It’s official: Kiteboarding season in Squamish has begun.
On Sunday, kiteboarders from the corridor and Lower Mainland headed to the Squamish Spit for the opening of the facility. The Squamish Windsports Society (SWS) provides staff and holds liability insurance for the Spit to protect the Crown and District of Squamish against damage, loss or injury; without this indemnification, access to the Spit would be banned. Overseeing of the world-class kiteboarding location starts on May 15 and runs to Sept. 15, a timeframe set up to avoid disturbing nesting birds in the Squamish Estuary.
Last season, 6,747 users kiteboarded at the Spit over the four-month season.
Denham Trollip, manager of the watersports site for the SWS, says officials are anticipating this year’s numbers to slightly increase, along with the society’s membership, which currently sits at 730 cardholders.
This summer, the non-profit society has updated its check-in system, Trollip said. Members will be provided a key tag, much like a grocery store key tag, that they can scan in on arrival at the Spit. The rigging zone for windsurfers has been expanded and improved inflation equipment added to allow people to get their gear set up quickly, Trollip said.
“We are privileged to hold this location as one of the best wind sport sites in North America,” he said. “We do not foresee any major issues for the site, at least none that cannot be managed within our society, like parking and increased usage.”
This season is shaping up to be an exciting one, said SWS’s education director, Roberto Bruzzese. The society is considering hosting clinics to help intermediate and advanced kiteboarders build on their skills.
Bruzzese has been in talks with professional touring kiteboarder Sam Medysky, who is in the area for the summer.
“Obviously we want to explore the possibility of doing something more for our membership,” he said, noting six clinics led by Medysky are being roughed out for the season. The workshops, which aim to include two solely for women riders, would focus on everything from popping to un-hooked tricks, Bruzzese said.
A Spit orientation will take place on June 25. Last season, 25 people turned up for the clinic, which covers information such as reading the local weather to predict hazards and the layout and function of the Spit.
“I had some friends that had been kiting for a while come out to that and they found it useful,” Bruzzese said, noting the clinic is also for people entering the sport and those who are exploring the idea.
The Sea to Sky Corridor has long been known for skiing, rock climbing and mountain biking and now kiteboarding and windsurfing can be added to that list, said Chris Rollett, the society’s government liaison. Kiteboarding helped define and shape Hood River in Oregon, and the same can happen in Squamish.
“As interest grows every year with kiteboarding, there will be opportunity for more services for the sport, such as kiteboarding and windsurfing shops,” Rollett said.
The Oceanfront development and proposed windsport park could further advance the sport locally. The added space would open up the door to more opportunities for growth, Rollett said.
One ingredient that keeps residents returning to the Spit is the quality of service that the SWS provides, Rollett said. “Safety is one of the main benefits to kiteboarding from the Spit. There are not many kiteboarding locations around the world that provide jetski rescue service.”
