Sharp cactus, crotchity old French-Candian windsurfers, dust, and the cool Sea of Cortez are all the back drop of the La Ventana Kite-Expo this week. I have fond memories of that dust bowl. This is where it all began for me in the winter of 2002-2003. We actually started earlier, but that is another story. We drove down from San Diego, and planted ourselves in a sandy camp ground for 1 dollar a day. Things were different then, for one thing, the windsurfers absolutely hated the kiters. As I look at some of the pictures off the web, I see how the place has been developed, and I can see the resorts are soon on there way.
My Old Cabrinha Blacktip
On Cristmas Eve, 2002, I got my best ride every, all the way across the bay. Then, right in the middle of my ride, one of my lines snapped. Of course, I didn't know how to self-rescue, so I paddled my board in to shore, from 1 mile out in the dark. I got back to campsite right in time for Top-Ramen, tequila, and Menudo. This goes with my first rule of kiting: Don't go out farther than you want to swim back. This rings true, especially for Maui.
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