sherman Island in the Sacramento Delta will likely be swarmed with kiteboarders this Labor Day weekend. The delta breeze makes it a perfect spot for the niche watersport, and locals say they’re seeing a boom in boarders. Sherman Island sits just south of Rio Vista, nestled between the Sacramento and San Joaquin It’s what draws hundreds of people to a short stretch of beach that’s become famous for a new sport called Kiters say the island is one of the most consistently windy spots on the West Coast and maybe in the world.Renee Macdougal and her husband are from Tahoe, but they spend winters kiting in Mexico and summers on Sherman Island. On a recent Wednesday, they watched the crescent – shaped kites fly high above the beach, fluttering in reds and yellows against a clear blue sky. Each kiter has a choice: stay low and skim the waves or use the precious gusts as catapults for airborne tricks and turn Nothing beats getting sprayed in the face with fresh water versus salt water,” says Freeman. “It’s also 10 degrees warmer than the bay, which also helps you keep nice and warm during those longer sessions.”Freeman’s campsite is one of about 50 in Sherman Island County Park’s gravel lot. It’s sort of a neighborhood—a place for boarders to while away hours with beers and banjos.Camp manager Bob Chambers is a longtime windsurfer.“A lot of people are switching over from windsurfing to kiting. And then a lot of new kiters,” says Chambers. “Our certified instructors that come out here, they’re busy all summer long.”Don Ross and other kiteboarding advocates are hoping to get more parking and more launch ramps to keep up with the growing trend. But they’re still a fringe sport compared to more
