22 08/2019
HAVE YOU EVER DREAMED OF
FLYING? If the answer is yes, you
are not alone. For centuries humans
have looked with longing to the sky
and wondered what it might feel like
to take flight. Leonardo Da Vinci was
so obsessed with this notion that he
invented a model for a hang glider in
1496, but it is believed that the first man-
carrying kite was invented in China as
far back as the 7th century. Ask any kid
what super power they wish they had,
the ability to fly will always be the most
popular answer.
Kitesurfing, a sport that made its
major mainstream debut in 1999 might
be the latest answer to our endless quest
for flight and ultimately the feeling of
freedom and exhilaration that comes
from gliding through the air. With a
board strapped to their feet and a kite
in their hands, riders carve the waves,
being plucked up by the power of the
wind and dropped back down into the
surf zone for a thrilling ride and for
more advanced riders, the opportunity to
pull off tricks and get big air. It’s a great
sport for adrenaline junkies because
you are playing with not just one, but
two uncontrollable and ever changing
elements—the wind and the waves—
amplifying both the highs and the
challenges associated with the sport.
“The feeling of harnessing the wind
with the kite in your hands is a feeling
of tremendous power, one that requires
respect,” says Canadian kitesurfer Kieran
Lawler who’s been hooked on the sport
for the last seven years. “ It may look
easy watching from the beach, but the
kite requires caution and a steady hand.”
That being said, most kitesurfing junkies
readily admit that very few things in
life come close to the sheer freedom
experienced when harnessing the
power of the wind, skimming across the
glittering water and being lifted up into
the air.Lawler represents a new brand of
tourist for Vietnam, the high-octane
adventure seeking sport traveler.
Amongst millennials in particular, there
is a growing number of people who
want to combine their favorite physical
activity and their travels into one
ultimate experience. For real kitesurfing
enthusiasts, it’s more than just a sport,
it’s a lifestyle and they are willing to
travel far from home to live it for a few
weeks up to a few months a year. They
are constantly seeking to challenge
themselves with bigger waves, wind and
air and, of course, to bask in the after-
glow of an epic session on the water in
some new far-flung destination.Expanding the Wave
While the laid back palm fringed beach
town of Muine has been on the radar of
die-hard kitesurfers from abroad and
weekend warriors from Saigon for the
better part of 20 years now, Vietnam isKitesurfing in Vietnam delivers cheap beers and big thrills
Text by Naomi Sutorius-Lavoie