TRY THIS 1 0 1/2 1 2 gnoux, who developed board designs Douglas clocked 57.4 miles per hour. to enable skimming atop the water in His record held for 12 days before the 1970s. In 1984, the brothers pat- Frenchman Sebastien Cattelan hit 57.5 Top 10 Go Fly ented an inflatable kite design. Then in miles per hour on his kite in early Oc- 1994, American Bill Roeseler, a Boeing tober and kiteboarder Alex Caizergue, Hotspots aerospace engineer, and his son Corey also from France, topped 58.2 miles a Kite patented the KiteSki system. By the late per hour the day after that. Caizergue’s Experts at Cabrihna Thanks to advances in ninetiess, equipment had standardized, record still stands. Kiteboarding tipped us equipment, kiteboarding is and the sport really took off when big- off to these 10 breezy no longer only for daredevils. wave surfer Laird Hamilton got into the As for my lessons, on Day 3 Thjis intro- bastions of the sport: action in 1996. The first competition was duced me to the board and demonstrat- Combining the best of held on Maui in 1998, and over the past 10 ed powering the kite by pulling the bar snowboarding, surfing, and years, innovations in kite design, safety- in, giving it a twist, turning it back to Maui, Hawaii paragliding, kiteboarding just release systems, and instruction have neutral while curling his body forward, The mecca of kiteboarding, Kite Beach is may be the most fun you’ve made the sport accessible to beginners. standing up, and pulling the board the destination for die-hard boarders. ever had in the water. across the water. Simple, right? Right. There was no mistaking the fact I was Dominican Republic Cabarete is known for beautiful beaches a beginner. If my pasty-white skin and In ready position—butt in the water, By Jayme Otto and consistent conditions. DayGlo sunscreen didn’t give me away, knees bent, board parallel to the shore— my kite—the kiteboarding equivalent of Thjis commanded me to go. “Alright, Key West, Florida a training bra—certainly did. “Keep your pull in,” he yelled several times. But I Flat, warm water off this southernmost kite out of the power zone,” Thjis said, hesitated. I wanted to move with grace. U.S. city is best post hurricane season grabbing the back of my safety vest as To stand, in control of my body and kite. from late October to June. my heels lifted toward Cuba. Finally, I pulled the bar in to power up. And I stood. And zipped across the wa- The Gorge, Oregon y first morning in Aruba, After two hours on land, we headed for ter. The roar of the waves sounded like Mount Hood and the Columbia River I woke before the alarm. the water. The kites were bigger, about a crowded football stadium. combine as the epicenter for wind-, water-, and snow-based recreation. Kiteboarding lessons started 15 feet wide, but the premise was the Mat 8 a.m. and I couldn’t wait to get into same. We donned helmets, strapped Snowboarders and wakeboarders take San Francisco, the ocean. Bikini, sunblock, rash guard, on safety vests, and took hold of the to kiteboarding easily, due in part to California board shorts. Check, check, check, 2-foot bar controlling the whole thing. their comfort on a board. The kiteboard Home to an active boarding scene and check! I wondered if I’d manage to keep The trick: Grasp the bar with hands is a bidirectional board, but there are the annual U.S. Kiteboarding National my sunglasses while careening on a shoulder-width apart and arms relaxed. many variations for different styles and Championship every summer. kite-propelled board across the water. I “Don’t pull,” Thjis kept saying. “You’ll conditions: wave-riding versus big-air honestly wasn’t sure what I was getting power up the kite!” tricks, for example. There are also dif- Cape Hatteras, myself into. ferent kites: for all-around riding, for North Carolina For the next two hours I stood waist- getting maximum hang time, and for Popular for the long down-winders that blow through from March to November “First we learn to control the kites on the high in the Caribbean, keeping my kite doing unhooked (meaning unhooked land,” said Thjis, my 23-year-old Dutch in the neutral position, not in the power from your harness) tricks. Bahamas instructor, as he led me and three other zone—for the most part. I occasionally Picturesque lagoons, Atlantic winds, and neophytes to an open field. The kites goofed, getting yanked out of the water I wanted to see what hang time was stunning white-sand beaches—need we lifted easily off the ground when he and experiencing the power of the wind all about. After our lesson, Thjis in- say more? launched them—but crashed even more firsthand when I face-planted back into vited us to a local beach to watch “real” readily when I took a turn. Lesson No. 1: the surf. kiteboarders. I watched them speed La Ventana, Mexico how to not crash your kite. across the ocean, leap off choppy waves, Less than 100 miles south of the border, On September 18, 2008, during the launch into the air, and combine grace, it’s a wind-blown destination weekend for Kiteboarding—wind-propelled surfing G Luderitz Speed Challenge in Namibia, power, and speed into a form of aerial serious SoCal borders. AN over water—is the brainchild of French L kiteboarding became the fastest way to acrobatics I’d never seen. I was com- Philippines AUL brothers Bruno and Dominique Legai- P sail on water when American Robert pletely hooked. I wanted to fly again. Try beautiful Boracay December through March for a mix of both flat water and waves. Getting There Antigua The Dare2Fly Kiteboarding School is located on the Marriott’s beach, just steps Perfect for any level of riding and a You can’t beat the warm water of the Caribbean for your first lesson. Palm Beach, located just seven miles from the Aruba air- away from the kite launch. The school is the only one in Aruba certified by the destination-worthy tropical setting port, has an unobstructed ocean breeze on the west end, making for a perfect kiting zone. Stay oceanside at the Aruba Marriott International Kiteboarding Organization. The beginner’s package includes three Resort where the Mandara Spa complements your classes. www.arubamarriott.com hours of lessons for $375. www.dare2flyaruba.com P44 WAM OAUGUST’2009” womensadventuremagazine.com WAM OAUGUST’2009” P45 .