A team of six kite surfers is preparing to cross more than 3,000-miles of the Atlantic Ocean. The group will depart the port of Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands sometime between Nov. 20 and 25 and, following the South Atlantic route, are expected to arrive in the Caribbean 2 to 3 weeks later depending on the weather.
The kite surfers will cross the Atlantic as a relay, taking over from one another every two hours during the journey. Each surfer will ride four hours a day, two in the day and two at night. A professional crew will provide support aboard a 50-foot catamaran, the Lagooon 500 Double A.
The HTC Atlantic Kite Challenge is organized by the Netherlands based Enable Passion Foundation, a non-profit that encourages extraordinary and pioneering projects.
This is the first attempted, nonstop kite surf crossing of this type, but not the first Atlantic crossing by kite.
Kite surfing pioneer Manu Bertin successfully crossed the Atlantic kitesurfing in 2006 using three rigs, including a normal kite board, a contraption known as the kit-cat consisting of two surfboards arranged like a catamaran with a chair fastened in between to allow for rest, and a kite-towed dinghy for sleep.
The participants of the HTC Atlantic Kite Challenge are founder of Enable Passion Filippo van Hellenberg Hubar, co-founder of the surf clothing brand Mystic Max Blom from the Netherlands, Norwegian kite-shop owner and competitive kitesurfer Camilla Ringvold, three-time kitesurfing World Champion Bruno Sroka from France and Canadian big mountain free skier Mark Abma.
The team is still searching for the sixth and final kitesurfer through the “6th Rider Contest” that will give one fortunate kitesurfer the chance to join the adventure
“The idea for the HTC Atlantic Kite Challenge came about from my passion for kite surfing and business ventures. One day I felt inspired to combine the two,” explains Filippo Hubar. “I wanted to find out whether something that initially looked so impossible could be achieved with the right motivation and dedication. The idea slowly took form and resulted in a team of committed people.” —Sean McCoy
