Tyler is a great and fun instructor. He got me up and surfing on an electric surfboard right away, giving just the right amount of instruction. It's obvious he has a real love of surfing, windsurfing, and electric surfing. Afterwards, we traded skateboards for a bit, and he even let me borrow his surfboard (no charge) so that I could make the most of my day in Western Michigan. Awesome dude. 5/5 for sure read more

Stoke Riders is one of a small handful of kiteboarding instruction on the southern part of Lake Michigan. Tyler and assorted instructors, that specialize in various aspect of the sport, are top instructors and well trained. They are very patient but students should also be both patient and persistent. This is not a sport for "toe dipping", like paddle boarding. Even paddle boarding, like any sport that involves water, there is a lot to learn beyond just learning the sport. Hint... safety and knowledge in case things go wrong. It has taken be years to get the fundamentals of kiteboarding and I was pretty experienced at a lot of similar sports. I think frequency and intensity had a lot to do with my long learning curve, which both centered around availability at the right time. Finally, a few years later, I'm gaining independence and security. Whether you learn on vacation, or use a great outfit like Stoke Riders, be prepared to dedicate time. You can expect the commitment might be similar to getting certified to scuba dive. You might be able to get a quick "fix" initially but the real understanding takes a long time. For myself, there was nothing quick, and so I just learned the rescue aspect of the sport better as I narrowed in on being able to ride. read more