The Kitesurfers you see here here on the Point Magnin Beach in Noumea are truly champions of their sport and have an enormous amount of fun doing it. Sometimes you can see over a hundred brightly colored, high tech kites soaring in the sky over New Caledonia's lagoon.

This classic windsurfing area is the SE point of Baie de Anse Vata, Noumea's prime international tourism center. In the background, just behind the rock sea wall you can see La Promenade Best Western Premier Hotel. Kitesurfers also congregate on the beach off l'Escapade Island Resort on Ilot Maitre - in fact there is a Kitesurf school that gives lessons on the Ilot Maitre beach - in case you'd like to learn this amazing water sport.

Both beaches have been set aside by the city as dedicated Kitesurf beaches. The best kitesurf areas are usually shallow water (no waves) and exposed to good solid trade wind conditions (15 to 25 knots is ideal). The kites have inflatable ribs and kelvar control lines. The boards look simple but they, too, are carefully crafted of high tech material and the exact shape of the board, the placement of the fins and foot supports is critical. These guys really move. Sometimes they head out to the New Caledonia barrier reef where they do unbelievable stunts on the giant waves breaking on the reefs.

For a complete travel guide to New Caledonia visit the Rocket Guide.