KITESURFING

Master the wind and the waves

“Kitesurfing gives me an unbelievable feeling of freedom. If I'm having a bad day, it's almost like the water washes away all the stress.”

Mona Mai, chair of Stavanger Kiteklubb

“Kiting on water is generally more difficult than snowkiting, but when you master it...”

“...it's an incredible feeling of self mastery.”

“If you fall, you just have to try again. And I have to say, the feeling you get when you first manage to stand up on the board is great.”

Would you like to master the waves and the wind?

You'll find a lot of cool kitesurfing spots and a variety of courses for both beginners and experienced kiters on the Norwegian coast.

The water might be colder than in some other places – you're in Norway, after all!

But with proper equipment and the right mindset, the feeling will be like no other.

Below, you can discover expert Mona Mai's best kiting tips and the premier places to go in Norway for this amazing sport!

Kitesurfing with Mona Mai

Kiting in Norway has exploded in popularity in the last few years. During winter, people head to the mountains to snowkite, while in spring and summer, it's all about kitesurfing on Norway's almost endlessly long coast.

An area especially known for fantastic kitesurfing opportunities is Jæren, south of Stavanger in Fjord Norway. With mile-long, white beaches and lots of wind (really, a lot), the place is ideal for water sports.

Mona Mai, chair of the kiting club in Stavanger, grew up in Fjord Norway. She started kiting in 2007, after attending a course with a friend.

"I was hooked right away," Mona explains.

She spent the next years kiting all over the world, including in Australia, Spain, Portugal and Mexico. In Spain, Mona started working as a kite instructor, and in Portugal she managed a kite camp. Later, she worked as a kite instructor in Mexico.

"After two years of drifting around, I moved back home. I now kite on a hobby basis and am chair of the Stavanger Kiteklubb. I might not be neutral, but the Stavanger area is one of the best places to do cold water kiting," says Mona.

Protected areas in Jæren

Jærstrendene is the name of the area that stretches from Tungenes in the north to Sirevåg in the south, a total length of 70 km.

The beaches of Jæren were protected as early as 1977. Since 2009, they have been included in the Jærstrendene landscape conservation area. Some parts of the beaches are also plant and bird protection areas, and some areas are part of Jæren's wetland system, protected as a wetland area of international importance.

All forms of surfing and kiting are prohibited in the protected bird areas from 1 October to 31 March. Horseback riding, biking, camping, and tenting in the sand dunes are all prohibited.

The Jæren coast is also an international Hope Spot, acknowledged by the organisation Mission Blue, which means it's a place that is critical to the health of the oceans.

A real kiting paradise

"One of the things I like so much about Jæren is that the beaches there are so accessible for everyone. You'll find big car parks right by many of the beaches, and there are often paths down to the water. Some parking lots even have showers and a place to hang up your equipment for drying," Mona explains.

In the Jæren area, you'll have plenty of kiting spots to choose from.Just keep in mind that the Jæren beaches are protected as part of the Jærstrendene landscape conservation area. Some parts of the beaches are also plant and bird protection areas, which means kiting (and any type of surfing) is prohibited from 1 October to 31 March.

In the area, kiting is only permitted on Sola beach, Hellestø and Byberg beaches, Bore beach, and Brusand beach.

"Sola beach is one of the most popular beaches in the Stavanger region and is fantastic for wind and water sports. The location, right by the airport, is just incredible. You can fly in and almost walk straight to the water. There are almost always other kiters at Sola, so if you have just started learning kiting, it can be a good place to go to get some advice," Mona says.

In the area, the kiting season usually lasts from May to September. Remember that when autumn arrives, it usually gets more windy, and the waves get bigger.

Check out these amazing Jæren beaches:

Don't give up!

Mona recommends everyone who is trying to learn water kiting to give it a week.

"When you kite on water you have to think about both current, waves and wind. It's therefore very ambitious to try to learn everything over a weekend. My best piece of advice will always be to take a course, and keep practising. Kiters are also very friendly people. For help and for everyone's safety, do reach out to other kiters in the area if you're a beginner," Mona says.

Norway has many other excellent places to kite in addition to the kiting paradise of Jæren!

Check them out below.

The beaches of Karmøy

The Karmøy beaches, north of Jæren, is another place known for being a premier destination for kite surfers, windsurfers, and body surfers. Why? It has a great combination of powerful wind and open sea.

Visit the beaches at Sandvesanden, Åkrasanden, Sandhåland and Mjølhus to get the wind in your sails. They're easy to access with excellent beach-side parking.

Kiting in the south

On the Lista peninsula in Southern Norway, you'll find kilometres of long, beautiful sandy beaches. The Lista beaches are one of the best places in the region to go water kiting, with Lomsesanden beach being one of the most popular.

NOTE: certain parts of the area are located within nature reserves, meaning that kiting and windsurfing are prohibited.

Near Kristiansand, you'll find another kiting spot – Hamresanden, a 3-km-long, windswept beach, perfect for all kinds of water sports.

Flat water kiting

If big waves and strong winds sound a bit scary, why not try water kitesurfing on flat water? In Namsskogan in Trøndelag, Tundra Tours offers kiting courses on a shallow lake – perfect for beginners.

Tundra Tours also has snowkiting courses at three different locations in Trøndelag.

Learn kiting in Lofoten

New to the world of kitesurfing? Attend a beginner course at the island of Gimsøya in beautiful Lofoten!

Gimsøya is a less-visited part of the Lofoten islands, with stunning nature, the midnight sun during summer, and fantastic shallow water, making it perfect for kiting.

Pro tip:

You can find kiting courses, including for beginners, throughout Norway. Contact them and sign up to learn how to kite! You are sure to make some new friends at the same time!