Kite Ride Bonaire

International wakestyle kiteboarders host KITE RIDE BONAIRE with local community!

Logo_Kite_Ride

On June 17 – 22, Bonaire will host the first Caribbean international kiteboard event where the world’s best pro kiteboarders will work with the local community to set up a ground breaking event in the Caribbean (Antilles). The event will host a “ride with the pro’s” for local people and tourists, a 2 day wakestyle contest and will end with a charity Downwinder. Every evening on different spots there will be parties and barbeques organized.

Partners
The Kite Ride Bonaire is organized, among others, together with major sponsors; Heineken (JC Hererra NV) ArkeFly (Airline) Tourism Office of Bonaire. Kite Ride Bonaire, together with their partners invited Ruben Lenten and the world’s top 10 international wakestyle riders to perform their tricks.

Extreme stunts and world record
Bonaire is the perfect location for wakestyle because of the temperature, flat water and steady trade winds. Because Bonaire has offshore winds, it will be attractive to watch. Ruben Lenten and friends will show extreme stunts on floating rails and ramps and they will also go for a World Record by riding the longest rail!

Ride with the Pro’s (clinics)
The Kite Ride gives everybody the opportunity to kiteboard together with world leading professionals. This will give all kiteboarders the chance to meet and learn from their role models.

Wild cards
All over the world we give people the opportunity to gain a wild card to compete with the pro’s during the event. Everybody can sign in by showing his/her tricks on a video and post it on the website of Kite Ride Bonaire. In cooperation with Ruben Lenten, will be decided who will get a wildcard. We will make sure that from every continent there is one wild card competitor. The selection of the wild cards will take place in April. You can get more information at http://www.kiteridebonaire.com or by sending an email to info@kiteridebonaire.com

Motivational speeches
The day before the event, Ruben Lenten will give motivational speeches to the youth about motivation and willpower. Ruben Lenten, a young guy himself, can explain the youth how to set goals and what you can do to reach those goals.
Ruben Lenten
Ruben Lenten is called the Master of Extreme. He is the one pushing kiteboarding to the limit; it’s all about getter higher, faster and more extreme. His goal: push the limits of this sport together with the best riders in the world and develop new styles and tricks.

Meet and learn from the man himself!

Background & Founding
Bonaire stole the heart of entrepreneur Patrick van Seumeren, not only because of the climate but also the atmosphere on Bonaire (relaxed, accessible, sportive and adventurous). He raised the idea to host a big international kiteboard event to let the whole world know about the island Bonaire in the Caribbean Sea. He started the foundation Kite Ride Bonaire and attracted the help of Marjolijn van Kooten, Ruben Lenten and Bram van Vugt to organize a kiteboarding event in which the local community can contribute.Local & Social involvement
The foundation reaches out to local youngsters in every possible way to involve them in the organization of such a professional event, working together and to show them the importance of sports, motivation and willpower. It will also give them the opportunity to get attracted to the kiteboard sport and their hero’s. All children involved and their families will be invited to the event site to see some of the world’s leading kiteboarders battle on their own build features.

Public High School (Scholengemeenschap Bonaire SGB)
The Education Department construction & technique is involved by letting school children build the obstacles of the event. This way the local students will learn about the process of designing, drawing, the actual building and welding of such a feature.

The Art Class is involved by letting school children decorate the obstacles with paintings and logo’s. The “Waterlands” wall is our example what school children can do to make our island more attractive.

The Education Department Dive is involved together with Stinapa (Nature conservation) to attach the obstacles on a professional, nature safe way.

Everything is organized under supervision of their teachers, the Bonairian Kiteboarders and with the support of Ruben Lenten.

The Sports Education Department & Talent show
Besides making the youth part of the organization of the event, the Kite Ride Foundation also gives them the opportunity to be part of the event itself by being a contester. Together with Kiteboarding Bonaire, the foundation gives children the first introduction to the sport by giving the sports classes a kiteboard presentation and introduction. After the introduction children can sign in for a talent show where they will be taught all aspects of the sport and will learn to kiteboard themselves!

Bonaire
Over de last several decades, Bonaire was consistently ranked as the finest snorkeling and scuba diving destination of the Caribbean. A major reason for this is the preservation of the marine resources. All of the waters off Bonaire’s coastline are legally protected since 1979. But there is plenty more to do…the year-round steady tradewinds that blow over the island create ideal conditions for world-class windsurfing and kiteboarding.

The kiteboard beach “Atlantis” on the leeward side of the island at the flat remote salt mining area are two kiteboard schools located (1 also IKO certified) which offer kiteboard lessons and rentals. There are direct flights from Amsterdam, Miami, Houston, Newark and other international flights via Aruba or Curacao. ArkeFly created special packages to attend this event for more information check http://www.arkefly.nl or http://www.kiteridebonaire.com.

Tue 26th Feb, 2013 @ 3:30 pm