Sunday Travel Section May 16, 2004
By Julie Bonnin
SPECIAL TO THE AMERICAN-STATESMAN Austin Texas
Why do people from Costa Rica, New Zealand, California and Portugal vacation on South Padre Island, when they could go anywhere in the world? A big reason that has surfaced in the past few years is kiteboarding.
The extreme and trendier counterpart to windsurfing, kiteboarding first caught on with Europeans, migrated to Hawaii and finally landed on South Padre. The Texas coast’s uncluttered beaches and daily average wind speed of 18 mph make it a favorite destination for kiting, says Brenda Davoren, who teaches the sport and rents equipment there.
Though participants range from kids to 60-somethings, this demanding sport appeals mainly to hard-charging types in their 20s and 30s, Davoren says.
It involves maintaining control of a board beneath your feet as you’re propelled across the water by a large inflatable kite. Imagine waterskiing, sort of, with a kite pulling you along instead of a boat. With any luck, and a great deal of skill, kiteboarders eventually are able to perform stunts 10 to 30 feet in the air.
Padre’s lack of rocky jetties, pesky piers and buildings makes for smoother landings, which is why all those international visitors — and many from across the United States — choose Texas beaches for kiteboarding excursions.
As with skiing, responsible outfitters frequently require lessons before you’re allowed to rent equipment.
“The kites are so powerful,” Davoren says. “Stuff happens.” And the learning curve is akin to snowboarding, she says: “Steep but short.”
Her business, South Padre Island Kiteboarding, offers a six-hour initial lesson, equipment included, for $450. After that, supervised rentals cost $125 a day. Beginners can also purchase land-borne kites to get the feel of things before they get to the beach. Buying all the gear you need can run around $1,500, Davoren says.
The equipment is more compact than a windsurfer’s gear, she says.“It’s easier to get a thrill and to learn,” Davoren says.
And lots of people are learning. Among this winter’s visitors were a group of nuclear physicists from Boston and some snowbirds from Alaska. While they were taking advantage of South Padre’s year-round rentals, Texans are more apt to crowd the beaches for kiteboarding May through September.
If you go . . .South Padre Island Kiteboarding offers a variety of lessons and rentals. For $35, you get a trainer kite and video rental — there’s a basic introduction to get you started and then you have a full day to master your kite skills and watch the instructional video.
But Davoren says most people require six hours of lessons before being able to safely practice on their own. Each three-hour session is $225. There are only two students per instructor. Lessons include equipment and waverunner support. Private lessons are available for $90 per hour, minimum two hours.
Students taking a minimum $225 worth of lessons get $225 credit toward the purchase of gear.Information: (956) 245-8343 or www.southpadreislandkiteboarding.com
