Kaylam Pratt, Pendieno Brooks, TCI’s first kitesurfing instructors

Their class and exams were held in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, where they trained for two weeks in September this year.
Kaylam and Pendieno both work at Big Blue Collective as eco-guides and have a keen interest and passion for the marine environment. In anticipation of their IKO lessons, they spent a lot of time on the beach and in the water, learning, training and preparing as part of the Big Blue kite team. Hours were spent observing Head Instructor Tom Fuller to understand the nuances needed to go from being an amateur to being a full-time instructor.
“From day one it was clear that the two young men have a love for water and wind, what wasn’t so obvious was that they would be keen to become instructors as well. It just became clearer as we spent time together on the water, ”said Tom Fuller, himself a professional with over 15 years of experience.
Philip Shearer of Big Blue Collective, said: “We have been running a kite school here since 2010, helping to introduce the sport not only to these islands, but also by placing TCI on the international map as one of the best places in the world. to kite. While it has been possible to hire and train Islanders as eco-guides, dive instructors and captains, finding the same ones who want to be kite instructors has been exceptionally difficult but has always been our dream. We only had to look south to the Dominican Republic to see how many local cyclists they had there to know that it was possible one day to find and train our own instructors here.
With the skills, progression and evident desire of Kaylam and Pendieno to realize their potential as instructors, the decision to sponsor and support their next steps in the professional world of kite teaching was easy to understand. take for Big Blue Collective.
“As a team, we are always looking to develop and improve our skills through internal on-the-job training. Sending people to take courses abroad requires another level of personal commitment so that any investment pays off not only as a short term solution, but as a long term solution to building a team that has a love for these islands in the world. the blood. Kaylam and Pendieno embody the passion, commitment and professionalism that we always seek, ”added Shearer.
Pendieno said he started kitesurfing in 2020 and got hooked.
“I wanted to take this course so that I could share the same feeling I had with others. With the love and support of my family, friends and Big Blue, I can now live and work on this dream,” did he declare.
Kaylam said he was fortunate enough to join the IKO Instructor Program in the Dominican Republic with support from Big Blue Collective.
“What an experience. I hope the younger generation of Islanders will join us on the kite beach and that someday it would be great to have a kite community where everyone helps and encourages each other in a spirit. community, ”he said. noted.
Kaylam and Pendieno now teach on Long Bay Beach as full-time instructors, helping new riders and visitors learn this ever-evolving water sport. When not teaching, they often ride while focusing on the next steps to becoming licensed boat captains and dive masters at Big Blue Collective.
These two are some of Big Blue’s “imitative young guns” with focus, focus and training aimed at the next generation of Turks and Caicos Islanders aspiring to work on the water.