Today we have an interview with Petr Grochal from the HARAKIRI kite school for you.
Who or what is behind HARAKIRI?:
„My name is Petr Grochal and I am 43 years old. I have been kiting since 2000 and have been an official kiteboarding instructor and owner of the HARAKIRI kite school since 2003. We have been teaching with exclusively FLYSURFER Kiteboarding products since the very beginning.“
Where is your school located and what disciplines do you teach?:
„Our kite school has its headquarters in Lefkada, Greece. In addition to the Lefkada location we also have two other teaching spots for kitesurfing; one in Rügen, Germany, and a second in the south of Moravia in the Czech Republic. For teaching snowkiting in the winter, we have three spots in the Czech Republic and a fourth in Slovakia. Finally, we offer beginner courses in the major cities in the Czech Republic (Prague, Brno, Ostrava, etc.).
Regarding our kitesurfing spots: Lefkada has a nice shallow area with mostly light winds which is good for larger kites. At Rügen we also have shallow water which is perfect for beginners, but the wind here can vary from being really light to super strong. While on the water we teach with a 2:1 ratio (2 students-1 kite-1 kitesurfing instructor), and on the land or snow we teach with a 4:1 ratio (4 students-2 kites-1 instructor).”
Which FLYSURFER products do you use for your classes?:
„We teach exclusively with FLYSURFER Kiteboarding products, particularly the FLYSURFER BOOST2 in the 18m size, the SPEED5 in 21m, and the PEAK3 in 4, 6, 9, and 12m“
We are super happy to hear that you are so pleased with our products and that you use them so much. What exactly attracts you to FLYSURFER products?:
„We use FLYSURFER products because they are awesome! There are days where our students are the only ones on the water because there are light wind conditions; and thanks to the FLYSURFER Kites we can still get out there, which is something that other kiteboarding schools — those which are using kites from other brands — just can’t do. And since we started using the PEAK for teaching on land and snow, it doesn’t really matter what the weather report is calling for . With this quiver of products we can teach every single day — as long as it isn’t raining! FLYSURFER offers us outstanding services, products, hospitality, and safety. It is awesome to have a partner like them. This is not something to be taken for granted… The investment in FLYSURFER products has paid for itself 100%!”
Why should students come to your school for instruction?:
„We have a variety of different kite spots (2 kitesurfing spots and a snowkite center) spread across different countries, and that makes us accessible for many students interested in taking a kiteboarding class. Our customers are completely satisfied, we have a ton of experience, our teachers are friendly and very professional, every year we bring in new, top-of-the-line equipment, and we offer professional service“
Do you have any advice that you would like to give to the kiters out there?:
„Two things. First: always be careful while kiteboarding and watch out for yourselves and others around you. You never know what will happen!
And second: FLYSURFER is a partner which you can rely on!”
Thanks a lot Petr for the great interview!