About Us:
Sailboards Miami, with its colorful sails, has graced the entrance to Key Biscayne since the 1980 ²s. Our presence on the Causeway is an unofficial landmark for locals and tourists alike. Pioneers in introducing windsurfing to the general public, we have watched the sport grow from infancy into adulthood. The school began in the days of triangular sails, tied-on-booms, freestyle, and the family dog being taken out for a cruise. Gary Eversole, Cort Larned, Rhonda Smith, Mark Robinson and many other windsurfing hot-shots are a part of our history. Miami Vice, with the neon era, brought tremendous attention to our sport (one of our own sailors even graced the opening trailer for the series!). Having survived Hurricane Andrew, we witnessed amazing developments in equipment as hi-performance gear became the norm.
Ovidio DeLeon, the owner since the early 1990 ²s, is a B.I.G. Master Instructor, a U.S. Sailing Instructor Trainer, and is competitive in all points of sail. Vid's love of the sport and desire to see it grow motivated him to join the Sailboards' team. For over 20 years Sailboards Miami has been a partner with Miami-Dade County in providing recreation and safety on the Causeway. The school's presence gives Windsurfer Beach patrons a sense of security, a helping hand, and serves as a tourist information center. Youth groups, social clubs, charity events, and local businesses utilize our school for their team building and fund-raising events. Sailboards Miami proudly works with our local community. Swap meets, beach clean-ups, Baynanza, Dade Coastal Cleanup, and fun races create a small town feeling within the vast metropolis of Miami.
On the national front, we have been featured on Home & Garden Television (HGTV), American Airlines, nominated in 2009 for an ALMA Award, featured on ABC Family Channel's "Switched," The Travel Channel's "Red Hot Miami," Deco Drive, MTV "Dismissed," Telemundo's "Sabado Gigante," Univision's "Caliente." We've provided the windsurfers and windsurfing instruction for Owen Wilson and Eric Dane in "Marley & Me." In print, you can find us in Cooking Light, Men's Fitness Magazine, The Miami Herald, American Airlines American Way Magazine, Continental Airlines Magazine, SoBe Fit, Fashion Spectrum, Men's Journal, The Key Biscayne Islander, Key Biscayne Magazine, The Biscayne Bay Tribune and many others. Our sails and beach have enhanced production backgrounds and numerous celebrities and politicians have found taking a windsurfer out for a sail the perfect way to spend an afternoon.
