Kiteboarders take flight

Laid-back culture

As part of the laid-back Ryukyu culture, named after the independent kingdom that existed before it became part of Japan, Miyakojima's food, culture and architecture feels closer to China than to Japan because the Ryukyu Kingdom was China's "vassal state" until 1879 when Okinawa became part of Japan. The distance between Miyakojima to China's Taiwan is only one-third of that of it is to Tokyo.

A kiteboarding tour in Miyakojima could begin as early as 5 in the morning if the wind is right. Several kiteboarders had already arrived when Tamaki reached the Sanitu Beach near Yonaha Maehama, the shore is said to be the most beautiful beach of the entire Okinawan Archipelago.

Among the early-bird enthusiasts is a 20-year-old called Danny who said he went before dawn so that he can get some kiteboarding in before going to work.

"Locals including me never had a chance to see the real potential of this beautiful beach until recently," Danny said, adding that he is glad to see a growing number of people flocking into his hometown as well as kitesurfing flourishing along the coast.

To take part in kitesurfing, inflating a more than 10 meter long kite is the first step. Then the kite needs to be hooked by four flying lines to a harness. But the preparation takes a lot of work and room because the fly lines could easily get tangled.

For beginners, they may start practicing "body dragging" after the preparation, a move where the kiteboarder launches a ripstop nylon kite, configured in a U-like canopy parachute, and holds onto the fly lines while the kite drags him across the sand.

After mastering body dragging, it is time to get yourself wet. The flying exercises can be very different from those on the land and the hardest part is to be in control of the kite at all times while flying it to the right and the left or making turns.

The next step is to fly the kite and surf on the wakeboard at the same time. The kiteboarder needs to take the control bar in one hand and a board in the other and it takes some acrobatic skill to get the kite all the way into the air. The goal is to lift off from the water while holding onto the fly lines, becoming airborne with your feet attached to the board.

"At first it is recommended to have an experienced friend to help you launch the kite and safety equipment is a must in kitesurfing," said Tamaki.