Past Highlights

Click here to see the projects we completed with last years funds!!

WINNERS CIRCLE
2009 crossing = Macrae Wylde and Marie Lecleire (undefeated)
2009 overall = Jessie Richman and Cynthia Brown
2008 crossing = Macrae Wylde and Marie Lecleire
2008 overall = Jeff Kafka and Paula Sonnenberg
2007 crossing = Mark Bavis and Marie Lecleire
2006 crossing = Mark Bavis and Marie Lecleire

The story in The KiteBoarder Magazine

SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS!!
WRAP UP FOR 2009
WE DID IT!!
This years contest had 3 original goals
1. Raise $ for the Schools and Health Center
2. Keep everyone safe
3. Have Fun!!

WE ACHIEVED THESE GOALS AND MORE

When it was all said and done here’s how we did
TOTAL Funds Raised for our Schools and Health Center = $ 18,302 USD
click to see and download event photos

The Crossing Race
119 racers entered this year’s event. 18 pangas sponsored by local business Ventana Windsports (Esteban) and captained by our seasoned local fishermen transported the competitors to the waters of Los Viejos at Cerralvo Island. Due to fluky winds the crossing was pushed back two days and was finally held on Saturday. On race day we had 36 entrants in the sportsmen class and 75 in the competitor’s class. As everyone waited for the La Ventana wind to fill in a treasure hunt was held where maps were distributed with clues in English and Spanish and racers had to ask advice from panga captains and dig to find great prizes.. 30 prizes were donated by the top kite manufacturers including a brand new kite from Sol Kiteboarding in CA.

Two rabbit starts were held the first with a 10 minute countdown and the second with a 5 minute countdown….The starts were very exciting with varying strategies, and although there were many kites and windsurfers gunning for the gap between the buoy and boat at the same time, only two kites bumped and fell….and both riders re launched to finish the race.. The wind was building nicely before the race but just before the start a lull came over the island. Mid channel things improved, and on the La Ventana side the wind finally filled in to include the turning buoy with an estimated 18-20 knots….Three windsurfers swept the top places while kiters on race boards and surfboards were close behind. The course was 10.75 miles long and 1st place finisher Macrae Wylde a sponsored Sailworks rider crossed the finish line in a mere 25 minutes and 10 seconds with a 7.2 m sail ……With his GPS tracking his progress, he logged a top speed of 29.3 knots. He was not the first to the turning buoy however but sailed closer to shore than the leaders and jibed his way into covering the competition and pulling ahead.

The fastest kiter was Sean Farley, a Mexican pro from North followed by Shawn Richman riding for Wainman , Jim Bison of New Wind Kiting, French Pro Etienne Lhote of F-One, Hawaiian Pro Jessie Richman of Cabrinha, and Brendon Richards of Caution from Santa Cruz.

The first woman to finish the crossing was kiter Marie Leclerc from Baja Joes as she won for the fourth year in a row zipping across the Cerralvo Channel in 26th place overall.
She was followed by Cynthia Brown of La Ventana's own Baja Board Riders and Paula Sonnenburg of FreakDog Kites.

4 kiters were picked up by the pangas for wrapped lines and one for a lost board. One kiter landed at the beach north of El Sargento and walked to the finish. All in all it was a safe race and an incredible spectacle to watch. The skies were filled with color as the racers charged across the channel and then around a near shore buoy on the shores of La Ventana in the name of raising money for our local schools and having fun. …….And thanks to our pangueros, every single one arrived safely back in La Ventana. Check in – get a beer—any questions?
click to download complete race results

LV CLASSIC CROSSING WINNERS – top 20 men and 8 women qualified for course racing finals

Means Division (kite unless noted)
1.Macrae Wylde– Windsurfer 25:10
2.Lyn Preuit - Windsurfer 25:29
3.Mark Dix - Windsurfer 25:43
4.Sean Farley 25:45
5.Shawn Richman 25:47
6.Jim Bison 25:51
7.Etienne Lhote
8.Jessie Richman
9.Brendon Richards
10.Jeff Burton .
11.Frank Wittke
12.Bryan Metcalf – Perez - Windsurfer
13.Peter Schiebel
14.Alex Spear - Windsurfer
15.Mark Bavis
16.Mark Bosta
17.Eric Reimer
18.Patrick Rebstock
19.Mo Hart
20.Paul Schiebel

Women’s Division (kite unless noted)
1.Marie Leclerc 28:35
2.Cynthia Brown 30:29
3.Paula Sonnenburg 31:21
4. Britney Todd
5. Shannon Gormley
6. Ella Johnson
7. Christine Rogers – windsurfer
8. Laura Maher

SPORTSMEN DIVISION
1. Norm Beddows
2. Luc Gauthier
3. Peter Talmage

COURSE RACING FINALS
It was a simple short course that included 1 or 2 laps with an upwind, reach, and a downwind mark. The wind was light with the 3 races being held in 12-16 knots—All racers started together and three races in total were run –the first was 1 lap and the remaining two were two laps. The two laps showcased the advantages of board designs as windsurfers battled against kiters on race boards and surfboards. Riders had 16 m kites and Windsurfers used 9 and 11 meter sails with high volume boards. Kites looped their way through the downwind runs with an advantage while windsurfers pointed highest on the upwind legs. .

In the first race Macrae Wylde, a winter local in Los Barriles, edged out Sean Farley by pumping the last 100 yards to the finish through a hole as Sean was closing fast. For the women, race one was closely taken by Paula Sonnenberg in 9th place overall over Cynthia Brown who came in 10th overall.

Race 2 was won by Jessie Richman who squeaked by the competition by pinching so hard to make the windward mark that he did a board off, rolled around the buoy, and then replaced his board and kept going down wind – clearly demonstrating the adapted rule that buoy contact without grabbing was permitted. In race two, the womens winner was Cynthia this time in 10th overall once again. Paula rallied back after a collision with her lines and a windsurfer and took 2nd for the women and 13th place overall.

As conditions began to further lighten, race 3 saw Jesse Richman and Sean Farley pump through the dead spots to take first and second. By the end of race three conditions were so light that very few kiters could even finish when their kites couldn’t relaunch. There were no women scored in race three as none of them could finish due to lack of wind. With two bullets, Jesse Richman took the overall victory with a total score of 6 points while windsurfer Macrae Wylde got second place with 7 points and Sean Farley came in third with a total of 9 points. The womens winner Cynthia Brown had 49 points, while Paula took second with 51 points, and third place was a tie in points between Marie Leclerc and Brittney Todd from Mokies but Brittney took it as she had the lowest place in a single race. The top three women all winter in La Ventana and are kiters.

Men’s Overall Winners for the La Ventana Classic

1. Jessie Richman
2. Macrae Wylde - windsurfer
3. Sean Farley
4. Mark Dix - windsurfer
5. Lyn Preuit - windsurfer
6. Jim Bison
7. Shawn Richman
8. Mark Bosta
9. Peter Schiebel
10. Paul Schiebel
11. Patrick Rebstock
12. Eric Reimer

Women’s Overall Winners for the La Ventana Classic
1. Cynthia Brown
2. Paula Sonnenburg
3. Brittney Todd
4. Marie Leclerc

Old School Trick Contest
Judges Captain Kirk, Marina, and Arnaud announced that Mexican rules applied and handshakes with mordidas were encouraged. 30 men and 8 women signed up to compete in the Old Skool Trick contest held on Friday , January 23. Kiters, windsurfers, locals and spectators lined the beach in both directions for as far as the eye could see in anticipation of the big air show from pro’s like Dimitri Maramenides, Jessie Richman, Etienne Lhote, Shawn Richman, along with a host of riders from throughout North America looking to represent their local riding areas and show off their best Old Skool moves. The wind was fluctuating but finally around 2:30p, it kicked in and maintained at 15mph, the bare minimum needed to pull off the contest. Shawn Richman dazzled the crowd with his big air and his ability to fluidly string together 4 moves in one. Jesse Richman got the crowd fired up and dizzy as he did 6 continuous 360s in the air and Dimitri seemed to walk on water as he rode his board backwards like a skateboard. Unfortunately the wind died and due to light conditions we were unable to finish this event.. The prize money was given back to the schools and 2 awards given to ALL STAR volunteer Kevin IRIE DOG Murray and the Bolstad family for their great energy..

SUP RACE
An exciting addition to this years contest, the SUP race was sponsored by Isle Surfboards of San Diego and run by Paddlesurf.net and SUP pioneer John Ashley from Imperial Beach, CA. The long distance qualifier race was a 2.4 mile sprint which put everyone to the test. Leading the pack was a ringer from Paddlesurf.net by the name of KIWI who stomped on the competition with a stock 12 foot Isle SUP board. Local channel crossing hero Kunta Forest put in an honest effort and made the finals. The finish was exciting as the contestants jumped off their board and sprinted up the beach to grab cardboard sticks in the sand. Dan Koffman and Ozzy had a photo finish as they both dove for the same stick… KIWI's skills from surfing boca rio outside mysto IB breaks paid off. In the girls division Cynthia Brown was a powerhouse and took first-
The final was a two lap showdown that involved a beach start for the top 5 men and women and a circumnavigation of a triangle of buoys for a total of 1.25 miles. Kiwi once again dominated the men’s division while Cynbad Brown was first again for the women.
>For the whole scoop and info on next years SUP race go to

For the whole scoop and info on next years SUP race go to
SUP RACE WINNERS
MEN
1) KIWI Field
2) Ozzy Leneseh
3) Marco Pena

WOMEN
1) Cynthia Brown
2) Tonia Farmen
3) Michelle Koff

GOOFY EVENTS – thanks for participating!!
Beer Guzzle Relay – team Slingshot takes it
Cowabunga Kayak Challenge – the Bolstad Family Dominates
Frozen Wetsuit Relay – Justin, Brittany and crew bust a move
FULL COMBAT SUP CHALLENGE – Mack Skaggs tough to knock off!
WakeBoard Showdown – Richman brothers shine!!

The Tree Planting Project
We said we’d do it and we did!!! On Sunday morning at the Vicente Guerrero Primary School in El Sargento 40 volunteers including racers, kite company reps, parents of the students, and seasonal locals lent a hand to plant 175 trees on the school grounds. We also cleaned up debris, painted fence posts, and painted a mural with the schools name on it. We were even treated to a fantastic lunch put on by the parents. Everyone worked together like a finely oiled machine and we were done before noon!! THANK YOU SO MUCH

THANK YOU VOLUNTEERS!!
An event this large was only possible through the generous donation of time by local volunteers. Although there are too many to list a special thanks goes out to the following key people
Help in signups and soliciting local prizes - Mark and Mary of Baja Joes, Justin
Sub-Delegado Oswaldo Cota -arranging all the necessary permits
Raffle team - Mary Sim and her team
Medical Support – Doreen, Renee, and Char
Contest Judges – Capt Kirk, Arnaud, and Marina
Panga Deckhands –18 folks – including Bob, Jay, Mustache John, Chuck, Enry, and more
Finish Line and safety support team – Santiago Olachea, Arnaud from Kitemasters, Lana, Charmaine, Alin and Alex
Communication support – Kitty
Electronic communication - Roberta
Beer Sales - Jimena and Hermina Malagamba
Dancer and food sale coordination - Veronica and Edgar
Hosting us on their beach – Joe and Angie
Food Sales and dancing – telesecundaria El Sargento, Primary El Sargento, Kinder de El Sargento, Kinder de La Ventana, primary del La Ventana, Rebeldia Costena y Bailadores de La Paz
Beach support – Irie Dog and Ozzy
Hand Painted trophies – Alin
Mural painting project leaders – Charmaine and Alin
Tree Planters
GRACIAS TO ALL OTHERS WHO ARE NOT MENTIONED HERE

FUNDRAISING TOTALS and Projects
This year’s event raised money through the following methods
Sponsors, contest enrollment, Demo participation by Kite companies, raffle sales, beer sales, t-shirt sales, and last minute donations in the coffee can. Raffle prizes were provided by local merchants and Kite companies in the Demo. Local schools sold food for direct profit.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU goes out to our biggest sponsors and donors
Palapas Ventana
The KiteBoarder Magazine

Pelican Reef – Thanks Trigg and Vicki for the seed money to get this thing started
Ventana Windsports – Esteban’s generosity paid for all the Pangas
Full Throttle – thanks for all the prize money and more
Baja Joes – thanks for letting us use your beach and donating half of bano costs

Thank you to our EXPO participants who donated to our cause to be in the event –
Advance, Best, Caution, Eclipse, F-One, Liquid Force, Mystic, Naish, North, Ocean Rodeo, RRD, Slingshot, Wainman Hawaii, Underground, Freak Dog, Isle Surfboards

And thank you to the other sponsors who kicked in to sponsor the event

KITEMASTERS, Sol Kiteboarding, Captain Kirks, Downwinder Inn, El Cardon Restaurant, La Ventana Builders, DaKine, IKitesurf.com, Baja Boardriders, Morris and Olson Courtroom Lawyers – Hood River, PADDLESURF.NET – they ran the paddle surf event

Thank you to our local businesses who donated prizes and to raise money in the raffle
Ventanas Del Sol Restaurant, Viento Del Norte, YoYos trailer park, Tortas y Hamburguesas Andrea, Taqueria La Palmilla, Taqueria El Sargento,
Tacos Leon, Rico Baja, Aceites y Lubricantes Chaloy, BMG Ferreteria, Kijote Coffee, Kurt N Marina Miscelanea Lupita Tacos El Torre – Rincon de La Bahia– Restaurant, Juan Ramone’s Hardware, Turis Pancho Airport Shuttle, Mokies, Las Palmas Restaurante, Mini Super Los Delfines, Mini Super Oscaritos, Mariscos El Cone, and Casa Verde

Here’s where this years money goes

Primary School in El Sargento
Got $1,000 USD in trees
and planting from volunteers – priceless
Health Center
Gets a revamp of medical tools and exam tables
La Ventana Primary School
In March we will begin construction of an outdoor shaded patio with bench seats
And with the remaining money more projects at our other schools!! Stay Tuned for our committees decision on further projects with the increase of $$ raised!!

All payments will be made for materials and contracted services – no cash anywhere to anyone – all projects will be finished before next year’s race

FUTURE
Next year we will target projects at 2 of our other schools in the community. Thanks to all who raced, volunteered, donated, painted, planted trees, participated, and supported this event. If you have ideas, suggestions or other comments please email me at tim@palapasventana.com and I’ll put you on the list as a volunteer or sponsor for the future. – Look for more SUP racing, more wind, more $ for the schools, and more fun for La Ventana Classic and KiteXpo 2010 – Jan 21-24

Download the 2009 Poster
scroll down for the new video!!

Enjoy the LV Classic and KiteXpo video

Video shot, edited and produced by www.jimstringfellow.com
Thanks Jim!!

This years gonna go off!!
Fundraiser for our local schools!!
**11.5 mile downwind Race from Cerralvo Island to La Ventana
**course racing finals
**4 days of Expo with demos from the top 18 manufacturers
** SUP and Prone Paddleboard race
** Big Air / Old Skool trick contests
**FUN!!
limited to first 150 racers to register.
book your rooms before they are gone

Download the Wrap-Up from last years event below.
2008 LVC Wrap-Up and fundraising info