Frances Fopma

I had a really great time during Frances' lessons. She is patient and gives excellent tips when it comes to technique! We also laughed a lot during the crashes on the water—because yes, that’s part of the experience too! She made me feel safe and encouraged me to try a lot of things on my own, which I really appreciated. I'm looking forward to seeing her again and going for another ride together!

Mijn kitesurfles met Frances was top! Ze communiceert helder, houdt altijd een oogje op de veiligheid en blijft supergeduldig, zelfs als je weer eens je kite parkeert in het water. Haar positieve vibe geeft je precies dat zetje dat je nodig hebt als je even vastloopt of vastvliegt. Ze geeft duidelijke tips, maar laat je ook lekker je eigen fouten maken… en af en toe een slokje zeewater nemen. Echt een fijne instructeur die de balans weet tussen corrigeren en gewoon lekker zelf ontdekken!

I took lessons with a super fun and enthusiastic kite instructor who gave me a lot of confidence. With tons of patience and the right tips at the right time, she taught me how to ride upwind, and now I can kite completely independently everywhere. Truly an amazing instructor! Definitely go with Ripstar – it’s such a great experience and something I’d recommend to everyone!

I learned the basics of kitesurfing in Sicily. Frances was patient and gave direct tips on how to improve each step, then let you try it again. Since we had lessons over several days, we always started with a recap of the previous lesson. This was really helpful, as each day can be different due to the wind or using a different kite. You follow your own path to make progress. Thanks to the patience, clear explanations, and useful tips, I felt more and more confident to take the next step. I can definitely recommend Frances as a kite instructor.

We did a beginner course with Ripstar at Lo Stagone lagoon in Sicily which was amazing. The instructors, Frances Fopma and Rick Becker, were very competent and gave precise feedback which allowed us to learn a lot in a short amount of time. The lessons were very well adapted to our skill level and the wind conditions and adjusted when necessary. Overall a very positive first experience with kite surfing and we look forward to take more lessons sooner than later!