December 2009 - The Kiteboarder Magazine

Baja is full of some of the nicest
people you will ever meet.
Kasey Campbell lines up on a San Quintin wave while the Calikites truck
takes a break from hauling kiters back upwind.
46 thekiteboarder.com
This crew of kiters filled up a bus and completely took
over a hotel 200 miles south of the border.
TRAVELING TO BAJA
Anyone who has been to Mexico knows the country is full of some of the warmest and friendliest
people on the planet, but unfortunately Mexico is also home to widespread poverty, corruption, drug
and human trafficking, and organized crime. Tourism in Mexico, especially in Baja, has plummeted
in recent years, due to the stories that are reported about the incidents that happen there. To
explore Baja, most people cross through Tijuana where hundreds of criminals, police officers, and
innocent bystanders died in 2008 due to the violence caused by organized crime. The fact that the
stories about violence in the border region are picked up and sensationalized by the media only
makes the problem worse and has caused some people I know who have been traveling to Baja for
more than 20 years to swear off heading south of the border completely. The saddest part of all of
this is that the rest of the country is not at all like Tijuana and the other border regions — there are
endless and incredible kiteboarding opportunities all over the more than
2,000 miles of Baja coastline.
THE REAL BAJA
To continue offering kiteboarding trips to San Quintin, a sleepy farming
town 200 miles south of the border, the crew at Calikites came up with
a bold idea: Instead of bringing kiters down in a 15-passenger van, they
would rent a 50-person charter bus and completely take over the Desert
Inn, a bunker-like beachfront hotel sitting in the middle of 12 miles of
pristine sandy beach. They would also drag down a rescue jet-ski, a van
full of demo gear from Liquid Force, Cabrinha, and North, and a pile of SUP
boards in case the wind didn’t show. Because of the recent troubles in Baja,
it was unclear how many kiteboarders would be willing to travel down, but
the buzz about how good the kiting is in San Quintin was enough to quickly
fill the bus to capacity. Early on a Friday morning, the bus was loaded up
behind the Calikites shop in Coronado with eager kiteboarders and tons of
gear for the five-hour drive down. We quickly passed through Tijuana and
were on our way to three days of kiteboarding in the real Baja California.
SAN QUINTIN
As soon as the bus was unloaded and everyone found their ocean-view
rooms (every room at this hotel has an ocean view), the quiet beach was
invaded by a hoard of kiteboarders eager to get on the water. San Quintin
is the perfect place for beginner-intermediate kiteboarders to ride, as the
wind blows anywhere from side-on to slightly side-off and there are no
obstacles, except for the cars parked on the beach. The waves are usually
very small and the wind is steady. This section of the Baja Coast is where
deep ocean water is pushed up near the surface, so the water can be cold,
typically 5-10° colder than San Diego. Kite sizes in San Quintin can range
from 6-16 meters, depending on the season, but after more than a dozen
trips here, I’ve ridden every single time. After a little water time, everyone
packed up their gear and headed back to their rooms for hot showers to
wash off the incredibly fine beach sand that manages to get everywhere
before heading a few miles down a dirt road to the Cielito Lindo for dinner,
drinks, and dancing. According to one rumor, John Wayne and Henry Fonda
once frequented the Cielito Lindo, but now it’s the spot for good food, cheap
drinks, good dancing with locals, and a chance to meet a few of the local
ex-pat American characters, most of whom look like there could have been
a Jimmy Buffett song written about them. Watch out for the margaritas
here, they’re strong enough that they may have to find the wheelbarrow
that’s always nearby (the locals call it the limo) to get you back to your bed.
kiteboarders san for beginner-intermediate quintin is to the ride, perfect as the place
blows slightly anywhere side-off from and side-on there are to wind
no parked obstacles, on the except beach. for the cars
thekiteboarder.com
On the way back to the hotel, most of the people
in the bus ended up riding back on the roof of the
bus, which, for some reason, is just the sort of
thing that always seems to happen down here.
DAY TWO
The next day, after sleeping off all of the excesses
of the night before, everyone found their way
to the beach and pumped up. The wind stayed
fairly light, but most were able to get out and
ride on 12-16 meter kites. Beginners worked on
riding upwind or learning to jump while more
experienced riders played in the small waves
or used the shorebreak as a kicker to throw
tricks. The amount of kiters on this trip was an
unbelievably large group for San Quintin, so locals
began showing up to watch the crazy gringos.
Downwinders were organized and groups would
take off and head the six or so miles downwind to
the end of the beach, then pile into the Calikites
truck to be brought back upwind. After a full
day on the beach, everyone jumped into the bus
to head to Jardines, a few miles up the road
towards town. Jardines is the type of place that
makes Baja special. To get there, you turn off
the main road and ramble down a washboard
dirt road through a field for about a mile and
then come to a beautify maintained garden full
of all kinds of exotic plants and one of the most
beautifully manicured lawns I’ve ever seen. In the
midst of this unexpected oasis is a restaurant that
serves great food and a small hotel with rooms
starting at $35 a night. After dinner and a few
(OK, many) drinks, a slideshow and raffle were
put on back at the Desert Inn, and a few intrepid
people found out that not only do ice chests keep
food and beer cold, but you can also fit two adults
in one and ride it down a set of stairs.
DAY THREE
Most people slept in on Sunday and then hit the
beach, but it seemed like the whole town had
heard of all of the kiteboarders riding in front
of the hotel and had come down to watch. This
created a bit of a traffic jam on the beach near
the hotel, but since the beach is 12 miles long,
there was still plenty of room for everyone to
Danny Schwarz shows his stuff on the dance
floor at the Cielito Lindo.
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