No matter what kind of day you're having, out on the San Francisco Bay, just off Treasure Island, Captain John von Tesmar has a guaranteed way to lift you up.

For nearly two decades, von Tesmar, the owner of Kite the Bay, has been teaching people how to harness the wind.

"There's no rules, there's no road signs, there's no traffic laws," he said.

Picture a snowboard, but on water. Now add a kite the size of a small car, and you've got kiteboarding, a sport catching wind all over the world.

But don't let the casual-sounding name fool you. This sport blows people away.

Just ask Jose Urrea, a Colombian tech salesman who, between meetings, trades his business suit for a wetsuit.

"I feel this freedom and this peace. Once you try it out, you wanna keep doing it," he said.

Kiteboarding has been riding a wave of popularity in the Bay Area, thanks to year-round wind and near-perfect conditions.

The biggest boost came in 2024, when kiteboarding made its Olympic debut in Paris, with six-time world champion and Berkeley native Daniela Moroz becoming the first American to qualify.

For those willing to go the extra nautical mile, there's foiling, a hydrofoil that makes the board rise and the rider fly.

All that momentum means business is booming for Captain John. What used to be a few lessons a week is now nearly every day. And at $500 for a three-hour session, that's a lot of wind in his sales.

As for Urrea, kiteboarding is more than just the ride.

"Today there's so much anxiety these days, the news, the war — it's crazy. And it's a nice opportunity to be present, anchored in this moment," he said.