“To every thing there is a season.” 
This Biblical quote may not apply to fishing in Los Cabos – where the game fish bite year round – but it certainly applies to every other Baja based water sport. Spring is the best time to swim with whale sharks; summer brings big-time surf competitions to the Sea of Cortez; autumn offers optimal diving temperatures and visibility; and winter is when whale watching and wind sports take center stage.
Each winter, from mid-November through mid-March, powerful El Norte winds blow down the Sea of Cortez, creating perfect wind and kite surfing conditions along certain coastal areas of Baja California Sur. The height of the “breezy season” occurs in January, when the world’s fastest wind and water riders flock to picturesque East Cape communities like Los Barriles and the more northerly La Ventana.
Los Barriles hosts the region’s most illustrious, and only royalty creating sporting event: The Lord of the Wind Showdown. The competition for aspiring nobles is sponsored by the local Rotary Club, and features multiple days of world-class kiteboarding in categories like slalom and big air, with the overall winners – in the interests of inclusivity, both a Lord and Lady of the Wind are now crowned – walking away with thousands of dollars in prize money. Admission is free for spectators, who will also want to check out affiliated events like the traditional Tamales Cook-Off.
La Ventana, a small coastal community southeast of La Paz that was founded in the 1940s by a former pearl diver, hosts its own high-flying wind sports contest. The elevation-focused event promises cash and everlasting glory to the best participating windsurfers, kite boarders and stand up paddle boarders, and also raises money for local schools.
The 7th annual Lord of the Wind Showdown is scheduled for Jan. 17 – 22, 2017; the La Ventana Classic for Jan. 25 – 29. For more information, visit www.lordofthewindbaja.com or www.laventanaclassic.com.
Call 1-888-655-4548 Now for the Best Values in Los Cabos Vacation Rentals.
Photo courtesy of Lord of the Wind Baja.
