You must be a certified IKO Instructor (Level 1 or above) with active IKO membership and demonstrate in the video the following Level 1 to 4 Safety procedures and the following tricks in at least one of the Evolution Courses - Freeride, Freestyle, Wave Riding, Hydrofoil and/or Wing Foil.

Level 1 to 4 Safety Procedures:

Self-rescue

Self-launching

Self-landing

Level 5 – Freeride (to be a certified Freeride Coach)
¨  Ride blind

¨  Transition with back-roll

¨  Jump with various grabs

¨  Dark slide

¨  Downloop jibe

Level 5 – Freestyle (to be a certified Freestyle Coach)
¨  Transition with frontroll and grab

¨  Unhooked railey

¨  Surface handle pass

¨  Jump with kite-loop and land with down-loop

¨  Unhooked jump with grab

Level 5 – Wave Riding (to be a certified Wave Riding Coach)
¨  Jibe strapless

¨  Tack strapless

¨  Floater strapless

¨  Snap back strapless

Level 5 – Hydrofoil (to be a certified Hydrofoil Coach)
¨  Riding in any direction

¨  Jibe

¨  Tack

¨  Toeside riding

Level 5 – Wing Foil (to be a certified Wing Foil Coach)
¨  Ride upwind/downwind

¨  Foot change

¨  Jibes

¨  Tacks

Catching the swell

Once you’ve booked your Coach Level 1 online course, you’ll have access to a PDF copy of the course manual and one appendix per Evolution Course category with all the details of the tricks to help you get ready. You’ll get your certificate after you pass the course.

Once you pass the course, you’ll be a certified Coach Level 1. As a Coach Level 1, you’ll be able to teach one student at a time and certify kiters who take Evolution Courses in the discipline you have been certified for. You’ll also be able to lead IKO Adventures - downwinders, boat trips and kite trips.

Review the latest Assistant and Instructor Manuals and learn the new certification standards for the Level 5 – Evolution Course/s in the discipline you want to teach. Study each trick and know the lesson plan and associated tips. Revisit your first aid and CPR course material. Practice and be sure you can demonstrate all the Level 4 - Advanced tricks and all tricks in at least one of the Level 5 - Evolution disciplines (Freeride, Freestyle, Wave Riding, Hydrofoil and Wing Foil). Someone must film you demonstrating each trick in the discipline you want to teach. You can get certified to teach in as many evolution disciplines as you want.

You must complete two steps to get your Coach Level 1 certificate. Step one is a riding skills demonstration and step two is an exam. Both are completed online.

Most candidates are able to complete both steps and finish the course in a few weeks. However, the course may take longer if you have to redo any of the steps.

This is the first step in the course. Once you’ve submitted your payment and enrolled in the course, you must send us videos of yourself doing all of the tricks mentioned in the Evolution Course discipline/s you want to teach. Our training department will then contact you to confirm you have the riding level to become a coach.

To lead IKO Adventures, you must be able to do all of the skills mentioned in the manual in the Freeride Evolution Course.

You need a smartphone (with a video stabilization app) or a waterproof video camera with 8x to 20x zoom (Go Pros are not allowed), a monopod or tripod, a helmet, an impact vest, a kite and a board. This equipment is used for online skills demonstrations and student coaching.

After you record the videos, you upload the footage to your IKO profile so we can review it. Once the footage has been reviewed, we’ll contact you to let you know whether or not you passed. You must be recognizable in the video and the footage must be high quality and stabilized for it to be accepted. If your skills are not demonstrated clearly in the video because of poor quality recording (bad angle, water on the lens, etc.) the video will be rejected.

If you fail because you don’t have the required riding level, continue practicing. We’ll let you know what your weakest skills are and what needs to be improved. After you practice, you can submit new footage. If you failed because your video quality was poor, resubmit your footage.

Congratulations! You’re a certified IKO Kitesurf Coach Level 1. You can download your certificate through your IKO profile.

Yes, we’re in the process of creating the Coach Level 2 Course. Once you’ve passed the IKO Coach Level 1 Course, you’ll be eligible to take the Coach Level 2 Course to get an additional credential and advance your career.