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The International Kiteboarding Organization (I.K.O.) is a worldwide
organization of kiteboarding schools, instructors, and kiteboarders.
The IKO provides support for Instructors, Students and kiteboarding
communities. The IKO Kiteboarding programs are designed to help you
learn in a safe way while your IKO Instructor respects
your rhythm and takes you through all the steps so you
can reach your goals. The IKO Certification standards and training are
recognized in 38 countries worldwide. There is a worldwide network of
affiliated schools and instructors. Each one has made a commitment to
quality and safety. Every IKO School and Instructor became certified
through hard word, dedication, training courses, qualification criteria
and safety standards. You can recognize IKO Schools and instructors and
products from their distinctive logos and trademarks. IKO schools, only
use Current IKO Certified Instructors, and teach according to the safety
standards. IKO Schools display certificates, flags, and issue IKO
Kiteboarder Cards to every student. Only schools that meet the high
standards can become IKO Affiliated Kiteboarding Schools. Beware of
Imitations: It is easy to confirm the authenticity of Schools and
Instructors. Affiliated IKO Schools are listed on
official IKO Schools List. IKO Instructors are listed by country. If
you cannot find your instructor on the
IKO Instructor lists he may not be current or is probably
uncertified. You can check an IKO School or Instructor's standings by
going to the official IKO Schools List, or the IKO Instructors List. |
 SCHOOLS: Learning how to kiteboard in an
IKO Affiliated Center assures safe and fast learning using quality
tested methods that maneuver you safely off the beach and into the
water! IKO affiliated centers have specific liability insurance coverage
and you also can subscribe to the Kiteboarder's insurance in your center
of choice, or
click here for more information. |
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INSTRUCTORS: Instructors are competent
kiteboarders who have undergone Instructor Training courses and learned
the IKO teaching methodology. Kiteboard instructor training is intense,
and includes communication, safety, lesson planning, rescues, and people
skills. An IKO Instructor also commits to undergo ongoing training to
stay current. There are different levels of instructor from
Assistant, Level 1, Level, 2, Level 2 Senior, etc. |
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STUDENTS: Students learn using the latest
proven teaching techniques. the Student progresses through the levels
from Discovery, Intermediate until they "graduate" at Independent.
Students receive a structured lesson plan, that is easy to follow and
can be tailored to the individual. Students can switch between
instructors and schools with the standardized teaching system. |
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MEMBERS: Students can become an IKO
member for $54.95 a year. and get access to the IKO community website,
news, maybe win a kite, get discounts on gear, and automatically receive
one year's kite rider liability/injury insurance for all your kiting
activities. Membership is open to all kiteboarding students with their
IKO kiteboarder Cert Card. |
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LEVELS: Listed below are the IKO
Kiteboarder levels. These are a series of skills and tasks in the ideal
sequence. The Skills chart allows students to gauge their progress and
plan their training. They also help identify a student's skill level,
when transferring between schools, or when proving their level of
competency. Every IKO Instructor gives the student a level at the end of
every session. Every Student should receive their level listed on their
Kiteboarder Card at the end of their training. The Skill Chart is also
available on the IKO's website, and in the IKO handbook, and Workbooks. |
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PRODUCTS: IKO has a range of products to help
kiteboarders, Instructional DVD's and Handbooks, and Manuals. The Progressions
DVD Series is highly recommended. there are four levels; Beginner, Intermediate,
Advanced, and Professional.
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