IKO Glossary

Assistant Instructors work as aides to IKO Level 1 Instructors and above.  The Assistant Instructor position exists only within the kiteboarding teaching scheme (not available for snowkiting or powerkiting), and offers practical, on-the-job experience for individuals seeking to become Level 1 Instructors. 

A Candidate Instructor is an individual who has either just registered for or in the midst of completing an Instructor Training Course.  Many kiteboarding Candidate Instructors first start out as Assistant Instructors.  Candidate Instructors will become validated as IKO Instructors upon successful completion of all components of the IKO training program. 

Kiteboarders that complete an IKO course will have their ability level certified by their IKO Instructor.  In some kiting locations, kiteboarders may not rent equipment independently without first having a minimum level of certification.  Kiteboarder certification levels range from 1 to 3, with 1 being a beginner and 3 being a certified independent kiteboarder. 

IKO Examiners represent the highest level of kiting instruction worldwide.  Examiners are trained in Kiteboarding and/or Snowkiting instruction, and travel the world to run IKO Instructor Training Courses.  Level 2 Senior Instructors only may be considered for Examiner training and must first pass a pre-selection screening. 

The Head Instructor of an IKO Affiliated Center is the head of the teaching team for that location.  Head Instructors must be IKO level 2 Instructors or above, and must have completed the online Head Instructor course via IKO Online Education. 

This is the first Instructor level in the IKO teaching scheme.  Any Candidate Instructor enrolled in an IKO Instructor Training Course (for kiteboarding, snowkiting, or powerkiting) will become a Level 1 Instructor in the selected discipline upon completing his or her course.  

Level 2 Instructorship is available to Kiteboard and Snowkite Instructors who have gained the required amount of teaching experience.  A Level 1 Instructor may reach Level 2 status by logging a minimum of 20 students and 160 feedback hours and successfully passing the Level 2 Online Exam. 

Level 2 Senior Instructorship is available to highly experienced Kiteboard and Snowkite Instructors.  A Level 2 Instructor may reach Level 2 Senior Status by logging a minimum of 100 students and 1,000 feedback hours (and must also have Instructor liability insurance).  

ITC Organizers are people that work to plan and promote Instructor Training Courses (ITCs).  These Organizers may be Center Managers or Examiners, as well, or they may be separate individuals that only work to organize such courses.

These levels correspond to kiteboarding ability levels, as designated by the IKO course syllabus.  Each level has a number of sublevels, such as 1A, 1B, 1C, etc, each corresponding to specific skill sets.  Level 1 Kiteboarding skills are taught in the Discovery Kiteboarder Program, level 2 skills are taught in the Intermediate Kiteboarder Program, and level 3 skills are taught in the Independent Kiteboarder Program. 

These members are private kiteboarders that sign up for My IKO membership via the IKO website. Anyone that has been certified by an IKO Instructor as a kiteboarder, snowkiter, or powerkiter can become a My IKO member simply by registering. Membership includes access to a special section of the website and other goodies.

An IKO Quality Representative is an IKO Level 2 Instructor or above that represents IKO at a local or national level.  Quality Reps inspect local IKO Centers for safety and training quality, help distribute IKO products and expand the IKO Affiliated Network, represent IKO and local events and at the local council, and more. 

Powerkite Master Trainers are truly the authorities on powerkite instruction.  Master Trainers (not to be confused with “Training Masters”, who work train Water and Snow Examiners) work to train Powerkite Trainers and serve as Trainers themselves.  Trainers become Master Trainers by selection only (however, Examiners may become Powerkite Master Trainers through an online equivalency course). 

Powerkite Trainers, like Examiners in kiteboarding and snowkiting, work to train new generations of IKO Instructors via the Instructor Training Courses.  Current IKO Powerkite Instructors Level 1 may become certified as Powerkite Trainers via the special training program upon having logged a minimum of 100 students and 300 teaching hours.  Kiteboard or Snowkite Instructors Level 2 Senior and above may become Powerkite Trainers via an online equivalency program. 

A Pro member is someone that is a part of the IKO Pro Network.  All IKO Instructors are Pro members, and have their own Pro accounts that they can log into via the website to view their personal Instructor data (note that each IKO Center or Point also has its own Pro account).

Training Masters are the ultimate IKO Instructional gurus, and are some of the most knowledgeable and experienced people in the kiting industry, period.  Training Masters (not to be confused with “Master Trainers,” which exist in the powerkiting scheme) work both to train Examiners (Kiteboard and/or Snowkite) and serve as Examiners themselves, and contribute to the development of IKO standards and teaching content.  Examiners become Training Masters by selection only. 

IKO collects an End Report from each ITC Organizer and Examiner following the close of the ITC to obtain feedback on how the course went.  This feedback is used for quality control purposes, to ensure only the highest quality of training and service within the IKO Network. 

An IEC is an Instructor Equivalency Course.  Certain Instructor Candidates, such as those already certified as instructors by another organization (BKSA, FEV, etc.) or those who were previously certified with IKO but have since become expired, do not need to complete the full ITC, and can opt instead to take this abbreviated version of the course.  Kiteboard and Snowkite IECs last 3 days, while Powerkite IECs last 1 day. 

This document is the evaluation submitted to IKO by a Level 2 Instructor following the successful completion of shadowing hours by a Candidate Instructor.  See shadowing for more information. 

Certain Instructor Candidates may qualify for Instructor equivalency, which offers a quicker Instructor certification process for qualified Instructors.  Types of equivalencies that are offered include equivalency for instructors trained by other organizations (such as FFVL) and powerkite Instructor equivalency for IKO Kiteboard and Snowkite Instructors. 

This manual is used during the Instructor Training Course (ITC) or IEC (Instructor Equivalency Course) and serves as a guide for Instructor Candidate Training. Instructors should hold on to this manual following the training and keep it handy for future reference.

Candidate Instructors will be validated as Level 1 Instructors upon successful completion of the Instructor Training Course (ITC) and any additional requirements.  Once validated, the Instructor will be added to the active Instructor database, have access to his or her Pro online profile, and receive a Pro Card through the mail. 

An ITC is an Instructor Training Course.  Anyone wishing to become an IKO Kiteboard, Powerkite, or Snowkite Instructor must first successfully complete this course.  ITCs are hosted all over the world and throughout the year.  Kiteboard and Snowkite ITCs last 5 days, while Powerkite ITCs last 3 days. 

Each Candidate Instructor that enrolls in an ITC course will receive an ITC pack, which is included in the cost of the course.  This pack includes:  the Instructor Manual, a handbook or workbook (depending on the type of course), the Instructor diploma, the Instructor Pro card (shipped directly to the Instructor), the Level 2 fee, and 2 years of IKO membership. 

All IKO Instructor Candidates must have a valid first aid/CPR certificate, so those that do not meet this requirement may sign up for a medic course.  Medic courses last 1 day, and are typically held 1 day prior to the ITC.   

Some Instructors receive shadowing hours at the end of their ITC.  If an Instructor receives shadowing hours, this means that s/he will have to teach under the supervision of an IKO Level 2 Instructor or higher for the designated amount of time following the ITC and successfully pass an evaluation by the supervising Instructor in order to become validated as a Level 1 Instructor.  An Instructor that receives shadowing hours will not be validated until his or her supervising Level 2 Instructor submits a passing Improvement Recognition Form to the IKO and confirms with the ITC Examiner that the shadowing was successfully completed. 

The Summary Table is the document used to record information about Candidate Instructors enrolled in an ITC.  ITC Organizers and course Examiners must fill in details about each Candidate on the Summary Table and return it to IKO at the end of the ITC in order for the Candidates to become validated as Instructors. 

The Training Calendar on the IKO website lists all upcoming Instructor Training Courses, or ITCs, for individuals looking to become certified as IKO Instructors.  Courses are held all over the world and throughout the year, with new courses being added to the calendar each week. 

By referring students to the Kiteboarding Insurance policy (obtained through My IKO membership), Instructors may earn Product Tokens good for IKO products.  Referring students to this program both helps Instructors to ensure students’ safety and offers a bonus for themselves. 

IKO Instructor Insurance is available only to valid IKO Instructors and covers both private and teaching liability, as well as personal accident coverage.  All IKO Instructors are highly encouraged to get insured, and all Instructors working independently are required to have teaching liability insurance. 

IKO Kiteboarder Insurance is available to any certified IKO Kiteboarder, Snowkiter, or Powerkiter Level 1 and above, and is included in My IKO Membership.  Kiteboarder Insurance includes private liability and personal accident coverage.  

Instructors and Affiliated Centers may earn Product Credits, good for select IKO products, by referring students to My IKO membership (which includes Kiteboarder Insurance coverage). 

IKO School Insurance is available to any IKO Affiliated Center, and offers full school liability protection at a reduced group plan rate.  IKO School Insurance is available for schools in nearly every country around the globe. 

This document is a release of liability agreement that mist be signed by all those subscribing to IKO Insurance (whether Instructors, Centers, or private kiteboarders).  Insurance waivers are standard documents in the insurance world, and are typically provided with any insurance policy.  This signed document must be returned to IKO via fax or email in order for the member’s insurance certificate to be valid. 

The Kiteboarder’s Handbook is the educational tool that accompanies an IKO Kiteboarding course. All students should receive a copy of the Handbook included in their IKO course (recommended by the IKO).

The Kiteboarding Vision is a full-length kiteboarding manual that serves as a great companion for a kiteboarder of any level.  The Kiteboarding Vision is sold through the Online Shop, as well as through IKO Affiliated Centers and other IKO product distributors. 

This DVD covers the key steps to riding upwind, focusing on fundamental skills like kite control and body position.  The My Session DVD is sold through the Online Shop, as well as through IKO Affiliated Centers and other IKO product distributors. 

The Powerkiter’s Handbook is the educational tool that accompanies an IKO Powerkiting course.  All students should receive a copy of this handbook included in their IKO course. 

This DVD is a perfect accompaniment to professional instruction for those that want to get ahead.  Taking the student from the basics of location selection all the way through the first jumps, this DVD is a supplement to the IKO kiteboarding education.  The Progression DVD is sold through the Online Shop, as well as through IKO Affiliated Centers and other IKO product distributors. 

The Snowkiter’s Workbook is the educational tool that accompanies an IKO Snowkiting course.  All students should receive a copy of this workbook included in their IKO course. 

This is the first program in the IKO course syllabus.  In the Discovery program, students learn all the basics, from setting up and flying a trainer kite to launching, landing, and controlling a full-sized kite. 

Feedback Forms were paper forms used previously to record an IKO Instructor’s teaching hours.  While IKO will still accept submissions of paper Feedback Forms by Instructors, these forms have now been replaced by Online Feedback Credits and are no longer being distributed. 

In order to log his or her teaching hours after each course, an IKO Instructor will make a Feedback Request to his/her student via email through their IKO Profile page.  Each Feedback Request is made by using 1 Online Feedback Credit, which are purchased through the Pro Shop.  Feedback Requests are important, as they verify that Instructors are teaching and allow students to comment on the quality of the instruction they received. 

This is the third and final portion of the IKO course syllabus.  In the Independent program, students learn the skills necessary to become an independent kiteboarder, which include riding upwind, self-launching, turning, and basic jumping. 

This is the second program in the IKO course syllabus.  In the Intermediate program, students learn intermediate skills such as body dragging, upwind body dragging, basic riding skills, and right of way rules. 

The IKO Member Card is used to certify a kilter’s riding level. At the end of every IKO course, the IKO Instructor updates the student’s IKO Member Card to reflect his/her current ability level.

Online Feedback Credits are used to log IKO Instructors’ teaching hours.  Instructors purchase Feedback Credits along with Kiteboarder Cards so that they can validate their students, register them into the IKO system, and record their teaching hours.  Note that the predecessor to the Online Feedback Credit was the paper Feedback Form, which is no longer in use. 

This program for IKO Pro members ensures that every current IKO Instructor continues to further his or her professional development, gain more experience as an instructor, and work responsibly, whether it be 3 weeks or 3 years after his or her training course.  Instructors must meet the Continuing Education requirement by earning a certain number of CEPs (Continuing Education Points) per IKO Pro membership period. 

CEPs are points earned by Instructors for having completed one of a number of activities demonstrating ongoing professional education and professional responsibility.  CEPs are earned through completing IKO online courses, logging teaching hours via Feedback Credits, and subscribing to Instructor Insurance.

IKO Instructors, Centers, and Points may have their profiles flagged on the IKO website (yellow, orange, or red flag) if they fail to comply with IKO standards.  Reasons for flagging vary on a case-by-case basis.  Those individuals and schools that comply with all IKO standards and procedures will have a green check mark beside their profiles. 

Every active IKO Instructor has his or her own Instructor Profile that is accessible via the IKO website.  Instructor Profiles display personal information, allow Instructors to log Feedback Credits for hours taught, display important IKO updates, and more. 

A Pro Card is an IKO Instructor’s identification card.  Pro Cards are given to every Instructor upon becoming validated as a Level 1 Instructor. 

Affiliated Centers are kiting schools that have become accepted into the IKO Network of approved teaching schools.  Both kiteboarding and snowkiting schools may apply to become IKO Affiliated Centers (there are no affiliated powerkiting centers at this time) provided they meet the prerequisites for safety and quality standards. 

Every new IKO Affiliated Center or Point receives an Affiliation Pack, filled with IKO products. 

An IKO Point is a place where kiters can meet and receive their IKO certification.  Points are run by IKO Instructors working independently, and offer Instructors extra promotion and recognition of their services through affiliation with the IKO Network. 

Every IKO Affiliated Center or Point that renews its IKO Affiliation receives a renewal pack, filled with IKO products. 

Online Education is a new feature that allows both kiteboarders and IKO Instructors alike to enrich their kiting knowledge and skill sets through online courses.  There are two separate Online Education homepages – one for kiteboarders and another for Pro members.  Online courses vary in content, ranging from Right of Way rules to Teaching to Children. 

IKO has two online shops, one for the general public and one for Pro members.  All IKO products are sold through the Online Shops. 

Every 2 months, IKO holds a new giveaway exclusively for its My IKO members via the member website.  Prizes offered include brand new kites, boards, and other related gear, as well as vacation stays and IKO course packs.