About Gorge Kite
We are located in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge in Hood River, Oregon. Our school is about an hour from downtown Portland & about 45 minutes from the PDX International airport. Our season runs from approximately April - October although the wind blows nearly every day from June - September. With plenty of lodging close by and our proximity to the Portland airport, the summer in Hood River is an ideal place to learn how to kiteboard.
Gorge Kite has been offering kiteboarding lessons in Hood River since 1999 and has earned a reputation as one of the most professional kiteboarding schools in the country. We maintain the school's strong reputation and your safety by bringing our extensive teaching experience to every lesson. When you sign up with Gorge Kite & Sup, your safety is our number one priority both during your kiteboarding instruction and after you are on your own.
Your lesson with Gorge Kite will be tailored to your experience and skill level. We will utilize relevant skills that you might already have (sailing, surfing, flying, skiing, snowboarding, wake boarding, etc) as well as any kite flying or kiteboarding experience to work toward your goals at your pace.
Testimonials from a few of our past students:
“I took five lessons from Gorge Kite and through these lessons I went from having never kited to confidently water starting and riding. I now kite in my local area around Seattle and am able to successfully relaunch crashed kites, upwind body drag to retrieve my board, as well as water-start and ride - all as a direct result of Gorge Kite. Additionally, I have windsurfed for roughly ten years and taken lessons in Hood River from three separate organizations learning water-starts, attending multi-day clinics, and improving my jibes. When taking all these experiences into account, Maui and Hood River. Gorge Kite remains head and shoulders above the rest.” -Brian
“I have taken lessons in Belize, in Cape Hatteras, and more recently, Hood River. While some kiteboard schools may get you up on the water faster, they fail to explain basic guidelines and parameters that I believe are necessary for a safe kiteboarding experience. This is the main difference I noticed when I took lessons from Gorge Kite.” -Laurel
“I am a 50 year old, professional pilot, seasoned windsurfer, snowboarder and adventure seeker in general. It was by no accident that I settled on Gorge Kite for my kiteboarding instruction. From the very outset, their focus on safety was obvious; this alone was a primary determining factor in my selection process. I hope to return again in the future for more fun and excitement, and I will most assuredly be doing it at Gorge Kite.” -Dave