Kiteboarding Magazine

luke
2010-01-21 16:20:43 | 3361 views | 0 Comments

If you had enough money to kiteboard anywhere in the world — or in space — chances are your stomping grounds would be pretty epic. Billionaire kiteboarder Sir Richard Branson owns a private island (Necker Island) in the British Virgin Islands, so you know the kiteboarding there has to be pretty insane. Teeming with world-class kiteboarding spots ranging from exclusive private beaches and one of the best waves in the Caribbean to waist-deep, crystal-clear flat water, the British Virgin Islands have ridiculously good kiteboarding for all ability levels.

BVI’s windy season kicks off in December and lasts into spring. I found myself on a press trip in the BVI in late November. Our crew consisted of about 20 journalists who came to get a look at where the inaugural BVI Kite Jam will be held in March 2010, which will gather pros and amateurs together for racing, freestyle events, clinics and big parties. The conditions were a bit marginal for kiting — it was still preseason, after all — but I had a great time on the water. While I didn’t experience the typically strong trade winds of the BVI, an opportunity to hang out and have lunch with Branson on Necker Island more than made up for it.

Located in the northeast corner of the Caribbean, the BVI are an archipelago comprised of about 60 islands, islets and cays. Renowned for their plentiful sailing, I figured the entire BVI would be ideal for kiteboarding as well. While you can’t kite everywhere, the places you can kite are incredible. The only really good kiting is in the north — Necker Island, Anegada and Virgin Gorda’s Bitter End. Necker, of course, is private, so you can’t kite there unless you’re a paying or invited guest. Aside from the luxurious experience of Necker, one of the best ways to kite the BVI is by chartering a sailboat. Or, you can always stay beachfront at the Bitter End Yacht Club.

My first attempt at kiting in the BVI led me to the northernmost, least-populated and flattest island in the BVI. With less than 200 inhabitants, Anegada is home to the world’s third-largest barrier reef and, in terms of diversity and quality of kiting, is hands down the best. While waiting for the wind to come up at Cow Wreck Beach on the north side of the 15-square-mile island, I sampled Anegada’s most famous and delicious dish: fresh lobster. The wind didn’t show, but the waves breaking on the outside — directly exposed to the Atlantic swell — spoke volumes of how amazing the kiting can be. With the wind lightly blowing out of the northeast (typical direction), a downwinder back to Cow Wreck wasn’t in the cards either. So with the glimmering promise of flat water and wind, I made a hopeful trip to the island’s south side.

Before getting there, though, I stopped around the corner at Anegada’s westernmost point, West End. The waves weren’t massive, but they were more than big enough to score a world-class down-the-line ride — if only there had been wind! Tortola offers the most notorious surf in the BVI (although, you can’t kite there), but West End looked like it could give Tortola a serious run for its money — plus it has wind and is generally empty. Judging from the plentiful coral and typical side-off wind, this place looks to be for experts only.

When I finally got to Conch Shell Piles on Anegada’s south side, my jaw dropped. Not because there was no wind, but because of the mangroves, the shallow flat water stretching out thousands of yards — much like North Carolina’s Cape Hatteras Sound — and the massive cays fabricated from tens of thousands of discarded conch shells. The crystal-clear, vibrant water just begged for me to ride on its smooth, transparent perfection, while the massive conch shell mounds stood silent, waiting for a kiter to boost over them. Had it been December, it would have been so on! Featuring a dreamlike flat-water playground, Conch Shell Piles also serves as a starting point for downwinders to Pomato Point, just downwind of the Anegada Reef Hotel.

As my daylong Anegada adventure came to an end, I left certain I’d be back to experience the full glory of this wonder-filled place. Whether you’re after world-class wave riding, scenic downwinders or epic flat water, Anegada is one of the most beautiful, diverse and surprisingly empty kiteboarding spots on the planet.

The next leg of my adventure brought me to the North Sound of Virgin Gorda — another staple on the BVI kiting map. Protruding into the idyllic Caribbean waters, the Bitter End features a calm, deep-water harbor on its western shore while the northern side harbors a great place to kite. I stayed at the Bitter End Yacht Club, and Green Beach — the sole kiting beach in the area — stood just below my cozy, picturesque hillside quarters. Scotty Allerton, who runs the kiting school, dialed me into the scene and sent me out on his 13-meter kite. With the strong eastern current flowing in the direction of the light wind, it was a struggle to stay upwind — far from the typical powered-up conditions on smaller kites. However, with stronger winds the following day, I had a much better session.

Then a day later, it was off to Necker Island to meet up with Branson, tour the island and hopefully score a session. Nursing a wounded shoulder, Branson was unable to kite, but we had a good chat and he revealed why kiteboarding is his favorite sport: It puts you in touch with nature; it gives your mind a rest from the hustle and bustle of life; you can do it at his age; it’s a social sport, providing a sense of community; he likes to keep himself fit; and it’s pleasurable. All of these reasons may explain why Branson and Google founder Larry Page did a downwinder from Anegada to Necker a short while ago. It turns out that session is what inspired the idea of an annual BVI Kite Jam, which aims to bring amateur kiters, Branson and numerous pro kiters together on Anegada, Necker Island and elsewhere this March.

The kiting potential, the island lifestyle and the heavenly beauty of the BVI surpassed my wildest dreams.

Session Stats:

Conditions: 15 to 18 knots
Kite: 13-meter Slingshot Rev and 11-meter Slingshot Fuel
Board: 138 cm Slingshot, Darkside, 5’4” Slingshot Moonshine
Distance From Home: 1,400 miles

Getting There:

From Beef Island, either rent a boat (captained or not) for your boat-based adventure, take a ferry to Virgin Gorda or Anegada or the Necker Island crew can take you to exclusive paradise.

Where to Stay:

— Necker Island: Necker Island, neckerisland.com
— Virgin Gorda: Bitter End Yacht Club, beyc.com
— Anegada/Bitter End by boat: Sunsail, sunsail.com

Lessons:

For lessons or to get dialed into the launching/landing setup at Bitter End’s Green Beach, contact Scotty Allerton at Carib Kiteboarding. Or, the friendly crew on Necker Island can turn you into a kiter as well.

Things to Do:

— Sip a “painkiller” at Anegada’s Cow Wreck Beach Resort.
— Eat fresh lobster at the Anegada Reef Hotel.
— Swim at Devil’s Beach at the Baths National Park on Virgin Gorda.
— Eat at Rosewood Little Dix Bay’s five-star restaurant on Virgin Gorda.
— Go snorkeling or scuba diving.
— Try the conch shell fritters at the Fat Virgin’s Cafe on Bitter End.

Photos: Erin Calmes