Outdoors Kiteboarding

China has recently experienced the major excesses of life due to their blossoming economy. They are a good example of how communism can work in a capitalist world... after all just a few years ago, you would never see a Ferrari weaving in and out of busy streets. And snowboarding, what the heck is that? But now, they are experiencing levels of spoils like never before. Indulging in money, cars, and smog, they're headed in a new direction.

As you probably already know, Quiksilver is one of the leading brands in board sports, fashion and all out bro attire. So how fitting is it that Quiksilver has announced that they will be a major sponsor of the Nanshan Snowboard Park in Beijing, China. Quiksilver is teaming up with the country's top park construction firm Mellow Constructions China and the result will be the Quiksilver Nanshan Mellow Park, scheduled to open December 2008.

Of course in the Quiksilver press release there is no acknowledgment that this used to be the Nokia Nanshan Mellow Park with a very similar set up.

Kiteboarding is on its way to having an "official" world championship title. The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) had petitioned the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) to receive recognition as an official class association and when it was approved, it became the only organization that could provide a world champion that would be officially sanctioned by the ISAF.

In the past, there have been two competing privately-run world tours, the PKRA World Tour (organized and run by the Professional Kiteboard Riders Association) and the Kiteboard Pro World Tour (KPWT). Different riders compete on both, and each crowns their own world champion. The UK's Aaron Hadlow is the current title-holder for the PKRA Tour (he's the five-time winner) and Jesse Richman from Hawaii took the title for the KPWT.

Of course, this designation from the ISAF is only helpful if the PKRA, KPWT and other stand-alone events can come together and agree on terms and to give up the honor their tour bring. And there's no guarantee that will happen.

Read more about the announcement here.

Back from our trip to Baja, I have a new appreciation for board surfing, kite boarding, the stand-up paddle craze, motocross, and of course, sanitary conditions in general.

Eleven friends and I ventured on a 10-day, 1,200-mile surf, kite-board, motocross and kayaking/camping safari down the Baja California coast. In general, we had good weather, though the wind kicked up a bit, which just made the swell better.

I wrote a while ago about how lucky I feel to be a paddler, because I get the opportunity (or have the excuse) to go on these trips. My experiences over this time only affirmed that for me -- blessed be the clan of the paddle.

Here are some photos, taken by aspiring photog -- and long boarder -- Justin Orban. Hopefully, they'll offer inspiration for your next paddlefest to be.

First, it's important to come prepared. Above is Big Red, packed to the gills.

If you look closely, you'll notice a motocross bike tire sticking off the back of the truck. More on that later.

Everyone has heard about sharks attacking surfers, but whales? Aussie kitesurfer David Sheridan was minding his own business when he was struck on the back of the head by a whale tail.

Sheridan wasn't aware of the whale underneath the surface, but his sail-mounted camera caught a glimpse of the huge creature as he surfed over it. With frames taken every 10 second, it caught the scene just before the slap.

"It was more of a push than a punch. I expected more," the kitesurfer said.

Anne Quéméré of France has taken off from San Francisco on journey across the Pacific Ocean using only a small 5-meter long craft that is pulled by kites. The three-month journey began Tuesday and will cover about 4,350 miles and will take her from the Northern to the Southern hemisphere and across the Equator's Intertropical Convergence Zone before ending up in French Polynesia.

The 42-year-old Quéméré is no stranger to incredible record-setting journeys. In 2002, Quéméré crossed the South Atlantic in 56 days, followed by a rowing trip across the North Atlantic that took 87 days. Then in 2006, she used the same craft to "kite surf" across the Atlantic.

The start of the journey across the Pacific was delayed almost two weeks because of weather. Dubbed "Wing over the Pacific," the expedition has the simple goals of collecting scientific data, helping bring awareness for the need of renewable energy and to allow the public to follow along online during the adventure.

For more about the expedition, check out the Blue Climate and Oceans Project Web site.

When I first started kayaking at the ripe age of 21, I proudly brought home documentation of my waterfall hucking exploits to show to my parents, so they could understand first-hand what it was I had suddenly become so fanatical about.

Understand they did. And they didn't like it one bit. To them, the video that provided evidence of my running Marginal Monster on Overflow Creek (yes, it looks like it sounds) was just further proof that what I had gotten myself involved in was insanely dangerous.

It didn't take long for me to get the message that they'd rather not see those videos, or hear about my exploits, simply for the fact that it worried them silly. Now, I do let them know when I'm going kayaking on longer trips. But so my mom doesn't worry about me too much, I try to keep the details vague.

Well, there's now a cool little gadget that can give your mom peace of mind, while adding safety to your own trip. It's called the SPOT Satellite Messenger, and it's something you might want to consider adding your boating safety kit. About the size of a cell phone and weighing 7 oz., this nifty little device is sort of a reverse GPS system.

Anne Quéméré of France is no stranger to incredible record-setting journeys. In 2002, Quéméré crossed the South Atlantic in 56 days, followed by a rowing trip across the North Atlantic that took 87 days. Then in 2006 she "kite surfed" across the Atlantic. That trip was done in a small five-meter long craft being pulled by kites.

Now Quéméré has a brand-new challenge up her sleeve. She will cross the Pacific Ocean, from San Francisco to French Polynesia, in the same Ocean Kite craft she used in 2006. It's a voyage of about 4,350 miles and it's expected to take around three months. The trip will take her from the Northern to the Southern hemisphere and across the Equator's Intertropical Convergence Zone.

Dubbed "Wing over the Pacific," the expedition has the simple goals of collecting scientific data, helping bring awareness for the need of renewable energy and to allow the public to follow along online during the adventure.

Aaron Hadlow has won his fifth Kiteboarding World Title after taking the freestyle title in Chile, the 10th and final stop of the season. Hadlow won six of the events (including the final three) and finished second in the other four.

Kevin Langeree finished second in both the event and for the season, while Sebastien Garat took third-place in the event and Alvaro Onieva ended the season in third (Garat was sixth for the season).

The women's freestyle finals almost mirrored the men's with the top two event winners also finishing on top of the season results. Gisela Pulido took first place followed by Bruna Kajiya. Susi Mai took third-place for the event but fourth for the season behind Karolina Winkowska.

For more about the contest and the world tour season, visit the PKRA World Tour site.

American Rob Douglas' world record didn't stand for long. Neither did the one set by France's Sebastien "The Catman" Cattelan.

Two weeks after Douglas sailed into the record books at the Luderitz Speed Challenge by kitesurfing across the ocean off the coast of Namibia at 49.84 knots, France's Sebastien "The Catman" Cattelan trumped the mark at 50.26 on Friday. But then on Saturday, Alexandre Caizergues flew through a run at 50.57 knots, rewriting the record books again.

The new record is still subject to ratification by a sitting of the World Speed Sailing Records Council.

Aaron Hadlow and Bruna Kajiya continued their strong season on the PKRA World Tour, winning the Kite-Extreme Brazil 2008 event in Brazil.