Promoting green tourism through kiteboarding

Eric James Rienstra, Paula Rosales, Manuela Jungo and James Boulding. Photo by Mark Giongco/INQUIRER.net

Water sports enthusiast and environmental advocate Paula Rosales is aiming to hit two birds with one stone through kiteboarding.

Rosales, a renowned wakeboarder and kite rider in the country, is promoting green tourism with the creation of the carbon free fun advocacy called “Xciting Palawan,” which encourages tourists and locals alike to use natural energies such as wind and light while exploring and preserving the beauty of Palawan.

“I formed this company Blue Kiteboarding with the help of the Mitras of Palawan. Having the experience and the background from working in [CamSur WaterSports Complex] with the promotion of sports tourism, we’re just marrying that approach on tourism,” Rosales, one of the organizers of Blue Palawan International Kiteboard, told INQUIRER.net during the press launch of the Tuesday at Handle Bar and Grill in Makati.

“Plus, Palawan is very big on taking care of their environment so we want to promote sports where we don’t the use of gas. You don’t want to harm the environment and Palawan is a very beautiful place,” Rosales said.

A kite makes use of wind as its main source to move and that’s exactly why Rosales sees kite boarding as the perfect sport to further promote her advocacy.

“Kite boarding is very popular in the Philippines and with the creation of this Carbon Free Fun movement which is called Xciting Palawan, we are promoting free energy sport,” she said.

International kite riders Manuela Jungo, James Boulding and Eric James Rienstra, who have made a name for themselves in the US and Europe, also marveled at the tropical paradise that is Palawan as one of the best destinations for kite riders.

“Constant wind, flat water and we don’t want any waves and Palawan is a perfect spot for us,” Swiss kite rider Jungo said.

Rosales said she also intends to work hand in hand with the “Liter of Light,” a global foundation aimed at providing attainable and sustainable solar light to people limited or without access to electricity.

“We’re trying to figure out on how to cross promote the use of solar energy in rural places because usually kiteboarding places here in the Philippines have no electricity and we want to promote the education of solar energy which is also another free energy in these places.”