Pismo Beach Kite/SUP Expo 3/22-24: Fundraiser 4 Kinsley

marina · Since 16 Jan 2006 150 Posts California coast Stoked

The Kiteboarder Magazine and XtremeBigAir.com have teamed up once again to present the 2011 9th annual Pismo Beach KiteXpo. Sticking with the three-day weekend event format so riders can experience the wide variety of outdoor activities, award winning wineries, and local eateries while demoing all the latest gear from participating brands, the 2011 Expo will be held April 22-24, 2011, at the Grand Avenue exit in Pismo Beach/Oceano with SUP demos offered in the morning (9am-12pm). As in years’ past, intermediate only level riders who can go upwind, self rescue, and are comfortable riding with others can demo gear and will be required to sign a waiver and provide credit card information before receiving an event wrist band. For those interested in finding out more about kiteboarding, a beginner/trainer kite area sponsored by Liquid Force is in the works which will be supervised and held during normal KiteXpo hours (12pm-5pm).

This year’s event will include a special fundraising effort for Pismo Beach KiteXpo’s founder Kinsley ThomasWong of Xtreme Big Air in Pismo Beach, CA. Kinsley was involved in a serious kiteboarding accident on the Central Coast of California on July 15, 2010. While he has made amazing progress so far, his road to recovery has been very costly. Kinsley has elevated so many lives with his amazing spirit and stoke for life. As one of the early kiteboarders and first IKO certified instructors in the United States, he has promoted the sport passionately, always treating people like long lost friends whether you just met him or had known him for years. You can help support Kinsley in a number of different ways:

1. Come to the KiteXpo!

2. Buy raffle tickets: Depending on what donations we receive, we plan on having the daily raffles at the event with grand prizes given away Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. We will also be auctioning some larger ticket items on EBay. Items will not be limited to kite gear only. See below for details.*

3. Come join the festivities at the Saturday night BBQ/Bonfire with live music this year. Just $15 per plate for a killer BBQ and drink catered by Maui Mike and his family from the Bay Area.

4. Support the Xtreme Big Air Store: While instruction has been suspended, you can still get great deals from Kinsley on kite, paragliding, and SUP gear and accessories. www.xtremebigair.com

5. Purchase some award winning wine at near 50% off discounted pricing! Dan Tudor, owner and winemaker of the prestigious Tudor and Radog Wines, has very generously donated 100 cases of wine with 100% of proceeds going to the Kinsley ThomasWong Donation Fund! These are superior wines with high review ratings from a preeminent winemaker. http://kinsleydonation.weebly.com/wine.html

*Many people have asked how they can support Kinsley by donating products or services such as original/limited edition artwork, cases of wine, computer services, accommodations, etc. If you would like to donate an auction item valued at $250 retail or more, please contact marina@thekiteboarder.com with “Kinsley Auction” in the subject line no later than Friday, March 19, 2011.

Also, we are still searching for the best acoustic entertainment we can provide for the Saturday night BBQ/Bonfire. We are seeking a single person or max group of three to play background music in the Jack Johnson, Jackie Greene, World Beat genre from around 6:30pm to 9:30pm. Please email marina@thekiteboarder.com if you can help out!

For updates, see http://www.xtremebigair.com/kitexpo and http://www.thekiteboarder.com/pismoexpo

apctjb · Since 19 Aug 2007 438 Posts Obsessed

And the spring season has certainly started at Pismo. Good wind the past couple of days with a dozen or kiters out! I hear it snowing in Portland...