Island Hopping: Kiteboarding From Spain to Turks & Caicos

Words by Tasha Brown—

Forget a plane: six daring kitesurfers have found a new way to “fly” to the Caribbean.

Sometime between November 20th and 25th, six daring kitesurfers will embark from Fuerteventura, in the Canary Islands, and make their way across the Atlantic Ocean to Turks and Caicos. The mission is to kitesurf (or kiteboard) across the ocean in a 24-hour non-stop relay, changing riders every two hours. (Each rider will have four hours on the water each day.)

Being optimistic of weather conditions, the team—Filippo van Hellenberg Hubar of the Netherlands, Familla Ringvold of Norway, Max Blom of the Netherlands, Bruno Sroka of France, Francisco Lufinha of Portugal, and Eric Pequeno of the US—expects to arrive on the pure sand of Turks and Caicos between December 7 -15. This challenge has never been done before.

The Atlantic Kite Challenge is the brainchild of van Hellenberg Hubar, founder of the Enable Passion Foundation, a non-profit created to encourage others to follow their dreams doing what they love. He hopes to inspire others to put their dreams into actions through this unique test of endurance.

The completion of the challenge will be celebrated on the island of Provedenciales, and hosted by Blue Haven Resort and Marina, the island chain’s newest adventure destination. The resort is just minutes away from the world’s third largest barrier reef, making it a very desirable location to thrill-seeking enthusiasts.

Turks and Caicos has been called a perfect destination for tourists and adventurers for several reasons. It’s hard to ignore the hospitable people, blue skies, shallow warm water, gorgeous beaches, and beautiful coral reefs. Its location also makes it ideal for kayaking, deep-sea fishing, parasailing, and other outdoor water activities. Kiteboarding, especially, has gained a lot of traction there due to its geographic advantage. The island chain is home to many kiteboarding schools and has also hosted the annual Windvibes Kiteboarding Tournament for the past seven years. So it’s no surprise why this location would be the arrival destination of Filippo and his crew.

This Kite Challenge will definitely be a cool adventure, sure to bring more attention to both the sport of kiteboarding and the gem-like tropical waters of Turks and Caicos.