Follow Ella Johnson as she travels the world teaching Math and Environmental Studies at the WCKA (World Class Kite Academy)
It has been a crazy ride working for World Class Kiteboarding Academy. For those of you who are not familiar with WCKA, it is an acredited high school composed of 7 students ranging from ages 14 to 18, and 3 teachers who also serve as kiteboarding coaches. Our schedules work us around the clock, from cooking each meal using cook crew rotations, to teaching classes, to kiteboarding. A typical day at WCKA would begin with a 7:30 am morning workout, followed by breakfast, then study hall, classes, lunch, and kiteboarding in the afternoon.
This quarter, school took us to South America, where we spent a few weeks in Bahia Salinas, and Lake Arenal in Costa Rica, finishing off our time in Punta Chame, Panama. The conditions have been hectic- Bahia Salinas saw an average of 25-40 knots on a daily basis, which made it very hard to practice unhooked tricks. I used my 7m Bandit (my favorite one because it is pink- so no complaints here!) every day there, paired with the Spicy wakeboard. The range on these kites are absolutely amazing, and the board gives me the pop and the surface area for stable landings. While people were sitting on the beach by fear of the gusts, and grown men were on 5’s, I was happily holding down my 7m with no issues whatsoever. In Lake Arenal, I bruised my rib following a rough crash, and therefore took most of the time off the water. However, the conditions there were also extremely gusty lake winds, with a very difficult launch. That being said, the kids showed us courage, strength and determination as they tackled these challenging spots.
Our final stop, where we are currently, is Punta Chame, Panama. This has been the most ideal location- warm, lighter winds, warm water, and long sandy beaches. The tides fluctuate incredibly, so we schedule our day around low tide, where you can kite a couple miles out to the most epic flatwater, located behind a small island. Here I have been mostly using my 9m Bandit and my Mitu 5″8′ as my rib is still healing. While it hard not to put my boots back on the Spicy and throw down so wakestyle tricks, I know it is best to cruise around, practice some strapless airs, and work towards a speedy recovery. The 9m is one of my favorite kites as it is incredibly stable and can generate the same amount of power as an 11 if need be in lighter winds. Most of the kids and other kiters have been on 12’s, and not once have I felt the need to go bigger. Furthermore, after hours spent on the water daily, I am one of the few who has not been chafed by my harness- and I have been using my Manera harness without a rash guard or T-shirt, and still no signes of damage to my skin! This is a key piece to kiting, especially when you have to be on the water for long, consistent periods of time.
All in all it has been an amazing experience, and I am lucky to have such awesome gear to see me through my travels.World Class Kiteboarding Academy
