PLAYING THE LONG GAME

There's no shortage of fun when you're living the kiteboarding life.

Q: How did you get into the sport of kiteboarding? 
AH: When I moved to Maui just after high school, it was the early days of kiteboarding. At that time, I was competitive in motocross, but that sport is so hard on your body. Sure, you spend a fair share of time in the air, but the landings can be brutal. As soon as I saw kiteboarding,, I thought, there's a sport where you can fly 15 feet into the air, land and not feel it for days afterwards. Sure, there's power—but there's finesse and grace. So, I sold my bike and bought a kite. I was in the right place for kiteboarding—it was just taking off at that time. I ended up with a sponsor and competed in the sport for 11 years. Now I've been teaching kiteboarding (and other water/board sports) for over 20 years.

Q: What did you love about competing? 
AH: I got to travel the world doing a sport I loved.

Q: Favorite place to adventure with your board (kite or wake) ?  
AH: Best trip I ever had was to Alaska, off the coast of Valdez in 2012 or 2013. We were filming for Catching Air and waiting for the wind to pick up so I wakeboarded through a glacier field.

To watch footage, click below!

Q: Most memorable competition?
AH: I was doing an endurance race in 2005—a different sort of race from the freestyle ones I normally competed in. We were racing 60 miles along the coast of Florida—from Jupiter to Fort Lauderdale. I was about a two-thirds of the way through the race when I started worrying about my vision. Salt was clogging of my eyes and I thought I was going blind—I couldn't see a thing. I was trading off between 1st and 2nd place with another kiteboarder—a really intense race—but I nearly called it quits because of my vision—or lack of vision. But, then I fell and impact knocked the salt from my eyes and I could see again! Near the end of that race, I was neck and neck with the guy I'd been swapping 1st and 2nd with for the majority of the race. In fact, near the finish, I was behind him. I thought for sure that I was going home with a #2 spot—which, in my mind, was way better than the DNF (did not finish) I was so close to accepting. But at the last second, I somehow overtook him and ended up winning. It was thrilling and exhausting and an experience that teaches you a lot about yourself.

Q: What lesson from that stands out the most to you today? 
AH: Embrace the falls! Without that fall, I may not have finished that race. And, I also learned the importance of sticking with something even when—or especially when—it's hard.

Andy is at home in the water and flying above the water.

Q: Why do you teach others kiteboarding and other water sports like foiling?
AB: I love sharing my passion for kiteboarding with others. I've taught people of every level of ability and it's just so amazing to see people push beyond their own perceived or self-imposed limits. Helping them get past those limits is amazing. E-foils have really helped people get into water sports who might otherwise not. The tech allows for a progression that is so much more approachable than other sports.

Q: What qualities or characteristics are important for people learning a new sport like kiteboarding?
AH: For kiteboarding, patience is definitely key. So much depends on learning to handle the kite, so there's a lot of time working on that before you get into the water. So if someone shows up and all they want to do is get in the water—well, it's going to take a some patience. But once you learn to handle the kite, watch out!

Q: As a professional guide/coach, what's your take on gear?
AB: Having the right gear is really important and it's part of my job to help outfit my clients to make sure they are prepared. Being prepared will definitely make any adventure more enjoyable. Guides and instructors have spent years, decades even, testing the right gear. There's no better endorsement for gear than from those who use it every day in every imaginable condition.

Q: What's your 'road not taken' - In other words if you hadn't become a pro kiteboarder, what would you have done?
AH: I've always gravitated to health and wellness. I gave up motocross because I couldn't see being able to do that for the long haul. Early on, I understood the importance of taking care of my body—from the inside out. I am actually a certified health coach as well and love helping others learn to live a healthy and balanced life—one that focuses on longevity and being able to do the things we love well into the future.

Q: Three essentials you always pack when traveling?
AH: Some sort of green nutrition drink mix. Right now, I'm loving Huel's green mix. My TRX straps because I can set those up anywhere for a workout. And believe it or not, I always travel with a golf bag. Not because I golf, but because airlines charge for kite bags, but not golf bags. So kiteboarders around the world have learned to pack their gear in golf bags!

For Andy, kiteboarding is a sport that offers longevity—as someone focused on health and wellness, he recognized early on that the sport is more forgiving than his earlier passion of motocross.