming with joy after their first proper jump.
And let’s be real: It’s easier to bond with someone when you’ve both face-planted into a lagoon in front of an audience.
That intensity makes kitesurfing friendships strangely deep. You may only kite with someone once a year on a trip, but it still feels like you just picked up where you left off.
Not all kitesurf friendships are smooth rides
Let’s talk tea.
Some friendships get tangled—literally and emotionally. Maybe one of you improves faster. Maybe someone always borrows gear and "forgets" to return it. Maybe they tell you the wind’s 20 knots and it’s clearly 10, Dave.
And then… there’s that group.
You know the one. The too-cool crew who all have matching kites and side-eyes. The local kings and queens of the spot who act like they invented water. Some won’t land your kite, won’t smile, and definitely won’t talk to you unless you’re already in their inner circle.
It can feel intimidating—like showing up at a high school cafeteria with the wrong shoes. But here’s the Berito approach: Kill it with kindness.
Be the stoke spreader. Be the one who always helps launch and land, even if it’s ten people in a row. Smile, offer help, ask for it humbly, and never expect it. People notice that. And slowly, those grumpy locals? They soften. They follow.
If you set a good example, not only will people want to hang with you—they might even transform into kinder kiters themselves. You can’t control who’s on the beach, but you can control how you show up.
Don’t be a dick. Be a vibe.
Let’s be honest, you didn’t just come for the wind
Sure, we’re all chasing that perfect session. But it’s the community that keeps us coming back—the group chats, the kite trips, the beach beers, the endless advice on which bar to buy.
If you’re looking to deepen your connection to the sport, start with the people. And hey, you might just find your next road trip buddy, kite fixer, or someone who can finally explain how to do a toe-side transition without eating water.
Kitesurf friends: Better than therapists, cheaper than gear
So go on—join that group, book that trip, help someone launch. Because in this wild, windy world, your kite buddies might just be the best thing the sport has to offer.
And remember: Friends come and go, but a kite mate will help you self-land in gusty cross-offshore wind, no questions asked.
xox Berito