The Tourism Corporation Bonaire (TCB) has announced that Bonaire will host the Second Annual “King of the Caribbean”, December 2 å- 9, 2003. More than 40 top windsurfers from around the world are expected to compete in the week-long event at Bonaireå‘s Lac Bay for the US$65,000 purse ($55,000 for men, $10,000 for women).
The small Island of 12,000 people is fast becoming one of the premiere windsurfing destinations in the world with almost constant on-shore trade winds and mirror flat turquoise water providing perfect conditions for the freestyle discipline.

The “King of the Caribbean” Championship Finals will be the World Cup Finale to the 2003 PWA World Tour. The event will include competitions for all levels: Professional Men, Professional Women, Amateurs, Novices and Juniors. The Professional winners will be crowned “King and Queen of the Caribbean” as well as PWA World Freestyle Champions for 2003.

A favourite to win this year’s event is Bonairean Everon (Tonky) Frans, who took first place at the 2002 King of the Caribbean Freestyle Pro-Am and finished the #6 ranked pro in the world. Other top contenders from the Bonairean windsurfing team are Tonky’s brother Elton (Taty) Frans who finished the year ranked #7 and Keke (Christiaan) Dammers.
The King of the Caribbean is organised by the Bonaire Sailing Foundation (BSaF) and Professional Windsurfers Association(PWA). BSaF has for the past decade organised Bonaire’s Cultimara Cup for windsurfing and the Bonaire International Sailing Regatta. The PWA is an organisation of approximately 300 windsurfers who compete at a number of events around the world and are followed closely by more than 11 million amateurs.

Related stories on Caribbean Weekly:
(04/09/03) Bonaire Acquire fresh Dive Site
(07/10/03) SNIPPET: New hotel to open on Bonaire
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