Interview with the International Kiteboarding Organization

Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to visit Cabarete and hang out with Sandrine Roussos, CEO of the International Kiteboarding Organization (IKO). Sandrine has been living in the DR for eight years and is now starting a family here with her husband, Charlie, and baby boy, Micah. You may think that’s odd, for a woman from Greece, to settle down in this bustling little Caribbean town, but in fact Cabarete is packed with expats. French, German, Italian…Greek, you name it! All drawn to the turquoise sea, spectacular wind and smiling Dominican faces.

For Sandrine, the connection to the DR is more than this. IKO was incorporated and headquartered here and Sandrine is now the sole principal. At 8am, Monday through Friday, she greets her staff at IKO’s corporate office and goes about her day arranging instructor training courses, coordinating the translation of student training manuals and assisting IKO affiliated schools around the world attain liability insurance. No doubt she is passionate about kiteboarding and a hard working entrepreneurial woman!

Here is what she had to say:

What was the original vision behind IKO? 



The IKO was founded as an independent and neutral organization (with no ties to a brand or country) in order to help grow the sport in a safe and responsible manner. At the time, in 2001, the sport was starting to grow fast and no one was certified to teach. IKO developed the content to make teaching fun, safe and effective, which really helped grow the sport by making it accessible to everyone.

What is the difference between PASA and IKO?

While both organizations work hard at building up the standards in the industry, PASA is specific to North America. IKO, on the other hand, is the recognized authority around the world. We have IKO Centers and instructors in over 100 countries. IKO is also the world’s largest network for kiteboarders. We started nearly 10 years ago and have trained over 400,000 kiteboarders throughout the world.

Why should I go to an IKO certified instructor versus just anybody? 


IKO Instructors have been really well trained. Their knowledge is what will help you get a fun and safe learning experience. At lots of beaches, we always see kiteboarders teaching their friends or relatives. This is really a disaster waiting to happen. People not learning with the proper structure to a course will miss out on building extremely important safety skills. You never know when you will need them. You should never cut corners when you learn.

Does IKO have any say in the price charged for lessons? 




No. Each Instructor and Affiliated Center sets his or her own price.

Does IKO still offer insurance to schools? Individuals? 



We are currently working on a new insurance program for individuals and instructors. Centers can purchase insurance through our different providers (depending on the country where the school is located). 
Insurance has been a big challenge for the IKO recently. Since kiteboarding is a new sport for insurance brokers, they have to write a specific contract for IKO and its members. This is taking longer than we had hoped because of the international element. But we are the only organization in kiteboarding seeking to cover its members all around the world. The goal is quality coverage at the best price possible.

Where do you see the sport going? 



This is only the beginning! We are seeing lots more people take up kiteboarding and it is becoming much more accessible to families and children too. We have also seen great growth in snowkiting and powerkiting, which we are also very excited about. 


Does IKO get involved when access issues arise? 


Only if we are asked to speak to the local authority. There are a lot of issues starting to come up with access in the US. This tends to be caused by riders acting recklessly and not respecting local guidelines. As kiteboarders, we use public beaches and have to respect all the other users, as well as the other kiters. There is no room for ego and for aggression on our waters. Access is everyone’s responsibility. If you see someone abusing your beach, you need to do something about it. There are authorities in certain areas that are only allowing access to kiteboarders who have been IKO certified. The reason for this is because in the certification process, you are trained to respect other water users and to avoid hazards and dangerous situations. You are also trained to self-rescue and to properly use your safety systems, all of which make you a more responsible kiteboarder.

What can we expect from IKO in the future? 



Tons! It has taken us a lot of hard work to get to where we are now. We have very exciting plans that will be taking shape over the next 6 months, including a much better website experience. We are upgrading all of our content. The new Instructor Manual will be ready soon and will join the new Kiteboarder Handbook and Kiteboarding Vision. We are also in the postproduction phase of a fantastic new instructional DVD, which will be ready this summer. It’s the perfect companion for kiteboarders wanting to improve.

Where's your favorite place to kite? 



I have Greek blood so I am partial to the wonderful islands of Naxos and Paros. I am also very excited about checking out spots throughout Asia and the Pacific next year.

Learn more about the International Kiteboarding Organization at www.ikointl.com.