10 years ago I started coaching kitesurfers in improving their performance.
What a trip.
Helping people take the next step in their kitesurfing (regardless of whether they were total beginners having never flown a kite or had been kiting for years and were looking at hitting the pro circuit) has become the best part of my life.
When I started I had no idea how it was going to work out but I’ve learnt so much from the experience. The saying, “If you want to learn some thing very well…teach it,” is so true. Over the course of these years, as I was working with the students I began to formulate an idea…one that wasn’t based on the conventional wisdom of what I’d been trained in for so many years.
I called that idea, “Going Pro.”
It really pissed me off when people talked about getting more and more time on the water, or endlessly studying you tube video’s to nail their technique or spending hours doing CrossFit or whatever else was trendy at the time thinking it would improve their performance. Indeed our very own UNLIMITED HOURS style of teaching kitesurfing often fed this delusion and was what led me to a lot of these discoveries along the way.
That’s not what Going Pro is about.
When I first started talking about this most people thought I was talking about actually competing.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
A Strange New Approach.
A few years ago I was pretty down on kitesurfing, I wasn’t getting out a lot and I wasn’t really improving. I‘d based my entire life around this one variable, “The Wind” and it was a variable I had no control over…and it was making me very miserable.
So sitting there on the beach one windless day, I asked myself a simple question…
“What can I control?”
In that moment it hit me…
There is one variable that has more impact on kitesurfing performance, on how fast people learn, on how quickly they land that next trick, on how much stoke they get from this sport…
One variable that can MASSIVELY improve their kitesurfing and they can work on it when there’s no wind. In fact it’s easier to work on it OFF the water than ON the water.
And what’s more, it’s a variable they have total control over.
You see I realised in that moment…
- If my muscles were able to kitesurf for longer at a higher level and so take advantage of every breath of wind,
- If I had better focus and so keep my concentration when I was out there,
- If I had the confidence to kite in all conditions and to push it every time I was out.
- If I could recover faster after a session so I could get up and do the same again tomorrow and not suffer from the lethargy and aches and pains that I normally got,
- If I had the energy to get myself out whenever there was wind and not make excuses about it having been a long day or just being too tired,
- If I learned faster,
- If I got injured less and recovered faster when I was,
- If I rocked up at the beach every session with energy to burn,
- If I didn’t suffer all those creeping aches and pains,
- If I got rid of the extra weight I was carrying,
- If I could control The Voice in my head that told me I wasn’t good enough
- The Voice that created anxiety whenever I visited a new spot, or which just worried incessantly about safety, telling me I was going to screw up and be a burden to other kiters as they had to rescue me or I got washed up on the beach like a drowned rat….again,
- If I got ill less,
- If I had faster reflexes and a more agile mind,
- If I were 100% resistant to skill fade and had the mental resilience to push through procrastination, fear and doubt…no matter what, until I landed that next trick…
If I could master all this, I couldn’t help but be a better kiter.
You see what I raised in that fateful moment was that the most important variable in my kitesurfing wasn’t the wind…
It was me!
Over the last 2 years I’ve been formulating these ideas into a system. To test it the first person I applied it to was myself.
Taking the principles I’d uncovered as a peak performance coach over the years, many of them used by Elite Athletes, Special Forces and NASA and applying them to my kitesurfing whilst I was OFF the water, transformed everything.
Having seen the success on myself I obviously wanted to test this out on others and see if they could get the same results…what I saw was spectacular!
So for 2019 with this post I’m launching my new coaching series called “The NTX Program.”
The Going Pro concept is crucial.
I had suspected this even before I started coaching way back in 2002.
Most people when they really start kitesurfing for themselves can spend hours and hours on the water and never really seem to improve. Or they start to learn to kitesurf but never actually get to that hallowed point of riding upwind. They know exactly where they want to be but never really seem to get there.
Over time I came to realise this was due to several things.
The first and probably most common complaint is actually spending any time on the water.
(Ironically as I came to realise, although this is people’s perceived #1 reason as to why they don’t improve, it’s probably actually the least important.)
For most people lining up their free time with decent conditions on the water becomes all but impossible. Real life intervenes and whether it be work, family or just life in general, something gets in the way and stops them getting that precious time on the water.
At this point 2 insidious things happen.
One is fairly obvious…Kiting Fitness Fade. They spend so long between sessions that by the time they do finally get out again they have lost whatever kiting fitness they had, this is made worse by the fact that it’s very difficult to train for kitesurfing in a gym as it requires such a specific type of fitness.
The second is far more dangerous. Alongside fitness another thing fades…
Confidence.
Let’s face it, going kitesurfing can be a fairly nerve racking event. The idea of strapping yourself to a wild beast only just under your control and relying on an unseen force being kind to you while you hurtle over an ever changing surface can seem quite harrowing, especially if you haven’t done it for a while.
The less you kitesurf the louder the voice in the back of your head gets, that one telling you to just stay warm and dry and watch the telly instead.
This isn’t your brain betraying you…hell, it’s trying to keep to safe. It wants to protect you from rocking up and beach and making a fool of yourself in some new and imaginative way.
The problem is however it is all too easy for this voice to take control. We blame the conditions because that is the easy thing to blame but if we’re honest we’re really just giving in to The Voice.
The Voice is especially powerful when we are kiting on our own or when we have been injured or suffered an accident before in our kiting. So faced with the reality of rocking up at the beach on our own or having to face the decision to attempt that next trick, and not being able to do it because of fear of the consequences, we somewhat sensibly but deeply disappointingly, stay indoors and watch the cricket.
Adding to this are the simple facts of reality:
The less physically fit we are…
The more likely we feel we are to get injured…
The less we have 100% trust in our body and it’s ability to perform…
The louder The Voice becomes.
This problem is then compounded by 2 others:
The No Wind Effect
One thing that became abundantly clear in my studies of peak performers was that what they did in the time when they weren’t practicing was ALWAYS viewed as more important than the time when they actually were practicing. At first this seems back to front, or it certainly did to me.
As a company we’ve been focussed for 10 years on UNLIMITED HOURS kitesurfing. In many cases I saw that when people were at the beach doing 30 – 40 hours a week the results were often worse than when I’d spend 6 hours over 3 days with a private client…what the hell was happening?
Then 1 day I had it explained to me in a really simple way…
“Look I spend at most 1 – 2 hours practicing a day…at MOST, the human body simply can’t take any more. So I figure I’ve got 22 maybe 23 other hours in the day, every day. Simple maths tells me that how I spend those hours will have more influence on the gains I make in the 1 – 2 hours. If I want to train hard I have to prepare to train even harder.”
Suddenly I had light bulbs going off everywhere. I have always noticed in our coaching that the major difference between the achievers, “the naturals” if you like (though it has been proved now that there is no such thing) and those that really struggled, wasn’t to do with physical ability or any unnatural superpower. It was always how they approached the time they spent OFF the water that made the difference.
Obviously (barring gaining X-Man like powers) it’s impossible to control the wind. So what we have to do is ensure we can make FULL use of every breath of wind when it does blow. We have to be at 100% physically and mentally to be able to bring it totally when we are on the water and make the most of each and every session.
Finally
The sad truth is for most of us, by the time we hit 30 we’re only operating at 50% of our full potential, 30+ years of abusing our bodies, exercising too hard or not enough, eating badly, partying too hard, working too long, stress and a general lack of care mean we are on that slow decline to death…cheery hey!
The implications for our kitesurfing are astonishing, imagine if you could reclaim that lost 50% of your performance, imagine how much better a kiter you’d be
The good news is this is relatively easy to do…once you know what to focus on and more importantly perhaps…what NOT to focus on.
Let’s clear this up, up front.
There is no magic bullet, no miracle technique the “successful” kiters keep to themselves.
There’s no magic and no unicorns…sorry!
It’s clear to me your success as a kitesurfer has ZERO to do with any trick, tactic or strategy.
There’s no motivational phrase or power quote that will change your performance one bit.
Again sorry…
The only thing that will help is when you realise that it is only you who can make the change.
Then why the bloody hell am I offering The NTX program?
Why would you pay me a cent?
Because there is a way forward.
You can Go Pro.
The reason I’m doing the NTX program is because I believe there is a method, like I said, nothing I say will change a thing! I can’t guarantee a single result. The only thing I know is – if you’re still reading this, you’re not getting the results you want, or you’re already Pro and know the power of this sort of program already.
Look it’s not your fault!!!.
When you get out on the water you’re practicing hard and you really want to get better. Trouble is you’re practicing hard on completely the wrong things.
And that’s where I can help.
What is Going Pro?
There are 3 core practices essential to anybody Going Pro. Before I tell you what they are, I want to be sure you do not believe they are time on the water or available wind .
It’s not about the time on the water!!!
It’s not about the wind!!!
If anything people are spending waaaay too much time chasing down wind and waaaaaay to much time on the water doing the wrong things when they do finally find it!
It’s about these three things.
FOCUS
Focus comes down to 2 areas.
The first is what you should be focussing on, and perhaps more importantly what you shouldn’t be focussing on.
Before I started this process on myself I had all the time in the world to get on the water, and all the wind I could ever possibly want (Tarifa is the windiest kite spot in the world!) and I was still failing to improve. The issue was far more about what I should have been focussing on and what I shouldn’t be focussing on.
The second part of focus is the ability to block out chunks of time where you can apply the processes that are going to improve your kitesurfing performance.
This was revolutionary to me. Doctors talk about Minimum Effective Dose (MED) all the time and when you apply this to your kitesurfing you will see dramatic improvements.
PROCESS
There is a process for everything.
Performance is a process.
If you’ve ever found yourself on the water wanting to try that next trick but not knowing where to start or where your going wrong or even not having the kahoonas to actually do the trick in the first place…that’s a PROCESS problem (yes, fear is a process too). I know back in the day of being hopeless at kiting I really rejected the idea of everything being a process…
I was a free spirited kitesurfer.
I was creative.
I was sticking it to the man…
I was also crap and pissed off.
It’s only the last few years that I’ve realised EVERYTHING is a process.
The most successful kiters I know are all process driven creatures. It’s the only way to be truly successful.
Whenever you find yourself wondering why you aren’t really improving in your kiting. That’s a process failure.
With this program the idea is to make sure you have a process for everything. And one of the key things we’ll be doing is to make sure you’re using the right process at the right time.
Make no mistake, I’m not doing it for you…that would be pointless. You need to learn how to do this for yourself.
Funnily enough there’s a process for that too!
MEASURING
Repeat after me…
“You can’t manage what you can’t measure.”
If there’s one process subject to more abuse than any other when it comes to Going Pro, it’s measurement.
There’s a very good reason for this.
Your brain is trying to protect you from a horrible truth. It really wants you to have an easy day, chilling out enjoying the next episode of “Game of Thrones.” Not worrying about how you’re not actually getting to where you want.
By not measuring your progress you can maintain the equilibrium of happy ignorance. Sadly ignorance equals rubbish.
Every successful person I know measures…they also have an ability not to take measurements personally.
If you don’t track how you’re doing in something you can’t possibly make it better. The great thing is once you start to measure your brain finally figures out “damn they’re serious about this.”
And all of a sudden things change.
Your brain doesn’t want to see bad results, so once it realises you are serious about measurement it will do what you need to make the changes that mean moving forward.
So with those 3 things as the foundation our aim is to take your kitesurfing from where it is to RECORD levels in the time we spend together.
COMMON QUESTIONS
How much time do I need to commit?
The idea of the NTX program is that you can do it at your own pace and don’t need to spend any time on the water to get the results.
During each week we will have one weekly call and there will be stuff you can be doing during the week (especially at the early stages) but how much time you put in is completely up to you and 15 – 30 minutes a day or every other day should be more than enough (sometimes a bit more, sometimes less).
I’m injured or have suffered a bad injury?
Then I would definitely encourage you to get onboard. We will be working with you personally to overcome the challenges associated with this. Not just on a physical level but looking at the psychological scars injury often leaves. Which leads to the fear of trying something new that stops people from pushing themselves.
I don’t have my own kit.
No worries as I say we’re looking at all the stuff you an do OFF the water to improve.
I’m not fit or have a condition that means I can’t do intense physical activity.
No problem. The program is set up to go at your pace. So while we will be looking at fitness we will be tailoring it specifically to you at all times.
Job/Life/Location means I can’t get out on the water much
Repeat after me…”it’s not about hours on the water,” it’s what you do with the time you do have and the hours OFF the water that really counts.
Can I be a beginner?
Absolutely!
Being a total beginner and coming into the NTX program can be a very, very smart idea. Basically you’re taking a few years off your progression time and are focusing from day 1 on the processes and practices that will actually work while you improve your kitesurfing.
I lack confidence in my kiting
This is a big point for many and can be one of the main reasons that most people do not progress as fast as they want. This whole program is designed to nail this one issue in a BIG way!
It’s not a race
This NTX program is about you, your improving at your pace. Once we’ve identified what your goal is we’ll apply the correct processes, focus and measurement to get you moving forward. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro already who wants to take it to the next step.
LET’S GET SPECIFIC
So what’s in the mentoring program what do you get, what’s involved?
The first element of the NTX program is 4 calls with me for 1 hour over the 6 weeks of the NTX program.
That is the meat of the program.
I do not outsource calls. It’s all me.
After 3 weeks you may wish it wasn’t me, but too bad, you’re stuck with me!
I’ve heard horror stories from people of how they’ve signed up to mentoring programs only to be handed off to be mentored by one of their team.
That won’t happen here.
Like I said you’ll be stuck with me whether you like it or not!
Added to that we’ve also got The NTX Weekly Web Class.
Instead of just giving you a load of video’s I wanted to make sure we were personalising this right from the get go.
Over the course of the web classes I’ll show you how to upgrade your entire biology and unleash your full potential on and off the water.
Well be looking at kitesurf specific fitness, nutrition, improving focus, enhanced learning, injury proofing yourself, advance recovery techniques, gaining massive energy, lifestyle design and a LOT more.
Giving you more time to kitesurf and more energy when you are on the water.
Every week we’ll meet up as a group online and I’ll walk you through this personally you’ll have the chance to ask me questions right there and then so there’s no room for confusion or doubt.
This will provide the knowledge section of the program which we then use the coaching time to personalise specifically for you.
There will be several classes in week across different time zones so where ever you are in the world you’ll be able to pick a time that works for you. And if you can’t make it one week the class will be recorded.
To really get you straight into it I’ll also give you my Transform Your Body Program.
Get your kitesurf specific fitness into place enabling you to take advantage of every breath of wind and kite for as long as you want to.
Aimed specifically at kitesurfing and flexible with the wind. You’ll be able to keep kitesurf fit no matter how long it is in-between sessions or how much the wind interferes with your routine. It’s really simple and doesn’t require you to be crammed in to a gym all day…if fact you don’t even need a gym as it can be done in 15 minutes in your front room!
To make sure you reply get moving fast you’ll also get my Kitesurfing Nutrition Program
Designed to show you how to fuel yourself so you can hit the water with 100% energy, recover faster for your next session and look awesome in your wetsuit. And of course, it’s been adapted specifically for kitesurfers.
Aimed at all levels from Health Nuts to McDonalds Locals, so you get results without compromising your lifestyle, all personalised through the live coaching.
Need Help?
If you’ve got any questions or problems at any time in the program you’ve also got 24/7 support from me.
Think of Voxer as access to my personal voicemail, so you can voice message me any time day or night and I’ll get back to you within a few hours, so when ever you have doubt with any part of the program I’ll be able to give you feedback within just a few hours and get you back on course fast, ensuring your only doing the things which have the biggest impact right now.
Straight out of the gate your saving the 15 years and 50,000 pounds I’ve spend on this as you have all my experience on tap 24/7
Voxer works on all mobile phones and I’ll show you how to install it.
How do phone calls help my kiting?
As I’ve mentioned one of the KEY aspects of peak performance isn’t what you’re doing when you’re practicing, but what you’re doing the rest of the time. We’ll be taking the latest cutting edge principles of peak performance based on the latest groundbreaking research and applying them to your life, in a manageable manner, at a level you’re comfortable with, in a way where you can measure the results.
By assessing where you currently are in your performance through a series on online and home based testing. We’ll use that as a baseline and will work each week to develop a personalised program that you can follow when there’s no wind that will see radical gains in your kitesurfing.
The idea here isn’t just to supercharge your kiting by educating you and working on your no wind performance but to keep you on track. So we can can keep your progression and your motivation high.
What About Kiting?
Not important at all. Whether you kite every day or not at all over the course of the whole program, the next time you hit the water you will notice exponential gains.
I’m interested. How do I apply?
The first thing you need to know is the price.
The price for the 6 week NTX program is 2,497 €.
If you’re interested the next step is very simple.
Send me an email HERE.
When I receive your application I’ll send you some details of where you can send the 2,497 €.
Please understand at this point I treat the 2,497 € as a deposit. It’s only after I’ve had a one to one interview with all the applicants that I will be able to confirm your acceptance onto the program.
This is not marketing crap.
I am only prepared to work with a small group of people and I want them to be the one’s that I really feel I can make a BIG difference for. To do that I need to keep the numbers down. I also only have so many hours in the day and I want to kitesurf too!
You need to be certain this is something you want to do. You MUST want to Go Pro.
As importantly I’ll also be spending a lot of time with you guys and want to make sure we’ll actually get on. I don’t want to spend my time with idiots and I’m sure you don’t either!
Once I have your deposit I’ll make time for our one on one where we’ll talk over the terms and conditions of the program.
Bluntly I’ll try to talk you out of it. If I don’t put you off, I’ll answer any questions you have.
I fully realise this is not for everybody.
But if you’re keen I’d really LOVE to work with you over the next 6 weeks and get you on the path to Going Pro.
I’d love you to become a part of The NTX Program.
The next step is simple.
Send an email HERE.
Let’s do this.
Sam.
