Rider: Alex Fox
Photographer: Molelii
Location: The Grenadines, Petit Tabac
“This shot was taken on the fourth day of our trip to the Grenadines off the coast of a tiny deserted island called Petit Tabac. It is without a doubt one of the most scenic backdrops in the Caribbean. It’s that classic picturesque deserted white sandy beach lined with palm trees and water so clear that it glows. If you Google ‘kiteboarding paradise’ an image of Petit Tabac should be the very first image that comes up. The most popular claim to fame about this island is that it was featured in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Johnny Depp’s character Jack Sparrow was forced to walk the plank of his ship and ended up on this island with just a bottle of rum. I haven’t fact checked that, but I guarantee if you ask someone about this island that will be the first remark that you hear. We sessioned here for about three hours until the wind died, which isn’t exactly the longest session when you are on a photo shoot. But this shot was so productive because the location made it so easy. Its perfect shallow water was protected by a razor sharp, very alive barrier reef with steady sideshore wind. This was one of those sessions when you know you’re sunburnt and you should get off the water but you physically can’t remove yourself until the wind does it for you. We left this island shortly after this session and headed off to whatever the next stop on our itinerary was. But I remember leaving with the thought of Jack Sparrow being stranded there. Even though the movie was fictional, I don’t know if I’d be too sad had I been dropped off there and stranded with just a bottle of rum and a kite.”—Alex Fox
