Shawn Tieskotter

Press Release:

"I consider it my responsibility to the kitesurfing community," said Tieskotter upon the book's release. "Kitesurfing is actually a very safe sport, yet there are still too many injuries every year. Most of these injuries would be completely avoidable if new kitesurfers were just a little better educated."

Aside from teaching kitesurfers how to avoid preventable injuries, Tieskotter's book also teaches enthusiasts how to deal with conditions beyond their control. These incidents include "Poltergusts" (a frighteningly strong or chaotic gust of wind) and Kitemares (any nightmare of a situation, such as losing control during a strong whipping wind, as may happen while kitesurfing).

Kitesurfing - often considered an "extreme sport" - has been growing massively in popularity in the 21st century. In fact, the sport was a serious contender to replace windsurfing in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Despite having such influential advocates as billionaire entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson (founder of Virgin Records, Virgin Mobile, and Virgin Airways), kiting could not quite edge out the favorite of the Royal Yachting Association.

While kiteboarding has been around since the 1800s, it only began to boom about seven years ago and is now considered the fastest-growing sport around the globe. In 2010, surfer Rob Douglas beat the windsurfing speed record by reaching a speed of 55.65 knots (64 mph) while kitesurfing. That record has since been beaten, but it took an extremely high-tech trimaran to do it.

"I consider it my responsibility to give away this book," said Tieskotter. "If I can prevent even one injury, it will have been worth it." He asserts that 99% of kitesurfing injuries can be easily averted by simply knowing what kinds of accidents are possible and being alert to them.

It's not just the individual surfer injuries, he says. Sometimes those who aren't participating are injured by those who are. And in addition to injuries, this often leads to kitesurfing spots being shut down and the sport given a bad reputation.

Kitesurfing sites aren't just around water, either. Enthusiasts have begun to kitesurf on sand dunes and even soccer fields, but the most popular way to kitesurf outside of water has been on the snow.

While Shawn says that his book is no substitute for in-person training, he hopes to use the book to raise awareness of the importance of safety in kitesurfing, especially among those new to the sport. That's why he is giving away his book to the first 10,000 people who download it during its 5-day premier starting on March 1, 2013 on Amazon

About the Author

Shawn Tieskotter is a dedicated outdoorsman who has shared his passion for life in all 50 states and 25 other countries. From lobstering in Maine to cruising the beaches of Baja and from ice-climbing in the Swiss Alps to hang-gliding in Brazil and scuba diving Honduras, Shawn has truly experienced the thrill and wonder that can only be found in nature.

Shawn's quest to experience as many of the Earth's wonders as possible has led him on a 3-day camel trip in the Sahara Desert, a 4-month camping trip in Alaska and even a drive through Canada to the Arctic Circle.

In addition to hiking the highest peak in North Africa, he spent a summer in his home state, Colorado, hiking 20 of the Rocky Mountains' 12-14,000 foot peaks. Not being limited to physical conquests, Shawn also studied Spanish in Costa Rica and Guatemala.

Currently, Shawn's greatest outdoor passion is kiteboarding, which he considers to be the pinnacle of outdoor sports. Though his search for the perfect activity is over, he continues to search for the best spots and the friendliest people on the planet to pursue and share his passion for kiting with.

His boundless enthusiasm for the sport drove Shawn to get involved in efforts to make the sport as safe as it can be and accessible to as many people as possible by becoming a kiting instructor. Since he couldn't find a book that gave new kiters all the information they would need to get a safe and successful start in the sport, he decided to write one.

The challenges of becoming a writer were taken on with the same commitment to excellence and unstoppable energy that accompanied his sporting endeavors, and before the first book was even finished, ideas for future volumes started to surface.