My Beach… Juan Rodriguez, Columbia

M Y BEACH

Lake Calima

Columbia

Lake Calima was created when a hydroelectric dam was built in the 1960’s, and it has since become a mecca for water sports and leisure activities. GKA competitor Juan Rodriguez was lucky enough to grow up nearby, which meant he could hit the water daily after school…

PHOTOS EDUARDO ANGARITA

When I was 8 years old I lived close to Lake Calima and came to the shore to watch people practice this incredible sport. At that time I was able to windsurf and developed my potential enough to become junior national champion in that. When I was 13 years old I started working in a kite school. I liked to see people flying through the air but for me it was very difficult to get equipment to learn with – my parents worked in farming and it is not easy to get money for gear. I worked in the kite school so I could go kiting.

CAN YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST SESSIONS?

I remember after school I would get home and look across the fields of our ‘finca’ towards the lake. I would be checking to see if there were white caps. Then I would cross the fields and head to the kite school. It was always like arriving in another world, like a small adventure away from my everyday life, and it is still such a special experience for me. There are beautiful sunsets, and the kite schools have an amazing atmosphere which helps make Calima a magical place.

WHO ELSE DID YOU RIDE THERE WITH?

I always went to the kite school and met friends after school to practice maneuvers and kiting skills. In Lake Calima at the time, not many people even knew what kiting was exactly, and no one was doing freestyle. My friends were kiting for fun. The only way to progress was to watch videos of the legends of kiting.

CAN YOU TALK US THROUGH THE TYPICAL CONDITIONS?

Lake Calima has very strong winds to practice this sport and also has good conditions 365 days of the year. The lake is surrounded by mountains, and the best conditions to create a good thermal wind is blue sky in the morning. If it is super sunny and warm, there will probably be a good thermal wind from 1pm. The water state does not change much; sometimes the tide rises or drops a bit when the hydroelectric plant is producing energy.

HAS THE SET UP AT THE BEACH CHANGED OVER THE YEARS?

A little – the sport is growing, and so has the community, especially the hydrofoil community. The whole area changed when they built the dam and created the lake, and it became a popular tourist destination, but that was before I was born of course!

Probably waking up on a sunny day at my house, having a nice quiet morning doing gym, then after lunch going down to the lake to catch the thermal in the afternoon, and then in the evening cooking dinner by the mountains while enjoying the atmosphere of the night with other kiters.

IS THERE ONE SESSION THAT STANDS OUT FOR YOU THERE?

For me, every session is super special and unique! You are surrounded by pure nature – mountains, green grass, and dense cloud coming down from the mountain. But an exceptional day is to get the best weather conditions – sunny and warm – along with constant wind, that is extra special…

WHERE’S YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO EAT OR WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MEAL AFTER A SESSION THERE?

I usually eat at home after the session – a great salad with good chicken!

DO YOU THINK YOU WOULD HAVE GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY IF THAT HADN’T BEEN SUCH A FAMILIAR SPOT?

I am super lucky to have this lake nearby, otherwise I would not have been able to kite after school. Thanks to living here I became junior national champion at 15 and came fourth at the GKA Freestyle Super Grand Slam in Brazil last year. I must also thank go2kite.team for supporting me and giving me a unique opportunity to be a professional athlete. They have taken me to several incredible spots to train and develop my performance. Thanks also to my coach Tommaso Vigano.

IF YOU HAD TO CHOOSE ANOTHER SPOT THAT YOU LOVE BUT THAT IS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, WHERE WOULD IT BE?

Probably the opposite of my home is Brazil. There is no place I know that is so consistent and clean when it comes to the wind. There the wind blows from the same direction every day and you know exactly what you are going to get, unlike at home where you can’t quite predict what will happen each day. Consistent wind means I can focus on learning new tricks, which is important for pro riders. ■