Tortola, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS (November 25, 2009) – All eyes of the extreme sports world will be on the British Virgin Islands in anticipation of the inaugural BVI Kite Jam, taking place March 1-5, 2010. Five days of big air, radical heats and A-list parties on some of the destination’s top locales will serve to highlight the destination as a kiteboarding Mecca for riders from around the globe.

To get the party started, the BVI Tourist Board invited a select group of more than 20 regional and international press from as far away as Dubai and Argentina to meet avid kiteboarder
Sir Richard Branson for an official launch event on Necker Island on Monday, November 23, 2009.

Abby O’Neal, Communications Director & Partner; Scotty Wilson, Events Director & Partner; Sir Richard Branson; Charlie Smith, Founder & Partner.

Renowned Los Angeles-based celebrity photographer Peter Brown was on hand to document the occasion. AMPR, BVI Kite Jam’s official agency of record and the BVI Tourist Board, escorted the press throughout the trip. The press contingency were hosted for two nights at Tortola’s Maria’s by the Sea and one night at Virgin Gorda Village. They then headed off to official Kite Jam event venue sponsor Bitter End Yacht Club for two full days and nights to learn about the venue and the sport of kiteboarding. Other activities included a hosted dinner at Le Cabanon, a days sailing with Sunsail, lunch at Pirate’s Bight, Norman Island, day trips around Tortola, lunch at Cow Wreck on Anegada, dinner at Rosewood Little Dix Bay and a trip to the Baths.

“We’re thrilled to have such a fantastic turnout of international and regional press experiencing both the thrill of kiteboarding and the natural wonders of the British Virgin Islands,” says Myron Walwyn, Chairman of the BVI Tourist Board. “We have had extraordinary support from all of our sponsors and we’re counting on the participation of some of the sport’s finest athletes, including world champion Kristen Boese, who has just recently confirmed her participation. Come March, our islands will be teeming with kiteboarders from first-timers to pros, sports enthusiasts and a stream of VIPs. We’ll be the epicenter of extreme sports and the toast of the international kiteboarding community.”

The event will include visual competitions, demonstrations and technique clinics taking place in key locations throughout the British Virgin Islands, including Necker Island, Bitter End Yacht Club, Virgin Gorda and Anegada. The BVI, an archipelago of some 60 idyllic islands, islets and cays in the North Eastern Caribbean, provides the perfect weather conditions and winds necessary for kiteboarding.

The 2010 BVI Kite Jam will kick off the festivities on February 27, 2010 with a VIP Party at the Fat Virgin Café on Virgin Gorda. Additional events, competitions, parties and meals will be hosted at Necker Island, Bitter End Yacht Club, Anegada and Moskito Island for Kite Jam participants throughout the five days.

High-profile event sponsors include the BVI Tourist Board, Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island, Bitter End Yacht Club as the official venue, and “Sailors For the Sea,” which will give the event a Clean Regatta Certification, in conjunction with Sunsail Yachts, BVI Kite Jam’s accommodation partner.

Sunsail’s Built by Robertson and Caine exclusively for Sunsail, the new Sunsail 384 is the newest generation of cruising catamarans, and will be the official fleet for Kite Jam. Sunsail won the ‘Green Award for Service’ for the brand new charter base in Tortola which has the environment and customer experience at the heart of its design. Protection of reefs and conservation of fresh water are important concerns in the Caribbean and as the biggest charter company operating in the islands, Sunsail is committed to protecting this environment. The Sunsail 384 also features solar panels.

Virgin Islands Search and Rescue (VISAR) and Kids And The Sea (KATS) are also lending their full support to this premier event – BVI Kite Jam will be making contributions to both charities- as well as Green Technology BVI, Delta Petroleum and others. Cape Air was a major sponsor, offering flights to/from Tortola and San Juan for all attending journalists.

Pro riders confirmed are famed German kiteboarder Kristin Boese and American Gretta Kruesi.

Potential “KITE JAMMERS” can register online at the official BVI Kite Jam website, www.bvikitejam.com <http://www.bvikitejam.com> . Participation fees include accommodations on Sunsail Catamarans, lunches, dinners, festivities and more. Fee costs, additional amenities and restriction details can be found on the event’s website.

MEDIA CONTACTS FOR BVI KIITE JAM
Erika Vives or Nadeige Martelly
NY Office: +1 212.320.3677
Mobile: +1.917.859.7269 (Erika) or +1.786.863.1363 (Nadeige)
[email protected]
[email protected]