When it comes to locales that are ideal for watersports, no place on Earth can outpace the Caribbean. From paragliding to deep sea diving, whether above, on or beneath the surface, if it can be done with water, it can be done in Caribbean waters. Which is why the absence of the region from atop the podium as the world’s leading region for watersports is more than curious.
But while the Caribbean’s rise to great prominence in this arena is surely overdue, is there a compelling reason why other regions have, until now, held an advantage in drawing major events? And beyond the past, what more can be done in future to further establish the region’s identity as a watersports epicentre?
Drawing a Crowd
Any important event requires a major audience. There is an important distinction to be made here between an audience and a crowd. For though metropolises like Rio de Janeiro or Los Angeles are always surefire bets to bring thousands upon thousands of people through the doors, the relatively small population of most Caribbean states, with only six (Cuba, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and Trinidad and Tobago) holding more than one million citizens, means a different calculation is required.
Once upon a time the lack of a major local crowd could pose a real challenge to a city’s ability to hold a key event. That is no longer the case. The immense popularity of eSports has shown that countless eyeballs, even if watching from afar, can look upon a large-scale event and engage with it, all the while while representing massive profits for those who host such events successfully.
Accordingly, for smaller nations there is today the ability to draw a massive audience that can complement crowds attending in-person, whatever their size may be. It’s why the Republic of Ireland can draw over seven million views for its wrap of a local Diving World Series round, or how the island of Gran Canaria, Spain can draw in a whopping 37 million views thanks to a quick visit and BMX bike ride by Danny MacAskill, throughout the rooftops and off a clifftop into the sea.
This is crucial for local communities looking to host events that showcase not only a great watersports competition, but the attractions that surround it. No longer are grandstands and cocktail-filled marquees the sole means of generating revenue and driving tourists to spend money in the local economy. Even so, before online marketing and engagement can be incorporated into a tourism strategy, there is the requirement for a headline event. And it’s in this space that the Caribbean — depending on your perspective — has been under-represented or is yet to maximise on its potential.
A Mainline to Miami
For many people throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, it’s often held that Latin America begins not with the border of Mexico or the northern shores of Cuba, but instead in the Floridian city of Miami. With a huge population of Caribbean expats and a majority Spanish-speaking population, Miami has successfully sold the sun, sea and sand identity advanced for generations by all cities that sit on Caribbean shores.
While the strength of the Caribbean culture within Miami is something for all people of this region to be proud of, it’s also inescapable that Miami often does ‘double duty’: as a stop on the international circuit that is recognised as a US destination, while also serving as something of a de facto Caribbean one. The same can be said of some locales across Brazil that at times are billed as representing not only South America’s biggest nation, but all nations in the region! And yet the absence of a greater Caribbean presence within the watersports community is clear and plain.
How else to account for the International Windsurfing Association calendar providing for three events in Miami across the next year and two in Brazil, but none within this region? The Caribbean is clearly an obvious destination for the hosting of great watersports events, but outcomes haven’t followed opportunity.
Making Local Assets Liquid
Any discussion of watersports events has to acknowledge the Caribbean’s abundance of natural resources and the complementary attractions. The Caribbean is blessed with pristine beaches, beautiful and diverse waterways, and an appealing climate, in tandem with a strong existing tourism industry, all of which make it a dream location for major events. Just the same, the natural beauty and existing industries require supporting infrastructure and resources to really grab hosting the rights to major events that other cities compete for.
In this regard, while it’s surprising that the beauty-blessed Caribbean region is yet to acquire hosting rights to many more major draw cards, it’s understandable when the often inadequate support aspect is taken into account. Those who desire change by seeking to still rely on the region’s existing resources, instead of driving the development of new incentives, may be waiting a very long time for change.
Catching the Wave
Caribbean nations seeking to grow their presence in global watersports competitions have three core options. The first is to advocate for the addition of a local event to existing global watersports events; to say to major tours like the World Surf League that sure, events in Tahiti and France are nothing to sneeze at, but it’s time to see the Caribbean represented more strongly.
The second option is to expand existing local events to become truly regional. The Karujet Personal Watercraft Competition is an obvious candidate in this space, not only as a lead-in to IJSBA’s official Endurance World Championship, but potentially as an expanded event in its own right. Finally, there’s the option of building new events locally, ones that complement existing drawcards such as the King of the Caribbean in Bonaire and the Curacao Challenge Windsurf Competition. This region may not yet be leading the world of watersports but, with the right event planning and ambition, the tide can turn quickly.
