Cabarete
– The Capital of Kiteboarding
Cabarete
is world renowned for having some of the best conditions
available for the hot new watersport of Kiteboarding. But
just what is this phenomenon?
Kiteboarding
and Kitesurfing both harness the power of the wind to propel
the rider through the water. The kiteboard is similar in
size to a wakeboard, the small surfboard usually ridden
behind, or in the wake of, a powerful motorboat. In the
case of Kiteboarding and Kitesurfing, the rider is towed
by a kite, rather than a motor boat.
There
is a subtle difference between Kiteboarding and Kitesurfing.
Kitesurfing, as the name suggests, is a discipline more
focussed on riding the waves, in the manner of traditional
surfing, using the kites impetus to gain position. Kiteboarding
is known as a freestyle discipline closer to wakeboarding
than surfing, where the waves are used as the platform to
launch into a dazzling array of jumps and tricks. Different
sizes of board and parachute are requires for each discipline.
Both
disciplines are not without hazard. But fear not, if you
are interested in learning kiteboarding or Kitesurfing during
your holiday in Cabarete, you will find that you are spoiled
for choice with a profusion of schools and professional
instructors available in the village of Cabarete. Professional
tuition is a must for novices, however – this is not
a watersport that can safely be picked up through trial
and error.
The
pedigree of the tuition available in Cabarete is second
to none, as many of the worlds top riders in the world elect
to stay in Cabarete all year round, taking advantage of
the perfect Kiteboarding conditions. The world’s largest
Kiteboarding event, the Presidente Kiteboarding World Cup,
is held in Cabarete every June. If you want to see the worlds
best in action, June is the month to visit.
Cabarete
is easy to reach, only 20 minutes journey away from Puerta
Plata International Airport. I came to plan my journey by
a rather circuitous route, setting off from Chicago where
I had been staying with friends. We had a look for airline
tickets online, and ended up booking our flights on
cheapflights.com – it is possible to fly straight
from Chicago to Puerta Plata International Airport.
