I recently got to fulfill a dream of mine. Imagine this: Combine the thrill of wakeboarding with the serenity of sailing... Kiteboarding! Cabarete, a town on the north coast bustling with Europeans and Americans, has become a top destination for this sport. With almost constant wind and a bay protected from waves by a reef, the local beach is one of the best in the world for kiteboarding. In fact, they host the yearly Master of the Ocean competition, which is a ocean sport triathlon including kiteboarding, surfing, and windsurfing. Saturday morning, we headed for Cabarete, where I took a class on how to control the 10 meter kite safely. Here is a look at the craziness of "kitebeach" when the wind is good.
We began with a small kite, just to get the feel of the controls.
Then, after practicing with the larger kite on land, I headed to the water to use the kite's power to drag myself through the water. Here is my instructor describing the fine art of "body-dragging."
After a lunch of 10 gallons of salt-water, we practiced the technique for standing up on the board.
Then it was off to the water.
After a total of 8 hours in the water, I started to feel comfortable getting up and riding the wind.
Heading for the shore, I did the only thing I knew how to do - crashed the kite!
Here, again, settling into the surf.
I haven't, however, perfected the jumps, spins and flips... maybe next time?
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