The Kite Kingdom
From afar, kitesurfers are graceful, windswept performers on colorful half-moon crescents. But, up-close, their speed, strength and skill will amaze you. Watch them as they perform jumps, flips and front loops. They twist and dip, skim the water, and sail high above the sea. Last May, this extreme sport became just a bit more extreme with the first Big Crossing Kite Surfing Race ever held in Aruba. Teams of kite surfers departed from Venezuela to cross twelve miles of challenging sea to Aruba. Organizers Armando Wester of Kite Surfing Aruba and Arusurf, the Aruba Surfing Association, made it happen. Armando himself took first place.
This lean, bronzed, self-taught kitesurfer is owner/instructor of the first kitesurfing center on Aruba and has taught over 4000 people since 1999. “The rush is incredible. You can reach speeds of 25 – 30 mph and heights of 30 – 40 feet. Some aspects of kitesurfing are like wakeboarding, hang-gliding and windsurfing. The key is kite control. You don’t need to be very strong because the harness is wrapped around your waist.”
“The winds in Aruba are relatively predictable…calm in the morning and building up later in the afternoon”, Armando explains. At the Fisherman’s Huts, just north of the Marriott Resort, conditions are perfect for beginners because the wind blows offshore and the water is flat and shallow. We always have a chase boat on-hand just in case.” The exciting sport of kitesurfing is part of the annual Aruba Hi-Winds windsurfing competition that began in 1986 and takes place at the end of June, attracting both veterans and novices from all over the world.
