Ryan RyGo Goloversic Interview
Hey RyGo, I would first like to say that we dig what you’re doing passing your knowledge on to others. For those of you who don’t know RyGo, he has an instagram account, Kiteboarding Trick Tips, where he shares wake influenced freeride and freestyle kiteboarding tips, tricks, and inspiration.
Thanks, Donovan; I appreciate the shout-out!
First, let’s find out more about you, where did you grow up and how did you get into kiteboarding?
I grew up in a small beach town in the USA called Muskegon. The first time I saw kiteboarding was around 2007. A local kiter was shredding the flat water next to the pier. It was love at first sight, and I booked a lesson many years later when I could afford it.
One of my instructors was Chris Bobryk, who was starting his pro career at the time. We became great friends and had many traveling, filming, and kitesurfing adventures. More than I can count! He and Sam Medysky from Airush introduced me to wake-style riding on a trip to Brazil that same year.
What made you decide to start Kiteboarding Trick Tips and share your knowledge with others?
My dream from the start was to make the content I wanted to see. Before we had an abundance of social media, getting intel on the culture was only possible if you were in kitesurfing circles. I started producing trick tips on YouTube in 2016 for an online retailer called MACkite when long-form content was king. I guess you could say I was one of the first kitesurfing Vloggers. I was in charge of their video marketing program and blog, and along the way, I’ve learned to embrace change and adapt. Shorts and reels are where most people get their information these days, so I migrated my media there.
My mission is to encourage new riders to embrace wake-influenced freeride. Trends come and go, but I believe we should lead by example and showcase fun, approachable, all-around, and unhooked kiteboarding as something new and everyday kiteboarders should aspire to.
The focus is on blending all the best aspects of the sport with an emphasis on style and fusing elements from board sports like snowboarding or wakeboarding. While I don’t feature it on the account, I also love incorporating natural features like waves or sand kickers, or finding something natural to grind.
Board sports like surfing or wakeboarding have always influenced kiteboarding, and we have a long heritage that shaped the sport that many seem to have forgotten. I aim to educate people on small steps to build their knowledge and skills with easy-to-try tips that add up and inspire confidence in their riding.
How long ago did you start Kiteboarding Trick Tips and how has the journey been so far?
Kiteboarding Trick Tips is a new account I started in late December 2023. It’s been very rewarding in several ways. The account has been growing fast, sometimes up to 100 followers a day, but the real reward is the challenge of thinking of new daily tricks to post.
Making these has me going back to all of my fundamentals. When I review footage, I can critique my riding and consider adding a new grab, a different rotation, or the next natural progression.
Thinking of the best way to teach something has helped me progress in areas where I was lagging in my own riding. I’ve been kiteboarding for a long time, yet I’m more in love with the process than ever. I do love hearing from people who tried something they didn’t think they could do.
What was one thing that was crucial in getting you to where you are now?
Man, it sounds really cliche, but loving what I do and being willing to do it every day at all costs.
What is your greatest accomplishment so far?
On a personal level, getting on the invite list for the KPL (Kite Park League) World Tour was a huge goal that took years to accomplish. Learning to ride features and getting to know the crew was its own reward.
But I suppose having produced thousands of videos and articles over the last decade has made a much larger impact. It’s always rewarding to meet people around the world who have learned something from one of my videos.
What gear are you using for your tutorials?
I use the Airush Lithium paired with a Team Bar, a Livewire 147, and a Livewire Team 142 most of the time. I ride mainly finless to add some flow. I love the Razor for raw freestyle, but the Lithium makes bad conditions fun and easy to film in, and it’s become one of my favorite kites.
For someone wanting to start kiteboarding for the first time, what is the number one tip you would give them?
Can I give you two tips?
The best way to learn and later progress any trick is to break it down into the smallest steps possible and practice them diligently. For a beginner, it’s kite basics. An advanced example would be something like blind landings. If you want to land blind unhooked, you should spend as much time riding hooked in blind as you do riding heelside. This repeated practice of small steps works for all levels and tricks. You can do way more than you think!
The second tip is more advice about finding your own way in kiteboarding. Kiteboarding is not a new sport anymore, but it still hasn’t fully figured out who or what it is. It’s way too multifaceted to ever fit into one box. When you’re coming into the tribe, you will be hungry to learn our culture, our lingo, and how to ride. Be willing to break out of the box and ride in a way that inspires you! Celebrate your individuality and explore everything the sport has to offer.
Follow Ryan “RyGo” Goloversic
Follow Kiteboarding Trick Tips
Find RyGo on YouTube