Cape Cod Kite Chick wrote:Hi Rick,
When I was in Bonaire last winter I mostly hung out with the guys running the kiteboarding school at Lac Bay. The kiters there knew one of the windsurfing business owners wanted to have kiting banned so they've been very vigilant about staying in the northern corner, downwind of the windsurfers. They were very conscientious and respectful not only about staying out of the entire w/s area, but also of the locals who party on that end of the beach on w/e's and the fishermen who are there during the week. So I don't think it's an issue of kiters getting in anybody's way. They knew their access was already in jeopardy and that they had to be extremely careful so as to not give the authorities a legitimate reason to shut them down.
Ernst actually wanted to promote kiteboarding. Elvis however hates kiteboarding and has the political connections to get it banned. He may claim it's for reasons of safety (despite the fact that the kiters are downwind and don't venture into the w/s area), but it's more likely that he believes it is hurting his business.
Lac Bay and Bonaire are a beautiful place to kitesurf. It's a shame already that we can't use the shallow slick you spoke of in the SE corner where it's not deep enough to w/s. Now one person has the ability to shut down kiteboarding on an entire Caribbean island for purely selfish reasons. As you said yourself it really is the ideal spot.
I hope the kiting community will take an interest and fight this ban. We should not allow one irrational person to prohibit kiting for an entire area.
It is good to hear that local kiteboarders were trying to avoid problems and approaching things seriously. When I was there last, there was only one local rider that was there on a routine basis. That was two years ago of course. If you have the support of Ernst, who came online there before Elvis I think, and hopefully others, it might be possible to try to lobby the restoration of kiteboarding at Lac Bay. It would be very helpful to gain the participation of other influencial folks on the island if possible. I don't know if any have tried the sport and become hooked on it or not. A key lobbying point in fact is the economic aspect of kiteboarding. Look at the powerful growth of kiteboarding tourism in Cabarete, Maui and many other areas where it may well be outstripping traditional windsurfing tourism revenues by a healthy margin. These other destinations had initial conflicts between the two sports but grew to resolve them and things seem to be moving out nicely for both sports at these locations.
Setting up a line of buoys to delineate the kiteboarder riding area could help. Preparing and circulating guidelines would be another. If the authorities insist, you could even sell kiteboarder passes, with revenues going to the island, just as in the case of divers there. If someone breaks the rules they lose their pass, problem solved.
It might be good to identify the name, address and email of some key people on the island that are in a position to ban or facilitate kiteboarding. We could organize a letter campagn. Also, I know that there are quite a few Dutch participants on Kiteforum. They may have some insight on how to aid in this situation as well. I can draft a sample letter and post it here if someone can identify the parties on Bonaire that should receive it.
To put kiteboarding in Lac Bay in perspective on a good day, just imagine relatively steady winds in the mid to high 30 mph range with nearly flat calm waters. Lac Bay is almost entirely protected by a low land mass that extends along the windward face of the bay. The south end of the bay can become quite shallow but the north is on the order of 6 ft. deep. The water is warm, the climate is arid and is well south of the normal tropical system (hurricane) belt. So, you just boost huge jump after jump. It is a marvelous place to ride. Winds are often in the low to mid 20 mph range but they do ramp up at times into the 30s. The island has interesting diving right off the shoreline along most of the island's perimeter. They have a large national park that is worth touring all by itself with a surreal landscape. Bonaire has a lot to offer kiteboarders, now if we can just talk them into having us there along with our money.