Since Kitesurfing made its appearance on our beaches in 1999, these colourful kites have become an integral part of our North Sea coastline.
The ever-growing group of kitesurfers now easily find their way to the various clubs and established kitesurfing zones, while many clubs also offer lessons.
The latter are indispensable for mastering the sport in a safe way and also ensure a fast learning curve.
Anemos and Surfers Paradise have both had a kitsurfing school for years and together with Westtoer they came up with an initiative to make the sport even more attractive on our coast.
"Downwinder"
Kite surfing becomes real fun when you can enjoy a downwind. This means that you travel a certain distance with the wind without having to make sure that you always end up in the same place as where you started. Practitioners can do jumps, ride waves or just let themselves drift with the swell and waves, while enjoying the view as they obviously see a piece of coastline pass by.
Everywhere in the world, kitesurfing centres offer downwinders; in Brazil, you can enjoy one-day or multi-day trips, up to hundreds of kilometres long, during which you stay at a different hotel along the beach each night and continue the trip the next day.
Partly due to the location of Anemos to the west and Surfers Paradise to the east, both clubs offer the best option for organising such downwinders along the coast of Knokke-Heist.
With a westerly wind you sail from Anemos to Surfers Paradise, with an easterly wind in the opposite direction and you cover a distance of 5 km as the crow flies in a time of 15 minutes to about an hour, depending on your route, wind strength and direction.
Lesson package
Anyone who takes lessons or books a package of lessons with one of the two clubs from now on can take the downwind leg as an extra challenge at the end of the season. Recreational kite surfers are also welcome because this trip obviously involves the necessary safety measures. The kite surfers will therefore set off from one of the two locations and will make the trip at their own pace, accompanied by rescue boats. Upon arrival, drinks will be served and transport back to the place of departure will be arranged. Participation is €25.
Waiting period
As there is simply not enough wind on our coast every day, there are several days on which you can sign up. This is from Monday 29 August to Friday 2 September and the weekends 17/18 and 24/25 September.
All registered kite surfers will receive the green light 2 days in advance on which day they can successfully complete the downwinder.
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