Introducing Chris Sal, The Newest IKO Examiner
12 Dec 2012
Living the Dream as IKO Examiner
"People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing." Dale Carnegie
IKO Introduces, CHRIS SAL, the Newest IKO Examiner
“I am absolutely passionate about teaching. I am absolutely passionate about kiting.
Part of the fun is learning and growing with your business” Chris Sal
The Rising: From Kiter to Examiner
Examiner, Chris Sal, began his successful career kiting for fun nine years ago, prior to all the amazing safety measures that are now in place. At an early age of 15, he was already into teaching and managing by running junior level tennis programs and clubs where he met a variety of skilled mentors who gave him opportunities to learn superb teaching methods. Seven years ago, Sal took over Melbourne, Australia’s first kiting school transcending the business model from just a kite school and morphing it into a club, shop and kiting community. This year, 2012, Chris Sal has achieved what only few kiters have ever accomplished: becoming an IKO Examiner, which has catapulted him now into the elite dream team of kiteboard instructors.
The Kiteboard Addiction
Growing up on a lake, Chris Sal has tried all water sports and anything outdoors but it was kiteboarding that hooked him. “I was on a surfing road trip with a mate. I saw guys kiting having a lot more fun than I was,” Sal explains.” He even saw students while taking kiting lessons being thrown around a bit by the wind. The challenge of mastering a new underdeveloped and exhilarating water sport captivated him. Since Sal has evolved with the sport, at that time, lessons were sparse. “I strolled the beach looking for someone to give me lessons. I found a guy named Uncle Ray who was in his late 60’s then. I had one lesson and was instantly addicted.”
When we asked him why he liked kiting, he exclaimed, “To kite is absolute freedom on the water. It is the best little bit of all the water sports. You’ve got your surfing, wakeboarding and water skiing all rolled up into kiteboarding. It opens you up to freedom as you still got horizontal movement but with the use of the kite, you get a vertical boost up.” Like most kiteboarders, Chris Sal wanted more so he engaged in all kiting sports, and in 2007, he opened Australia’s first snowkiting school, which he still takes camps up to teach people to transition from water to snow safely without it being dangerous for them. He also does a little powerkiting and wants to do more bugging but between water and snowkiting as well as running a business “there are only so many hours in the day.”
From Recreational Kiting to Teaching
Chris has always been passionate about teaching, which he has done since 15 years old teaching tennis. When he started kiting, he was able to unite the two most important passions in his life to make a career. “I got involved with a kite school teaching and never looked back. I have been teaching kiting since 2006, explains Chris. In late 2006, he took over a kiting business, and travelled to Cabarete, the Headquarters of the IKO, to get qualified. He found, “IKO is a fantastic avenue for teaching. My first thing was to bring IKO to Australia to create standards so the longevity of kiteboarding would last. We created standards where the beaches are now safe. When I first started, people were just flying in and out. I have travelled a long way to do my trainings and to make this all happen.”
Ascension to the Elite, The Examiner
Chris Sal caught the eye of the IKO because of his own kiting accomplishments, business achievements and contributions to the safety of the sport at large and in his own country. As a result, he was appointed as an Examiner in November 2012. The honor of Examiner is not automatically bestowed for merely completing the extensive and challenging Examiner Training offered by the IKO. The top kiteboard instructors in the world appoint IKO Examiners. They are selected based on past kiting achievements, participation in the development of the sport and abilities demonstrated throughout the training. “Contributing to the sport is very important on a larger scale. I have run forums in Melbourne increasing safety awareness for counsels, surf associations and varies places on the bay,” says Chris about his ascension through the levels of IKO Instructorship. “Examiner was that next step outside my own business or in Melbourne itself that helped me spread my passion about what I love doing and contribute to the longevity of the sport.”
The Splendor & Agony on the Journey to Examiner
“Becoming an Examiner was difficult drawing upon my skills of the last 7 years and the skills even from my tennis experience,” Sal exhales. “Look, when you’re within your area, it’s hard to stay challenged but the Examiner Training and the IKO continuing online education challenged me causing me to grow that next little bit.” Chris Sal was analyzed and reevaluated by Master Trainers like IKO’s Training Director, David Dorn. “David was fantastic challenging me to learn new ways. I had to get out of my own ways and not be closed-minded to learn different techniques. He gave me hands on experience where I learned new and improved teaching tools.”
For Chris, the high points of the training included teaching students from around world because “you know you are training new instructors you are proud to have out there teaching.” Plus, he can train his own instructors in a way that helps him spread his passion for kiteboarding. Another high point for Chris was to have the opportunity to work with trainers who have a lot more experience where he could pick up a whole variety of techniques and training methods. Every different IKO Examiner offers a few different learning techniques drawn from their own vast amount of experiences. “This is a huge thing in moving my business forward,” explains Chris. “The IKO helps bring continuity making kiting incredibly safe.”
A Little Insight Into the Examiner Training
During the Examiner Training, student Candidates are taught under training masters like David Dorn, IKO’s training director and owner of two kite centers in Hawaii. At first, they observe a training master while he or she is training. Second, they assist the training master until finally the training master takes a back seat to the Candidate allowing him or her to run the entire training while observing and evaluating the teaching proficiencies and methodologies, knowledge transfer, presenting abilities and people interaction skills. Also, the Candidate undergoes evaluation by students through feedback given at the end of the course. Feedback is extremely important to the IKO as it takes all feedback seriously to make improvements with courses and instructors.
The Positive Impact of the Examiner Training
“Examiner training has already changed the way my school operates by tightening things up,” announces Sal. “We were good before but so much better now that we picked up new methods of teaching.” This is not only a huge step forward for Sal’s business but for kiteboarding in Melbourne and all of Australia. He also credits the IKO as being an important part of his business over the years in helping him get council permits, which can be obtained only if the right guidelines are followed. IKO has also helped him with sponsoring international instructors, which he says helps him keep a higher level of standards that are recognized when helping instructors get work visas from immigration. “As a matter of fact,” he proclaims, “IKO is the only international level of certifying organizations for kiting that is recognized worldwide.”
Why Chris Sal Went With IKO
“IKO is by far the best system for instructors,” declares Sal. His tennis background has allowed him to see massive differences between those who teach without qualifications compared to those who follow guidelines and high standards as well as keep education ongoing. “I think this is incredibly important for kiteboarding too for keeping things safe and for people to learn the right things. It’s my business and if I am going to be successful long term, it needs to be done the right way.” Chris believes that the IKO helps him provide the way to do things right through its education levels, standards and opportunities for continuing education. Chris also points out that the IKO has been able to successfully weather the challenges that it takes to “pull people together from different countries with strong personalities who are well qualified with a different take on things. This is what it takes sometimes to create high standards to make the beaches safer.”
Keys to a Successful Kiting Business
When Chris was asked how he runs such a successful business while being able to balance kiting for recreation, he gave us the golden keys to his success, Staff Development. “I have a loyal staff of 7 years which is as long as I had my business. I spend a lot of time on staff development. Part of the fun is learning and growing with your business, working out the roles,” says Chris.
How The Kite Republic Evolved
Chris took over his business in Australia, now called the Kite Republic, from a person he worked for as an instructor and who now works for him. “I have great respect for him, explains Chris. “We both see things differently but we trust each other. I picked up a lot from him.” Prior to Chris taking over, the business was already successful but had a different business model as strictly a school with three or four instructors. Today, Sal has turned the business into a successful club, shop and school with a community side of things. Chris jumped through all the right hoops with the councils and insurances. “When I came on board, I brought the IKO side of things, and we expanded it dramatically when I got IKO training.”
Next Up for Examiner, Chris Sal
In the next couple of months, I will do an instructor training by myself here, and I already have one booked for next year. “Teaching is something I am absolutely passionate about and it keeps me energized,” says Chris. He will also continue to contribute to the development of the sport first in Australia and then to the world. “My vision is to create fixes rather than be reactive.”
Advice From Chris Sal
Kiting is a sport that everyone can participate in. “Its not something you need to be in really good shape though. It’s not a young persons sport or for body builders. The most important thing for those wanting to kite is to have a willingness to learn the coordination not necessarily to have the physical strength,” advises Chris.
For aspiring instructors, Chris Sal advises, “Decide first if kiteboarding is going to be long-term. Become comfortable speaking in front of people and always be open to learning new skills.”
And, for those aspiring to become an Examiner, Chris offers this advice. “The Examiner process is long-term. If it’s your long-term goal, continue with your kiting education to keep safe. Learn up-to-date and improved ways of doing things. Spend time working with different senior instructors who do things the right way. The more instructors you spend time with who follow the guidelines and standards, the better instructor you are going to be. It’s a huge asset to spend time with experienced instructors.”
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