First Belizean Aims to Set a World Record

The extreme sport of kite surfing has become a very popular sport worldwide and in San Pedro it has gained much ground in the popularity ranks amongst thrill seekers and sports enthusiast. One young man in San Pedro is taking up the challenge of setting a world record of being the first Belizean to be in the Guinness Book of World Records by being the first to kite surf the entire length of the Meso American Barrier Reef.

Twenty one year-old Martin John Leslie will attempt to set the record of kite surfing in one continuous direction for 600 miles and he plans on doing so in four days. Martin John is set to kite surf the largest Barrier Reef in the Western Hemisphere at the end of this month. His journey will begin at Isla Contoy, Mexico (just above Cancun) and end at the Sapodilla Cayes in Toledo.


Martin John has been kite surfing for five years now and has been arduously practicing for the event for more than two months. He has managed to kite surf from San Pedro Town to Belize City in one and a half hours this past Sunday.


Representatives of the Guinness Book of World Records will be coming to the country to witness the event that is being sponsored by SEAduced by Belize, The Belize Tourism Board and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. More contacts are being made to obtain more international media coverage for the event.

We will keep you posted on Martin’s progress and have full coverage of his amazing fete. Ambergris Today wishes martin John the best of luck! Make us proud Martin John!


Ambergris Today

All right John, you fly guy!!!!!!! Good Luck!!!!

Don't understand when he will get any sleep. I can't believe he can be mentally and psysically strong enough to go 4 straight days. Maybe Guinness will allow him to power down and get in a boat and sleep for a couple of hours each day and then continue on to the completion of his kite surfing trip. Anyone knows how he plans to do this? Sorry ahead of time if this is a stupid question. thanks

Way cool Go for it!

good luck Martin John!

How freakin cool!

Awesome!!!!

It saddens me to see the Mexican propagand declaring the Belize Barrier Reef as part of the so called "Meso American Barrier Reef" Don't take my word for it, as they say "Google it" Here are a few hits you get if you Google "Belize Barrier Reef".

National Geographic
Encyclapedia Britanica
World Herigage Center - Unesco Declared the Belize Barrier Reef a World Heritage site.

All of them descripe it as offshore Belize and 145 to 180 miles long reaching from the sapodilla Cayes to the border of Mexico...not beyond.

Some years back Mexico started trying to hijack the Belize Barrier reef to capitalize on the tourism dollars. They even tried to get it renamed but couldn't get the support. Thank goodness.


http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/10/1017_021017_belize.html
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/59532/Belize-Barrier-Reef
http://www.westminster.edu/staff/athrock/BELIZE/Reef.html
http://www.new7wonders.com/nature/en/nominees/northandcentralamerica/c/BelizeBarrierReefReef/
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Belize_Barrier_Reef_Reserve_System,_Belize
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/764

On the other hand Google "Meso American Barrier Reef" and you get almost nothing but those who mention it call it the Belize Barrier Reef or offshore Belize.

Please don't let Mexico or whoever hijack the Beautiful Barrier reef with their continued propaganda. Expose the hoax.

That is so awesome! Simon, when are you going teach me!!!!

Windsurfing is my gig! I've taken my first couple of lessons so I only have the very basics. It seems to be a lot less of a learning curve compared to windsurfing. Martin John gives lessons, you should give it a shot!