What age teaches us

Steve Bodner has been an active windsurfing competitor for well over two decades, and more recently has been seeking to master kite foiling. Bodner is already the master at sharing experiences, and his latest report reminds us that sailing is about enjoying the ride.

It had been two years since I made my last trip south to Baja for a winter get away. I was due. The brownie points were earned and credit was being cashed in.

I pushed back my work deadlines, arranged for preschool pick-ups and drop offs. Life’s responsibilities were postponed, at least for the next nine days. My next kiting adventure was about to begin.

With direct flights to Cabo from San Francisco, you can be out kiting the same day in board shorts on a windy Sea of Cortez. Everything I needed for a week of kite boarding fit into an oversized ‘golf bag’ – 2 boards, 3 kites, a harness and a foil.

It’s always a pleasure to roll into a place like La Ventana where you’re not the only one seeking this hedonistic windy lifestyle. Thousands of like-minded kiters and windsurfers have been flocking here for decades turning this small fishing village in a wind junkies dream.

Every year, it changes with more development and more people, but you can always find your happy spot a few hundred feet offshore once you catch that first piece of rolling Cortez swell.

The goal for week was to become one with the new kite foil but then again I’ve said never said no to just having fun on the surfboard when it gets windy. Rules are meant to be broken. Fun is meant to be had. I’m not as strict on myself as I used to be. I may be getting softer as I get older but at least I’m enjoying the ride.

Follow along for the daily report… click here.

Heading home after eight day of sailing, the experience has been great, gaining more time on the water with the foil, reconnecting with old friends and making new ones. This vacation may be over but it’s time to start collecting those brownie points to cash in for the next trip.