http://bonaireslalomworld.com/



Bonaire has a long seafaring history. This Dutch Caribbean island is situated 70 miles from Aruba, 30 miles from Curacao and about 50 miles from Venezuela. The island enjoys year round trade winds and is out of the hurricane belt making it a lovely year round sailing and watersports destination. Locals have fished the waters for hundreds of years sustaining their lives living off of the sea. Boat builders still live on island preserving their lifestyle and culture crafting and maintaining their traditional Bonairean boats. About 20 years ago a few locals took to the water on different sea vessels. The first windsurf board may have been brought to the island thanks to a Dutch sailor. He lent the board to an Antillean fisherman, Erwin Muller. The rage caught on and others became windsurfers. These sailors included Elvis Martinus, Ernst Van Vliet, Bob Meldebom and Constantine Saragoza to name a few. They sailed offshore at the former Sunset Beach Hotel. There were races to Curacao and even a few hardy souls windsurfed to Venezuela. Since the advent of windsurfing on this island of 14,000 people windsurfing is now big. The island is proud of their pro windsurfers who travel the world to compete and represent Bonaire. The island hosted several PWA windsurfing events in recent years. The island has also been the site for the Annual Starboard Pro Kids Worlds held each summer. As the sport grows and expands it makes sense to bring slalom windsurf racing back to Bonaire. Bonaire is proud to welcome the IFCA slalom Pro Kids Junior Worlds and Youth and Masters World Championships. The event will be held on Sorobon Beach, Bonaire from 12th to 18th July 2009. The island is proud to add slalom racing to its annual event. Bonaire offers perfect race conditions with water temperatures in the low 80’s. Lac Bay is a protected area affording all racers safe and challenging courses. Bonaire has great pride for the unofficial national sport, windsurfing. The entire island warmly welcomes freestyle and slalom competitors in July.

We currently have masters and youth sailors coming from Poland, France, Martinique, Denmark and the US. This is going to me huge for Bonaire.

July 18-19 is Pro Kids World Freestyle so come see the best of the best spin their sail tricks.

It's about beach culture, wind and sun. Come on down and support youth in sports.

Bonaire- The weeks are coming closer to an exciting series of windsurfing events in Bonaire. Bonaire is proud to host Bonaire Slalom Worlds, Year One and Pro Kids Freestyle, Year 5. Windsurfing is the unofficial national sport on this Dutch Caribbean island. Bonaire has hosted 3 PWA events and is excited for the 2009 Series to be held at windy Lac Bay. The entire island embraces the windsurf culture and warmly welcomes all July 12-19 for the two events. The week long event will focus on beach culture and sailing. Competitors from Hawaii, The Netherlands, Martinique, Poland, Denmark and Austria have already registered. Teams from Turkey and Venezuela is slated to attend. A contingent from Aruba and Curacao is expected. It’s not too late to register.

The time is now to register. For slalom racers please register at http://bonaireslalomworld.com/

Freestyle competitors please visit http://www.prokidsfreestyle.com/

Please check our official wind page sponsored by www.windguru.cz for up to date weather information.

Aquaspeed, the volunteer committee organizing both events wishes to thank the Bonaire government and all local and internationals sponsors for their continued support.