Lord of the Wind 2017

Los Barriles, just 45 minutes north of the Los Cabos International Airport, is a wonderful place to visit, or as many have found out, it is the perfect place to call home.  Whether the goal is to excite the adrenaline or embrace serenity, Los Barriles and the East Cape has much to offer.  The Sea of Cortez is well known as one of the best places in the world for sport fishing with the plentiful species including marlin, tuna, wahoo, dorado and many more!  And if your pleasure on the boat is not to catch a fish, you’re quite likely to see whales, dolphin, rays, a turtle or two and maybe even a whale shark!  Jacques Cousteau got it right when he likened the Sea of Cortez to “the world’s aquarium”.  Some additional aquatic activities include: snorkeling, SCUBA, and Stand up Paddle boarding – or hanging out on the beach and simply watching.  On land, the activities include taking a quad out for a ride up an arroyo, riding a horse along the beach, and exploring the numerous trails on a mountain bike or on foot.  For those wanting to simply embrace serenity, there are many spas and yoga studios to choose from.  And then there are those who practice yoga on a SUP!  When the sun starts to get low, the evening options are plentiful!  There are a wide variety of fantastic restaurants and hotels.  Whether the desire is to be on the beach, in the town center, or tucked away from it all in a quiet venue, the options are plenty. 

 

And of course there’s kiteboarding!  In the winter months the wind picks up and the sky fills with the colorful kites pulling riders across the water sometimes at astounding speeds.  Other times, the rider will launch themselves into the air and either simply fly for an apparent eternity or perform some gymnastic-like jump / twist / roll / kick / flip trick!  Watching this never gets old!  Which brings us back to the Lord of the Wind.  It is an event not to be missed!  As enjoyable as it is to watch kiteboarders every day, the performances during this competition are amazing! 

The true winners of the Lord of the Wind are the local community.  The towns of Los Barriles, Buena Vista, El Cardonal, and La Ribera all benefit from this event as it is a fundraiser for the local Club Deportivo, a non profit organization supporting local youth thru sports and the Rotary Club (Club Rotario Cabo Este).  The Rotary Club operates the local technology center, supports the local health clinic, manages projects for other charities that want to help in the area but do not have a presence, and provides assistance for urgent needs such as hurricane relief.This year the Lord of the Wind riders will also be competing for points toward the Mexican Freestyle Championship.  The competition starts on Wednesday, January 18^th and finishes on Sunday the 22^nd.  This year’s Boarder Cross / Slalom will feature obstacles that the competitors will need to jump over during the race.  The course is set-up to be similar to the Boarder Cross Kiteboarding event scheduled in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.