Pimp Yo Kite - The Kiteboarder Magazine

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Yes, Turkey has waves. Miguel drops into a nice little right hander. Julie’s powered kiteloops have put her in the top rankings of the KPWT tour. To kill time while waiting for the wind, practice haggling at the open air market. Two locals enjoying their daily ritual. The Simsar sisters take in the local flavor at a traditional Turkish cafe. large bay where the wind blows onshore, 15-25 knots all summer. The water is flat in between the little waves and chop that break close to shore. There is also a little bar on the beach which serves lunch, snacks, and beers. The next bay to the west is the southwest point of Turkey. The Greek island of Chios sits just six miles away. We pulled up and discovered an unfinished castle. Kiting there, we felt we were in wonderland! The bay is surrounded by beautiful white cliffs bordered by black rocks. You’ll never kite in front of such a background anywhere else. On the other side of the Pirlanta Peninsula is Kum Beach, a gorgeous, white sand offshore beach. We pumped up our kites there as well, but were a little disappointed as the wind was very gusty making it barely kite-able. Even so, I highly recommend driving there and relaxing a bit on the beach. If you go there on weekends, the beach actually turns into a big DJ party. Miguel gets an overview of the Aegean Coast. Another popular place for kiteboarding in the Cesme area is Alacati. It first became famous with windsurfers, and a lot of international events are held there annually. The kitesurfing area is limited to the upwind and downwind parts of the bay. The day we went, the wind was gusty but we were told that the wind direction was bad on that particular day. It might be worthwhile to check it out. You can either get there by car (you drive around the bay for 15 minutes) or go by boat with one of the kite schools located near the windsurf schools. Finally, on our last day, we all still had in mind the port and the castle of Cesme. Husnu again arranged the permission for us to kite there for a few hours. After struggling a bit to launch our kites from the harbor, we tacked back and forth, jumping in front of tourists, cruise ships, and container ships. That fun only lasted for a couple of minutes. The Turkish Coast Guard stormed after us, screaming and ordering us to go back to the beach. We all looked at each other and, as no one had the intention of getting fined or shot, headed downwind full speed back to Pirlanta. The Coast Guard trailed us for a while and finally just went over to Husnu’s boat and arrested our photographer. As it turns out, we did have the permission to kite there, but because of a lack of communication, the Coast Guard was not aware of it. It was a memorable way to spend our last day on the water. As we were all leaving the next day for the Greek island of Paros for a competition, we sat down with an Efes (excellent local beer) and enjoyed the rest of our last day. The goal of the trip was not to kite the best known local spots, but to explore and discover new locations. We accomplished this, but our week in Turkey had gone by too fast and all are already making plans to return next year! 50 51
Julie slashes the top off a Turkish Crumb. 52 How to get to Cesme: Airport: Izmir, one hour away from Cesme. Taxi: Normal price is 100 euros but you can negotiate down to 60 euros Bus: You will have to take a taxi to the bus station, and from there the bus will take you to the Cesme bus station, which is 500 miles from downtown How to get to Pirlanta Beach: By car: Take a right getting out of Cesme along the port, keep driving, pass Ciflik village, pass Babaylon Hotel and take a right to get to Pirlanta Beach. Its 10 minutes from downtown. By bus: Hop on a Dolmus; it’s the local bus and the cheapest way of traveling. Where to stay: Budget: Sakiz Hotel, Tel: 0.232.712 18 48. About 20 euros for a single room and then just divide the price by the number of guests. Comfortable: Babaylon Hotel, Tel: 232 722 14 85. 10-minute walk from Kite Beach. Ask Ozone Travel for a discounted price. High end: Sheraton Hotel in Ilidga, about a 10 minute drive from Cesme, and 20 minutes from Kite Beach. You can also kite in Ilidga but not from June-August. Where and what to eat: This was shot in Cesme, shortly before being chased down by the Turkish Coast Guard. A trip on the ferry is a great way to explore the coastline. The military proudly displays its pride. Ayse Kirindi: In Cesme, along the main car road, behind Sakiz Hotel. Traditional setting and meals are good on the budget. Try the Menemen, Sigara Borek and Kofte. Dos Pide: In Ilidga, on the main street. Best Turkish pizza around. The crew gathers around the computer to check the weather forecast. Antoine grabs tail in Turkey. In Ciflik village (5 minutes before Pirlanta), look for the smallest restaurant towards the end of the village, next to a small supermarket: Best Kumru (local sandwich) and Kofte and don’t expect to pay more than $3 each. Perfect for kite lunch.
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