Learning to Kitesurf

Everyone would be thinking what is happening now!

I know it's maybe bit weard to hear I'm going to learn kiteboarding. On the other hand why?
I like to do sports. Its not only my hobby but even my job, I always into learn new things and kiteboarding was always on my list but somehow it never realy happend.

One day someone called me to borrow a boardbag from me. I was a bit suprised as it was not for a surfboard but for a kiteboard. Later on I understood why? It wasn't for a twintip, freestyle board but for a kite raceboard. They are almost the size of a surfboard.
Anyway that is how I got in contact with Lars, who own's the (new) kiteboard school in Bonaire and is realy into the kite racing.
So we started to talk and not much later I was at Lars his kiteschool, down the kite beach- Atlantis.

I didn't plan to come for a leson but Lars put a training kite in my hands and was already telling me how to stear the kite to 12 o' clock back to 11 0'clock, back again and to the otherside.

This wasn't difficuilt at all was pretty easy. I was playing for not more then 30 minutes and I got told to get ready for the water. I had nothing with me (bikini or dry clothes), but Lars asked me what I needed. I said nothing with a big smile :-P . I realy was going to have a try on the water too, GREAT!
It was about 14-15 knots so I went on the water with a 12m2.
After a little body drag down wind we practise to both sides and later on also upwind.
Upwind was a little bit more difficuilt as you had to stear the kite with one hand, but I was able to do with out dropping the kite.
The other thing I learned was how to get the kite out of the water after it dropped.
Then the most exciting thing was with the board. I don't know how I did but straight away the first try I went on the board and kept on going. After 100 meters, I started to get more and more speed and snashed on the water face foward. I was so excited I was kiting already after 1 hour....
Then we tried more and more I still was able to go but not as long as the first try.
Many things are realy simmelair to windsurfing, the only problem I had was that I was pulling a bit to much my front hand so got a lot of speed and was out of controle.
After an hour we stopped. It was a great un expected day.

One week later: it wasn't looking promising outside but Lars called me that we where going to have my second leson today. The big dark rainclothes would soon go away and the thunder was already gone.
I drove a little bit nervous to the beach, as the last time I remeber I had some hard crashes on the water as I got so muchs speed each time I stand on the board.
It was more wind then the other time, I think about 19-20 knots so I had today also a smalles kite 10m2.
After a few little excersizes to see if I remember the things from last time. Yes I did.
I was realy suprised as I had the kite much more under controle and made some very nice runs to the right side and was also able to stand to the left side too and already started at the end to try to kite a bit upwind on the board...it feels so nice. After 1,5 hour I went back to the beach, with a very good feeling about my progression. It seems so muchs easier to learn then windsurfing.
My goal now is to learn as quick as possible to controle the kite with the board and to be able to go myself, so I can practise more and more...

http://www.bonairekiteschool.com/

The Olympic dream came to an end.......

It has been quite the last months on this block, not without a reason. 

After the last qualification competion in Caidz- Spain. I knew I didn't do where I came for and that was to qualify, my country and so myself for the Olympics. 
A little hope was left to get a wildcard as there where two places. But then the said news arrived. First that it was going to be very hard to get one as the Netherlands Antilles didn't exist anymore, so also no future for the country in the next Olympics, but that we knew already. Then second and even worse was that somewhere half of May there was very bad news for the windsurf sport and special the RSX class and as well the Big techno class (wich is the youth class before going to the RSX) as they anounched there has been a vote against windsurfing and to put kitesurfing into the Olympics in 2016. 

My first reaction was " How is that possible". Everyone worked so hard for many many years and they can stop an catogory like that without a reason? 

Already quick after the news came out, there was some confusing about the way the voting went, etc. Spain and Venuezula even apologized about what they did. They choosen kitesurfing while that having a big program for windsurfing.
Sinds then I followed as much as possible, trying to understand what happend, why and what next. 
Basicly most important what is next. As starting a youth project for RSX in the Caribean was now kind of out of the picture. 
So all I could do is waite till November when it will be official...

Don't get me wrong I do have nothing against kitesurfing, but we lost a lot of talent by taking windsurfing out.

A few months later after the vote was made for kitesurfing into the Olympics at Rio 2016 and windsurfing out .....

I forgot almost to tell that even that I didn't make it into the Olympics of London 2012 I can look back to a great part of my life. I traveled a lot around the world special the last two years. I was in Puerte Rico, Cozumel and Puerte Vallerta Mexico , Miami and Banana river USA, Medenblik- Holland,  Weymouth- England, Perth- Australia and Cadiz- Spain. In all different kind of competions like: Central America games, North American cup, World Championship, Olympic class regatta, etc. But for me maybe the most impressive and important was the Pre Olympics in Weymouth and the PANAM games in Mexico.

So overall it was a lot of investment, financiel, mental, fysical but was 100% worth and I always can say to myself I tried and did all I could do myself.

I also want to take the moment to say a BIG THANKS, to all the people who kept believing in me and helped me as much as they could.