SIMPSON BAY--The annual Kayak Back to School Race will start from Kim Sha Beach at 8:00am Sunday. There will be two courses to choose from. First is a four kilometre paddle suitable for beginners and a more challenging 8k.
All equipment will be available free of charge, although a small donation will be asked to cover expenses.
Kayaking is a sport that can be enjoyed by athletes of all ages, once they have reached a basic level of swimming proficiency. On St. Maarten, the most popular form of kayaking is called Surfski. This is an exciting sport that started over 70 years ago in Australia and South Africa, when lifeguards started using a new type of craft to carry out rescues in the dangerous surf. It wasn't long before those lifeguards began racing each other, first in and out of the surf and later over longer distances between coastal towns.
The first surfskis started arriving on St. Maarten in 2002 and 2003.
Since then, the sport has grown both here and in Europe and North America - from what had been an almost unknown fringe sport, to a point where both World Series and World Championship races are held annually.
St. Maarten hosts the annual international surfski event, the Soualiga Challenge, for the tenth year running. Entries this year include ex-Olympian and ex-World Champion kayakers plus strong teams from Guadeloupe, Martinique and Barbados, who will converge on our island to race on November 2.
For more information call 580-4657 or e-mail This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
