Windsurfing Magazine

kristin
2000-04-01 19:00:00 | 177 views | 0 Comments

So much has changed, so much remains the same.

I made my first venture to Baja in 1983. Rumors of warm water, lots of sun and steady, hot winds had filtered back up north, and I decided to see for myself. Arriving in Cabo San Lucas, the only thing I found was a waterlogged Bic Dufor Wing sporting a rig even the Flintstones would have rejected. At least I got wet.
One day I spied a big truck with a pile of boards on the roof parked in front of a tiny cafe. I sprinted over and began peppering the occupants with questions.

“Where are you going? Where have you been? Where is the wind? Where can I get gear? How was the drive down?”

The scruffy driver looked up from his plate of tacos, gave me the once-over and spat, “I'd tell you, but then I'd have to kill you,” and returned to his meal.

I didn't return until 1988. By that time, Baja had been “discovered.” A couple of windsurfing entrepreneurs, Dirk Gidney and Jay Valentine, had set up rental, lesson and resort operations in Los Barilles - a tiny village two hours north of Cabo - and were having a whale of a good time. The fit with the existing hotels was perfect: They were packed with fishermen from April to November. But when the strong winter winds came up, the fishermen went home and the small, spartan resorts were vacant. So the windsurfers took over.

Gidney expanded his business and filled up the Palmas des Cortes hotel, eventually employing more than a dozen people with accommodations and equipment for 50 guests a week. Buck Lyons started Vela, bought out Valentine and set up operations at two hotels right on the water: the rather basic Playa Hermosa and the more deluxe Spa Buena Vista, a mile downwind.

By the early '90s, the area around Los Barilles was cooking. Several winters of great wind combined with the annual World Masters Windsurfing Regatta helped spread the word. Windsurfing in Baja was no longer a secret.

My first windsurfing trip to Los Barilles in 1988 was fabulous. The local people were both curious and friendly, the wind was great (eight days straight of 4.0 to 5.0), and by the end of the week, the Vela staff were like old friends.

Naturally, it did take awhile to adjust to the maqana attitude. Eight o'clock means noon; today means tomorrow; tomorrow means next week; yes means maybe; and maybe means you've got to be kidding. Once you understand the language, everything falls into place. In 1988 you could buy a lot on the beach for $10,000, a Corona for 25 cents and a week at Vela for $500. That same piece of sand sells today for $120,000, the beers are a buck, and a week of windsurfing is, well, more.

Which brings us to the present - and to the changes. I remember meeting my first real Baja bartender, Hector, at Los Palmas. He was 5 feet, 6 inches, dark, sturdy and very Mexican, with a big, friendly smile and hands quick enough to add that extra shot of tequila to your margarita when you weren't looking. Hector took great pride in introducing you to the Nectar of Hector - tequila.

Switch to 1998. I walk into the bar at Los Palmas and there, standing just as if it were 10 years ago to the day, is Hector - perhaps 10 pounds heavier (aren't we all), but with a smile and a wink that told me instantly to run while I still had the chance. Some things never change.

Meanwhile, at Playa Hermosa, there were big changes: the addition of a big new swimming pool, a second-floor dining room over the bar and an entire new building right on the beach with eight spacious oceanfront rooms. Oh, and it's now called Playa del Sol. (I think Sol is the Jewish banker from New York who financed it or something.)

I wander out to the poolside bar and there, standing just like he did 10 years ago, is Manuel the bartender. He stares at me with a look that says, “Don't I know you from somewhere? Oh, that's right! You're the guy who used to drink six margaritas every night, likee, 10 years ago, right?”

I stare back with a look that says, “Yup, that's me.”

“Buena vista!” I exclaim. This is my all-purpose Baja greeting, which literally translated means “I am a stupid tourist who doesn't speak a word of your language.” We smile, laugh and shake hands. Some things never change.

The sailing at Los Barilles is still wonderful, and the winter of '97/'98 was one of the best in memory. El Niqo, my foot! Warm water, 20 days of good wind every month from December to March, 50 miles of new bike trails and a dozen new restaurants make the place truly happening.

One thing about Baja remains: When the wind is strong, it's not a great place for beginners. It's not a baby beach. Strong winds (20-30 knots) can create a nasty shore break, and the constantly changing currents mean constantly changing beaches: perfect sand one month and toe-stubbing rocks the next. There is a fair current down the coast, and wind-borne swells of 4 to 6 feet are common. It's best to have your water start down to really enjoy Baja. That's not to mean that it can't be a great place to learn; it's just that you might have to wait a few days for the wind to back off enough. Big problem, huh?

While there is now (horrors) a real estate office and (oh-my-gawd) a mini-mall in Los Barilles, the place still retains its friendly ambience and maqana attitude. Sure, more of the roads are paved now, the Pemex station has a shiny new sign, and you can actually get a cell phone, but you don't have to. You can still launch pretty much anywhere from 50 miles of white-sand beach, hop on your rig and head out into the wondrous Sea of Cortez, and only see a handful of other windsurfers (which are a welcome sight, since you'll probably know most of them).

Windsurfing centers at Punta Colorado, Punta Chivato, Cabo Pulmo, Ranch Leonaro and others have closed up in the past few years, leaving those spots much as they were before windsurfing was invented. Even La Ribera, the last “secret spot” to be “discovered” and thus “ruined” after the road there was paved a few years ago, remains a very sleepy little village.

Vela bought out Gidney's Baja Surf Club in 1995 and now operates out of both locations. The Vela High Wind Center has more than 100 of the very best boards and rigs for when the wind blows and a large fleet of great mountain bikes, sea kayaks, snorkeling gear and other assorted toys for when it doesn't. Plus, you can go scuba diving or marlin fishing or golfing or off on a shopping excursion to Cabo San Lucas.

Yes, Baja has changed, but then so have we all. The sun still shines, the wind still blows, the people are still relaxed and friendly, and the roads remain in a constant state of repair. The things that make Baja special will never change.

For travel information, contact Baja Adventures, 800-533-8452, 541-386-7639; Diamond Resort, 800-858-2258; Excursions Extraordinaires, 800-678-2252; Capt. Kirk's La Ventana, 310-833-3397; Vela Windsurf Resorts, 800-223-5443; Solo Sports, 714-453-1950, 714-837-1396.