It took countless volunteer hours, staunch community support, painstaking excavation to preserve the surrounding environment and tons of gravel to make it work, but the Squamish Windsport Park is officially open and ready for use.
"The improvements were made to make it safer for use - a turnaround was put in for security reasons and to ensure emergency services can get in," said Windsport Society president, Gary Smith, who officially opened the park on a sunny and appropriately windy Saturday (May 12).
"We also improved the launch area, as prior to this it was quite unsafe because the kite lines would get caught on the rocks and there wasn't a lot of room."
The project kicked off under the guidance of previous president Jamie Martin, who designed the plans and donated his time to the tedious process of revamping them for different levels of government.
Local company Cascade Environmental Consultants put in countless hours and only billed for half to ensure the project was done in accordance with environmental regulations and to protect surrounding ecosystems in the estuary.
Ole Mau of Coastal Mountains Excavations provided necessary equipment at cost and donated design and contracting time, which often meant working through the night because of the tides.
Mau is the first kiteboarder to ever ride the spit almost a decade ago when he and his kiteboard were banned from the area by the Windsport Society, which at the time was composed entirely of windsurfers.
Now the area's users are 70 per cent kiteboarders vs. 30 per cent windsurfers.
Smith credits the District of Squamish for the completion of the project, - saying former district rep Bruce Goldsworthing gave the project merit, as well as parks and recreation director Bob Kusch, environmental consultant Francesca Knight, and Mayor Ian Sutherland and council who all helped pull the pieces together.
"Squamish is evolving into a tourism-based town, and [the district] recognized that this project would be part of that," said Smith. "The Canadian Windsurfing Championships are being held here in July, and it will attract future events."
