October 3, 2020 – Although kitesurfing is primarily related to long, sandy beaches, where every year gathers more and more lovers of adrenaline and exhibitions, the idea to explore the winds in Boka pleases an increasing number of kite surfers from Montenegro. The hosts are waiting for them, an informal club of lovers of adrenaline sports at sea – Boka Surfing.
Autumn with unstable weather, rain, and a whole rose of winds that change generally does not make us happy, especially in Boka. However, there are those among us who could hardly wait for the winds to play, to take their measure.
When we talk about sailing, along with the Sailing Club Delfin, Tivat has another serious, although primarily family machinery – Sailing Club TriBelan, which was started and equipped by a Tivat sailor who chased the wind across the Mediterranean – Miho Belan. In addition to catamarans, sailors from this family are passionate about extreme sailing. Ilija stood out until recently, which you can see for almost every south weather storm along the Tivat shores, sometimes not at all naive strait of Verige. In recent years, he has been joined in exhibitions at sea by the next generation – Toni, who went a step further searching for adrenaline, discovering kitesurfing.
Boka Surfing Team at Belani Beach, Tivat, Source: Facebook
“I have been sailing since childhood. First through the Sailing Club Delfin and sailing in the Optimist and Laser classes. Then came the catamarans, then windsurfing. And, of course, cruising. But when I discovered kite surfing, I found a sport that combines sailing and a few more skills, and offers a lot of excitement and enjoyment,” explains Toni.
With his uncle Ilija and friends – brothers Frano and Miloš Tripović, they started an informal club of surfing fans – Boka Surfing. Trying to reconcile two otherwise quite rival sports – windsurfing and kitesurfing – physically and technically even more demanding.
“Both sports carry a lot of adrenaline and require physical fitness and skill. Kite implies different elements – you have to know how to board, know how to sail, and be ready for sudden wind changes. It is exciting, especially here in Boka, where the winds often change, and the coast is much more interesting than in our popular kite destination – Ulcinj beach, where the winds are much more predictable. That is why our friends from Ulcinj like to come to us.”
Tony explains that destinations, like Boka, are interesting primarily for experienced kiters because wind changes are very dynamic and require great skill. Also, for a daisy destination such as Velika plaža in Ulcinj, inexperience here can be costly due to the coast’s configuration. In that sense, only Ponta Seljanova beach in Tivat is suitable for takeoff in the entire Boka, so there are no best conditions for training future kiters. However, there is a solution for that as well, Tony explains. It is not a new practice to use ships to lift kites, thus avoiding the dangers of the coast.
Boka Surfing Team at Sveta Nedjela Cape, Source: Facebook
Boka Surfing is an association of enthusiasts for now, but in the future, it could become another receptive place when it comes to tourism products of particular interest. When it comes to kite surfing, we are talking about a sport whose popularity grows from year to year. Maybe our bay may not be a destination like Ulcinj. Its specific aerodynamics and thermals can attract lovers of adrenaline sports like Toni, who traveled to neighboring Croatia to experience new fields until discovering Boka’s potential.
Recent Comments