By Carol Shaughnessy
Florida Keys News Bureau

Paul Menta has kite-surfed from Key West to Cuba and pursued his sport in places as extreme as a lake beside three Guatemalan volcanoes at 10,000 feet. Widely regarded as a kiteboarding pioneer, he adventured around the world — and then settled in Key West, where he offers kiteboard training vacations at his unique Kitehouse training center.

Kitehouse students immerse themselves in the kiteboarding lifestyle, absorbing skills and moves, safety procedures and a philosophy of living in the moment and becoming one with the environment.

Kiteboarding requires a waist harness, an inflatable kite attached by four lines, a steering bar and a board. In the clear shallow waters of the Keys backcountry, students learn to pump up and fly the kite, steer using the bar and attempt jumps, spins and other maneuvers on the board.

"With your feet you're able to feel the water, but with your hands you feel the wind — your body is the vessel," Menta said. "I feel the sport interacts with the environment."

Kitehouse training options range from one- to five-day beginner programs to a five-day intermediate course — and most instruction is one-on-one with the teacher. Riding excursions are offered for advanced kiteboarders who don't need instruction.

"Even though we have a small island, we have a huge backcountry, a lot of shallow water and 360 degrees of wind," said Menta. "Because of this unique situation, we have a super-safe environment to learn the sport.

For information about Kitehouse learning vacations and excursions, including prices and lodging, click here.

Key lime pie, made from sweet, local limes, is one of the many treats that make the Keys famous in culinary circles.

Amateurs, professionals and "junior" chefs are to compete in five categories including soups and chowders, appetizers, entrees, desserts and sides and salads. Divisions include professional haute cuisine, professional just good cookin', amateur and junior (younger than 16).

The cook-off is free to competitors. The 2006 competition drew more than 130 entries.

Public sampling starts at about 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn, and awards are to be announced afterward.

Sampling tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis for $15 per person. They can be purchased at the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce, Boilini Eye Care, TIB Bank and Community Bank, the event's sponsor.

For event details, call the Key Largo Chamber of Commerce at (800) 822-1088 or (305) 451-4747.

Maneuvering the catamaran around the turning point takes precision and skill by experienced sailors.

By Nancy Lucas
Florida Keys News Bureau

Two-time A-Cat world champion Peter Melvin is among 100 world-class international competitors and Olympic sailors preparing to race November 8-16 in the 2007 Ronstan A-Class Catamaran World Championship headquartered at Islamorada's Islander Resort, mile marker 82.1 oceanside.

Races are scheduled Monday through Friday, Nov. 12-16, preceded by equipment inspection and trial races starting Friday, Nov. 9.

Two previous A-Class catamaran races were held in January 2007, and a third annual event is set for January 2008. However, event officials chose November in Islamorada for the world championship for the perfect weather conditions.

In addition to daily races, opening and closing ceremonies at the Islander are to be open to the public.

"It's going to be like a mini-Olympics with a village," said event co-organizer John Schiefer. Each country's race participants are expected to share in the festivities with something from their homeland.

Australian Glenn Ashby plans to defend his 2006 championship title. He is a multiple world champion in the class and is regarded as a favorite to medal in the 2008 Tornado Olympic event in Qingdao, China.

For more information, click here or contact the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce at (305) 664-8516.

Photo by Captain Steve Lamp

Baseball Hall of Famer Wade Boggs (left) and Brent Wood of Mercury Marine show off a bonefish for a quick photo before releasing it during the 2007 Mercury Redbone S.L.A.M. Tournament in Key West.

Since the late 19th century, British anglers have been known to catch and release many species of fish — in particular trout and Atlantic salmon. But it was in the Florida Keys that the catch-and-release ethic became a way of life for saltwater anglers.

Backcountry game fish — bonefish, tarpon and permit — were the first game fish to be released on a regular basis. Soon to follow were snook and redfish, though a few are still kept for the dinner table.

On the ocean side of the 125-mile-long island chain, Keys charter boat captains were the original leaders in releasing billfish — marlin, sailfish and swordfish. Today's Keys captains are leading the way in releasing extra "food" fish like dolphin (mahi), grouper and snapper. They teach their anglers to "limit their kill" instead of "killing their limit."

Catch and release is so much a part of fishing throughout the Keys that bonefish, tarpon, permit, snook, redfish, sailfish, marlin and swordfish tournaments offer bonus points for fish brought in to a weigh station and then released alive.

Most research shows that properly released fish survive. In the Keys, anglers take special pride in watching their worthy adversaries swim away to fight another day.

By Nancy Lucas
Florida Keys News Bureau

In the Florida Keys, where fall and winter daytime temperatures average in the 70s and there has never been a recorded frost, it's hard to imagine sandal-clad kids playing in the snow.

But that's the usually impossible centerpiece set for the Florida Keys Holiday Festival 4 to 10 p.m., Friday, Nov. 30, at Islamorada's Founders Park, mile marker 87 bayside.

A 20-ton mountain of manmade snow is to delivered to the festival, which also is to include a 35-foot-tall Christmas tree, caroling, a holiday art auction and vendors. For some local kids, the festival will be the first time they have ever seen the white stuff.

The annual holiday parade, known for its family-oriented themes, is to start at 7 p.m. at Founders Park starring, of course, Santa Claus.

Admission is free, but donations are to be collected for parking. For more information, contact the Islamorada Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-FAB-KEYS or visit islamoradachamber.com.

For more travel information on the Florida Keys:
www.fla-keys.com