Legends of Kitesurfing Sri Lanka: Mischi turns 40!

In any industry you get the pioneers, I have had the honour of being taught by Sri Lanka's Father of Kitesurfing - Mischi. He was Sri Lanka;s first instructor. His passion for the sport in turn made all of us go Kitesurfing crazy. The kitesurfing scene in Sri Lanka would never be a reality without his efforts as an instructor.

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Mischi is special. He is unique. Maya his 'girlfriend' (Apologies Marcia) and Blanka, the VW van, the whale bone garden all make Mischi one of the most colourful characters in Kalpitiya. 

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Mischi is not only a legend in Kiting, he loves nature and one of my fondest images of Mischi's attempt is found on this video. Still get goose bumps watching this!

Mischi's Turtle Rescue from Thomas Steiger on Vimeo.

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Mischi celebrates the big 40 on Sunday! We wish you God's fondest blessings and may you continue inspire many more people to come. 

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Have a Happy Birthday 'Vayu-Man'.

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Project: Uplift Environmentalist in Kalpitiya (Rs. 1000 X 150 friends)

There is a fishermen in Kalpitiya. To me he is an amazing person. He is an environmentalist. He tries to educate the community about proper techniques and usages of nets so that the Dolphins and Turtles dont get caught in them and drown. He travels for hours in a local bus so that he can attend meetings on various issue whether its to do with environment or fishing. He helps plant and grow the mangroves. 

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His striking trait was the fact that he is a long term thinker, rare, especially in a rural village like Kalpitiya. 

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He could have worked with my company and earned a good income, instead as the head of his Fishing Society he wanted to safeguard the best interest of his community and devised a plan to ensure that the fishermen also benefited from our kitesurfing business. We drafted a plan and now all fishermen who would'nt get an income during the monsoon period now get an income through boat hires and fees. 

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I hated him for this at first but then I realized what a really good, sustainable and life giving income stream it is for them, and me. It was win:win. We all win when everyone becomes interdependent.

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I want to see his quality of life improve. 

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My wish this Christmas is to raise Rs. 150,000 so that; 

1. I can get the walls rendered of his house

2. Floor cemented and polished

3. Walls painted

4. Toilet made

5. One room in his house done up for 'guest' who can live in his place - so that he has an added income

6. Do up his garden

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He didnt ask me to do this. He has no idea. 

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I will keep adding the list of people who pledge to support. I will have 1 month. Mail me dilsiriw@gmail.com if you want to make a difference to a random person.

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So far; 

9 persons have pledged. Mail me dilsiriw@gmail.com if you want to help.

Why Kalpitiya? It’s Pretty Simple.

1. Amazingly Fresh Seafood – Lobsters, Crabs, Prawns
2. Calm seas with little or no current near the hotel
3. Empty beaches with only the innocent fishermen
4. Largest Coral Reef in Sri Lanka
5. No light pollution – You actually see the stars at night!
6. Options of exploring the Lagoons and Sea by boat
7. Pretty innocent and genuine people, no touts no mass tourism
8. Sports such as Diving, Kayaking, Kitesurfing, Snorkeling
9. Sunset Strolls on the Beach collecting shells
10. Swim with the plankton at night
11. Three hours in a car from Colombo
12. Wild Life – Whales, Dolphins, Turtles, Birds and even Sea Horses if you can find them! Oh and lots and lot of fish and Donkeys!
13. You can also go to Anuradhapura and Wilpathu National Park as part of a bigger journey.

Silly things people ask me J

Is it dangerous? No it isn’t.

Are the roads good? Yes they are.

Is it like 7 hours drive from Colombo? No, just 3.5 if you come by car at a leisurely pace.

Are there shops? Yes there are shops.

Can we buy pizza? Believe it or not, my chef can make you pizza!

Can I do a weekend thing? Yes you can. You’ll have ample time to enjoy!

Now tell us what makes Kalpitiya special for you?