The OUIKITE team returns from a crazy trip to Saint-Martin

The OUIKITE team returns from a crazy trip to Saint-Martin

Caroline Gauvin is one of those people who follow up on their dreams and ideas. Gauvin may well be a great surfer, but that hasn't kept her from being fascinated by kitesurfing for the past few years. And she's hoping to introduce Quebec to this little-known sport. Having worked in the snowboard industry for several years, the board sports clearly do not scare her! But what if we add another element, namely the need to control the wind?

The kitesurfing community in Quebec is composed of a mix of generations. You'll find young people, but also many former windsurfers. Even if the equipment is relatively expensive (at least $ 2,000 for a basic setup), "when equipped with a sail, harness and board, the daily costs are super low for this sport!", Caroline told me. No more need to go very far for kitesurfing either, there are good spots not far from Montreal - near Châteauguay or Pointe-Claire, L'Anse-à-Orme, or in the region of Beauport Bay, near Quebec. Obviously if you want to travel a little farther, Cape Hatteras, Brazil, the Dominican Republic and Hawaii are favorite spots for kiting as well.

The idea for this project came about when Gauvin proposed a partnership to join forces with Rochette Benjamin, founder of Ouisurf, to create content and excitement for the kitesurfing community in Quebec. Caroline has also formed the Ouikite team, a team of athletes consisting of 7 riders including 4 who just returned from their first trip to St. Martin. Their goal for the trip was to produce a video with top notch content and production quality, the likes of which Quebec has never seen. Scheduled for release April 2013, in the meantime you'll have to enjoy these photos from the trip which can give you a little taste of what's to come.

 

Photo credit: Caroline Gauvin

Riders: Benoit Carrier, Annie Carrier, Alex Arsenault, Félix Gourdeau

To find out more about the boat, "Le Fou de l’Île III" and their charter services click HERE.

Ouikite would like to thank their partners:

Ripcurl
Zeeko Kites
Dakine
Kiteforce

Follow OuiKite on Facebook !

Here's their first film, produced in Cap-Hatteras in 2012 :

 

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