“Warning Cabarete Local” graphics. –rr - The Kiteboarder Magazine

dominican republic cabarete
continued from page 67.
No matter where you
turn, you will see EH
kites with their flashy
“Warning Cabarete
Local” graphics.
–rr
Cabarete’s signature blue water and long sandy beaches deliver
near year-round riding conditions. Photo Ryan Riccitelli
Old Friends
My first stop was Kite Beach Hotel. A few
years back the property was completely rebuilt.
Kitexcite, was one of the first kite schools in the
Caribbean, and currently operates a full service
kite center with rentals and lessons out of the
hotel. The owner Stefan Ruether is one of the
early wind sport pioneers of Cabarete. I quickly
caught up with Stefan and the hotel manager
Katrine Lindemann, and got the Cabarete
update. Stefan is a great resource for wind and
weather information and assured me the wind
would be 18-25 all week. My next stop was
Agualina Hotel. The property is immaculate
and also houses the first-class Vela Dare2Fly
kiteboarding center. While I like to stay at
eXtreme because of the skate ramp and party
atmosphere, Agualina is the spot where I
put my parents up on my last trip. They still
rave to this day about how great Cabarete
and the accommodations were.
My next stop was to visit an old friend
and icon of Cabarete, Eric Hertsen. Eric is
another one of the early windsport pioneers
of Cabarete and has played a major role in
evolving kiteboarding on the island. Eric is
also known around the world for his signature
EH kite and board line and has helped design
kites with major manufacturers such as Liquid
Force. No matter where you turn, you will see
EH kites with their flashy “Warning Cabarete
Local” graphics. Eric sponsors many of the
young Dominican kids who are amazingly
talented. Even the 12-year-olds can do just
about every version of a kiteloop handlepass
thought possible. Unfortunately, Eric was not
around, but it was easy to see that EH is still
a major force in Cabarete’s kite scene. On
the way back to eXtreme, I stopped in to see
Kim Tropf. Kim opened the first Best Test
Cabarete’s windy conditions are perfect for kiteboarders,
windsurfers and sailors alike. Photo Eric Hertsens
Center in the world, which is on the main
strip between Cabarete Bay and Kite Beach.
R&D has since moved to Brazil, but Kim still
keeps busy working on special projects and
keeping his kite schools stocked and happy. I
also passed John Holzall’s new center. He was
out taking a session. John moved from Maui
to Cabarete about a year ago. John is known
for his unique, KITEs Method teaching style
and wrote one of the first instructional books
on kiteboarding.
Usual Suspects
As soon as I got back to eXtreme, I was
greeted by none other than Neil Hutchinson,
my longtime friend and favorite traveling
compadre. Zach and Ben Kleppe had also
arrived, and the beginning of yet another
incredible Dominican adventure kicked off
with dozens of Presidente beers and rum
punches consumed to celebrate our reunion.
I will never get tired of listening to Neil
captivate a crowd telling the same stories over
and over again of our many crazy adventures
exploring the island. Later that night, Neil
and I sat under the same palm tree where we
have shared many “bro” talks over the years,
reminiscing about how lucky we are to have
been able to watch Cabarete evolve. What
were once coconut palm groves, is now a
strip of hotels and bustling businesses. The
beaches that used to erode seasonally, are now
pumped full of sand creating long and sandy
perfect kite launches. The sleepy little town of
Cabarete is now a thriving community with
every amenity at your fingertips.
The rest of our week was spent kiteboarding
the different spots. We sessioned Bozo Beach
in front of Laurel Eastman’s kite school. I had
The Presidente beer truck brought extra cases when
Neil showed up. Photo Ryan Riccitelli
done a photo shoot with Laurel on one of her
first trips to Cabarete years back. She ended
up launching a kite school, and six years later
it has become one of the top schools on the
island. The next afternoon, we drove up to
kite the river mouth at La Boca with Cameron
Dietrich and enjoyed a sunset session. The
following morning we did a down winder to
Encuentro and got our wave fix. The rest of
the time we were lazy and kited off Kite Beach
in front of eXtreme, Kite Beach Hotel and
Agualina Hotel. You can’t beat the compressed
air, the fun little waves on the outer reef and
the convenience of a fully stocked bar waiting
for you. There is nothing like taking a session,
landing your kite and then ordering a cold
beer 15 steps away.
Reflections
The week passed much too quickly. Before
we knew it, our cab was picking us up, and
we were on our way back to the airport.
Cabarete delivered once again with perfect
wind and plenty of friendly people. While
I was a little bummed that it had evolved
into a more mature travel destination with
more properties, schools and businesses, it
still possessed the charm that has kept me
coming back year after year. Gone are the days
of .50 cent beers and vacant hotels, but the
flip side is that Cabarete has become more of
an ideal travel destination for anyone. Out
of all the places I have visited and written
stories about, you will never find a spot that
is as consistently windy and easy to travel. If
you do book a trip down to the DR, don’t
be afraid to say hello to some of the people
mentioned in this story. These are the
individuals who have helped make Cabarete
what it is and keep me coming back for more.
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