Caladesi named best beach
For years an also-ran, Caladesi Island State Park in northern Pinellas County won the distinction as America's top beach for 2008 by coastal expert Stephen P. Leatherman, otherwise known as Dr. Beach. Caladesi Island was also voted #1 by the original "Caladesi Queen", know only as T-Dubb. T-Dubb is a famous local kiter and shell collector who frequents the island during local kiting events, and is probably the most knowledgable person around about Caladesi's shell collecting potential.
Leatherman called the 3-mile-long island off the coast of Dunedin his "favorite getaway beach" during an announcement live on MSNBC from the local beach this morning. He called the sand "white as it can be'' and lauded the crystal clear water.
"There's a lot of bird life, it's like a world apart" from the metro Tampa Bay area, said Leatherman, director of Florida International University's Laboratory for Coastal Research.
Caladesi has been in the top six of Leatherman's America's Best Beaches List since 1997 and was No. 2 for the last two years. Pinellas' Fort De Soto Park's North Beach won top honors in 2005. The park also was named as the best U.S. beach by the travel Web site TripAdvisor.com this year.
Having two top-ranked beaches is "a definite distinction no community in North America can claim," said D.T. Minich, Pinellas tourism director. "To have have two number one beaches in one community is unprecedented."
The county's tourism marketing agency, Visit St. Petersburg/Clearwater has launched a $1-million summer advertsing campaign in Central Florida promoting Pinellas beaches. Billboards carry messages such as "America's #1 Beach is just 90 minutes Away.'' Now they might need to add an "es.''
This year's runner-up was Hanalei Beach in Hawaii. Two other Florida Beaches made the cut: No. 3 Siesta Key Beach near Sarasota and No. 9 Cape Florida State Park in Key Biscayne. Here is the entire list:
1). Caladesi Island State Park; 2). Hanalei Beach, Hawaii, 3). Siesta Key Beach; 4). Coopers Beach, Southhampton, N.Y.; 5). Coronado Beach, San Diego, Calif.; 6). Main Beach, East Hampton, N.Y.; 7). Hamoa Beach, Hawaii; 8). Cape Hatteras, N.C.; 9). Cape Florida State Park; 10). Beachwalker Park, Kiawah Island, S.C.
Tampabay.com Beach Guide:
Beach news, events & restaurant
OK, so I mixed in a little funny with something to think about.....
On this current list, there are 2 of our prized riding spots that are rated "The BEST in the AMERICA", Ft. Desoto was #1 in 2005, so we basically have the BEST beaches in the U.S. to kite at.
Protecting them is our TOP priority, please make it yours.
If you are a Kiteboarder in the Tampa Bay area and truly respect our sport, please support our efforts to protect what we love.
If you are asked to fill out a survey on the beach, please take 5 minutes to fill it out.
Please sign up on the TBKA website ASAP, we want your feedback on issues that will affect the future of kiting in Tampa Bay for new kiters, instructors, and all others. I will post a test poll or two before we start the real discussions on the existing forum.
(We are also demo'ing another forum format to make login easier and more user friendly)
http://www.tbka.org/