About XLKites

The board cutting through crystal-clear waters. The breeze lifting the kite, pulling the board faster and faster through the surf. White sand beaches becoming a blur. These are perhaps some of the sensations that prompted Michael Percy to sell his windsurfing gear in 1999, and throw himself into kiteboarding as the founder of Houston Kiteboarding . Today, he and his experienced staff lead hands-on lessons and product demonstrations in kiteboarding, kitesurfing, stand-up paddleboarding, and landboarding in the Gulf of Mexico.

As they introduce safety and basic on-water skills, instructors ride side-by-side with students—assisting them when they step onto the board, feel the breeze lift their trainer kites, and give a seagull family the right of way for the first time. Instructors take more experienced riders tanker surfing in Galveston Bay, and on stand-up paddleboard tours through the calm waters and bird sanctuaries of Dollar Bay and Texas City's Levee area. For those who want to strike out on their own, staff also rent and sell stand-up paddleboards and kiteboards by makers such as Cabrinha, Litewave, and Shinn. To accompany these, they provide wares ranging from GoPro HD digital cameras to riding accessories to kites.