Kiteboarding Magazine

luke
2010-03-05 19:35:51 | 1619 views | 11 Comments

Day four of the inaugural BVI Kite Jam is coming to an end, with one more day left. So far it’s been an amazing time, where we’ve had everything from the world’s most scenic four-mile downwinder, sailboat racing and wakeboarding, to world-class surfing, loads of great parties, and hanging out on Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island and Mosquito Island. Also, as the staff of Kiteboarding magazine, we went along with all the pros for an evening of mingling aboard a stunning 150-foot mega yacht named Resolute.

Including the pros, the kite jammers number about 40 or 50, with some staying on Necker Island and most staying aboard one of the 10 catamarans that we’ve been traveling on throughout Anegada, Virgin Gorda’s Bitter End, and Necker and Mosquito islands. One group of kiters even rented Branson’s 100-foot mega catamaran, Necker Belle. Andre “Dre” Philipp, Jason Slezak, Susi Mai, Tom Court, Kristin Boese, Tuva Jansen, and a lot of other pros are in attendance. Aside from numerous sessions on the water, the pro riders have been putting on clinics for the amateur kite jammers that came to the BVI Kite Jam from all over the world.

Richard Branson has spent a lot of time with all of us Kite Jam participants, both on and of the water. He’s a pretty humorous and great guy. Also in attendance is Denni Parkinson, the infamous model who rode naked on Branson’s back while he kited at Necker last year. Her boyfriend who took the photo, Stephane Gautronneau, is here as well. Billabong just signed on yesterday as the title sponsor for the 2011 BVI Kite Jam, so although this year’s Kite Jam was absolutely out of this world, next year’s event is destined to be even greater. Further online content to come and be sure to check out the full-length feature in Kiteboarding magazine’s June/July 2010 issue, due out in early June.

The Kiteboarding magazine staff