There is no escape: kitesurfing is a difficult sport for beginners. Don’t let the name fool you: it’s nothing like flying a kite in a park. On the first day of a week-long kitesurfing course in Sicily, I found myself in the sea, attached to a huge polyester wing powerful enough to lift me out of the water and send me hurtling through the air.
Despite my nerves, I could see that the Stagnone Lagoon near Marsala, in western Sicily, is a great place to learn. The lagoon is shallow enough to stand in, has no waves and is protected by four islands – Isola Grande, San Pantaleo, Santa Maria and La Schola – which create a natural wind tunnel; there is a constant breeze from spring until the end of October. The area is popular with kitesurfing schools, including my own, UCPA Planète, but doesn’t feel overcrowded.
The Stagnone Lagoon is a great place to learn: shallow enough to stand in, no waves and protected by four islands
There were twelve of us on the September trip: six men and six women, ranging from mid-twenties to mid-fifties, five of whom were beginners. On that first morning, we novices learned the basics on land: how to determine the direction of the wind; how to identify hazards; how to inflate the kite, attach the lines, prevent it from blowing away and carry it safely into the water.
Then we dived straight into the sea and took turns trying to launch our 8 square meter kite and flying it with both hands while holding the bar. Our instructor, JB, kept a tight grip on our harnesses: until you learn to hold the kite directly above your head, it can pull you through the water in an unwilling, clumsy swinging motion.
Once we had mastered the kite, it was time to lower ourselves into the water and attempt body dragging – where we deliberately let the kite propel us. This was an instant adrenaline rush, despite the face full of seawater. I worked with Johanna, a Swedish doctor, to practice. We were progressing quickly so we thought we were kitesurfing in no time.
Day two brought us all down to earth. The wind was much lighter and we realized how much weight it had lifted the previous day. In light winds you have to be much more skilled – most of us can barely launch the kite into the air, despite having upgraded to a larger, more powerful model. Luckily the wind picked up in the afternoon and we practiced flying the kite with one hand. That left the other free to perfect the “Superman” position: dragging his body through the water with one arm extended.
On the third day we continued our superhero impressions while holding our kitesurfing boards. These aren’t like big windsurf boards – more like wakeboards or snowboards. Every time I crashed the kite, I accidentally let go of the board, then had to relaunch and drag my body back to it. It was exhausting.
The penultimate day’s challenge was to get my feet into the board’s foot straps – a tricky juggling act that involved holding the kite with one hand at 12 o’clock (directly above your head) while hovering like a beetle on my back , with legs bent, touching my feet. Once my feet were in the water, but my body was still low in the water, I practiced steering left and right, then generated a little force to get a feel for what it would be like to get up.
It was all in preparation for the highlight for the novice kitesurfer: the water start. And there was only one day left to achieve this. There are a few main methods, but basically you move the kite slowly one way, then quickly the other, with a small pull on the rod to give you strength. If this sounds simple, it isn’t. I had a lot of false starts. Eventually I was able to get up, but immediately fell back or was jerked through the air and fell painfully onto my stomach.
The afternoon passed and the lagoon began to empty. I had done a few very short runs, but they didn’t really amount to surfing. Finally I succeeded in one (sloppy?) attempt: I stood up, had control of the kite and flew over the lagoon. It must have lasted a matter of seconds, but it seemed like an eternity. The incredible feeling of freedom left all the facial plants, bruises, sore muscles and stiff necks staring up that bloody kite worth the effort. Then of course I was wiped out.
UCPA Planète offers courses for all levels, from beginners like me (full disclaimer: technically I tried it ten years ago) to advanced kitesurfers looking to perfect their jumps and tricks. Planète is the global arm of UCPA, a non-profit organization founded 60 years ago by the French government to provide low-cost sports opportunities. Other destinations include Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Portugal, Greece, Morocco and Egypt, with UCPA working with local gyms and hotels.
I got up, got the kite under control and flew over the lagoon. It must have lasted a few seconds, but it seemed like an eternity
We stayed at Torre Lupa, an apartment complex with a swimming pool in San Leonardo, ten kilometers north of Marsala. I had my own room, but shared an apartment with two others. We had a buffet breakfast by the pool every morning and ate picnic lunches in the lagoon. I was expecting panini, but this was an impressive dish cooked by a local cafe: arancini, pasta with pesto alla Trapanesi, potato salad with Pantelleria capers. In the evening we ate at various trattorias and tasted more Sicilian specialties such as panelle (chickpea fritters), caponata, pasta alla norma and cassatelle (sweet ricotta-filled pastries). We had a Saturday night pizza party around the pool and more than one evening ended at Peola, a wine bar in an enchanting vineyard setting, overlooking the lagoon.
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There was also time for a little exploration. I arrived early on the first day and walked past the salt flats to catch the boat to Mozia. This ancient island city on tiny San Pantaleo was founded in the eighth century BC and is the world’s best preserved Phoenician site. I walked around the entire island, looking at the ruins and then went to the museum to gaze at the muscular Young Man of Mozia, a marble statue from the fifth century BC.
We had a complete day off. The French contingent went hiking in the Zingaro Nature Reserve and to Erice, a hilltop town. Johanna, her boyfriend Nils and I took the ferry from Marsala to Favignana, one of the Egadi Islands. We rented bikes and went to the beach, a wonderfully relaxing day that was only marred by a jellyfish sting (luckily Dr. Johanna knew what to do: remove the stings with the edge of a bank card and rinse my arm with seawater).
By the end of the week, kitesurfing didn’t feel so daunting anymore, but it hadn’t exactly been easy and I had the bruises to prove it. Wing foiling, on the other hand, is apparently “much easier to learn and less physically taxing,” according to UCPA. I know what I’m going to do this summer…
The trip was organized by Action Outdoors, UCPA’s British partner, with seven nights of kitesurfing from £750, including full board and equipment, or £959 including instruction, until October 23