Where is the best place for a Minnesotan to go windsurfing over spring break 2003? The Dane Petersen Trans-Global Web Design Concern has analyzed the data of the matter, and stands poised to help you make your decision.

Travel

All the locations we considered are tropical, as any cold-wintered windsurfer needs turquoise water, sunshine and sand beaches when spring break rolls around. To make it past our rigorous selection process a travel destination must offer full windsurfing amenities. As a result, all the locations listed below have windsurfing lessons, rental shops and retail stores.

Airfare costs are a major hurdle that must be overcome to enjoy a week in the sun. If you can't even afford to get near the equator, no amount of improvisation once you get there (eating coconuts, sleeping in dumpsters, selling organs) will help you finance your trip.

In today's world of heightened security, random searches, and teensy bags of pretzels, air travel has become highly undesirable. In selecting an ideal windsurfing location, we sought those that limited travel time as much as possible.

All flights leave from the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport on the weekend of March 14 - 16. All flights return to MSP on the weekend of March 21 - 23. The ticket prices reflect round-trip airfare for one adult in economy class. Prices were pulled from Expedia.com and were current as of February 25, 2003.

Miami and the Florida Keys would be the most desirable travel locations if you are willing to go on a trip that doesn't leave the country. Since getting to both locations involves flying to the same airport, airfare prices are the same.

Beyond that, a clump of locations including Salina's Bay, the Cayman Islands and Jamaica would be the next best bet. If travel time isn't too serious a problem, you might also consider Cabarete.

Conditions

Besides airfare and travel time, the conditions available at a windsurfing hotspot will definitely influence our decision. To narrow down the selection, we have selected these four important qualities:

Waves are fun to ride and fun to jump. A Minnesota windsurfer would have a tough time finding decent waves out on Mille Lacs or Waconia, so a tropical location with waves would be a definite draw.

Flat water is great for windsurfers looking for the adrenaline rush of high-speed blasting. Where waves offer an opportunity to show off your chops in mid-flight, flat water lets you throw the throttle wide open and hang on for the ride.

Windsurfing isn't a card game, and high winds are actually quite desirable when partaking in the activity. Without a steady dose of wind, nothing is going to happen on the waves, on the flats, or anywhere.

Finally, the sport of windsurfing is expensive enough already, so a location that has cheap lodging, food and other social niceties would definitely be desirable.

Conditions Available at Windsurfing Hotspots:

Cabarete is the only location that offers three of our four desirable windsurfing conditions. From our earlier clump of non-domestic, inexpensive locations, only the Cayman Islands offer any desirable conditions (flat water).

Miami, the Florida Keys and the Turks & Caicos all offer waves and flat water, but the cost of flying to the Turks & Caicos make them less than desirable.

Gran Canaria and Maui offer waves and high winds, though tickets to both are quite expensive. What's more, a 19 hour flight makes Gran Canaria the second longest trip possible among our choices.

Margarita is the only location that offers the combination of flat water and high winds, but at a whopping $1722 a ticket it is also the most expensive location to reach.

Conclusion

Miami and the Florida Keys clearly beat out all other locations in travel cost, travel time and conditions. However, if you are looking to spring for something a bit more exotic, have a few extra bucks and aren't worried about travel time, the wonderful conditions available make Cabarete your next best choice.

Now go forth and raise a ruckus against the wind, surfer!

Works Citied