June 2009 Issue of The Kiteboarder Magazine

Grom gets things going at the 2008 Bridge of the Gods Festival. Photo Henry RicoNeedFirst newspaper pattern cutsfor Kitecycle’s reusable bags.Author Mark Ribkoff now has something to smile about.Smack411SLINGSTOCKCOMING TO THE GORGEBy TKB StaffJuly 10-11, 2009 will mark the first annual Slingstock event, kicking offthe first official competition in the Gorge for the summer. Encompassingone of North America’s premier amateur kiteboarding festivals, TheBridge of the Gods, Slingstock will also feature the first ever wake railjam featuring the Slingshot Global Wake Team and the Sesitec 2.0 cablesystem, which runs solely on electricity and not gas, generated by thenatural forces of the river. Other activities include but are not limited to aphoto contest, camping at the fairgrounds, kids activities, skateboardingat the local skate park, stand up paddle-boarding, daily raffles, kayakracing, volleyball, horseshoes, local bands, and food and drinks offeredby area restaurants, breweries and wineries. All of this excitement willtake place in Stevenson, Washington. Recognizing that times are tough,proceeds will be donated to the Skamania County Parks and RecreationDepartment, which is responsible for many of the kid and family friendlylocations and facilities in the Stevenson area..Slingstock’s goal is to create an event that will be enjoyed by all ages,bringing together the rich tradition of the Bridge of the Gods KiteboardingFestival with premier wakeboarding, while also showcasing the area’sbeauty, businesses and local entertainers. The Bridge of the GodsKiteboarding Festival has always been known as an amateur event andhas launched many kiters onto the professional scene. Did you know thefestival is the longest running kiteboarding competition in the country?The focus is to bring together a healthy community of athletes, family andfans from the Pacific Northwest and beyond to the town of Stevenson,Washington, for a weekend of summer fun for all! For more info, pleasecontact Gary Reed at reedgs@gorge.net For a full schedule of events inthe Gorge, check out the www.nwkite.com events calendar.The BOG has helped launched many pro rider’s careers. Courtesy James ErjavekThe SS International Wake Team will be a great addition to the weekend festivities.Photo Jason LeeKITECYLE OPEN centerBy TKB Staff | Photo Kitecycle.orgIN LA VENTANADedicated to giving back to the community and protecting the environment, Lydia Sniderof Kitecycle and Tim Hatler of Palapas Ventana have joined forces to open Kitecycle’s firstinternational center. Now, kitesurfers can help out the environment, get a sweet tax write offand help out the local economy when down in the area. Kites can be donated to Kitecycle atPalapas Ventana, who can issue donation receipts. Lydia said, “The ladies were very nervousat first as they thought that making the bags would be hard. Once they saw how easy it was todeconstruct the kites and make them, they were super excited! I explained that I didn’t knowwhat to make out of the struts, leading edges and bladders and was very eager to hear theirideas. They had lots of them – though they won’t be able to try them out until the industrialmachines, donated by Baja Joe’s are fixed.” Kitecyle is currently seeking functional sewingmachine donations to make Kitecycle production viable in La Ventana. After working with theladies in Baja, Lydia said she is more determined and inspired than ever to have Kitecycleprovide economic opportunities to the local communities. See www.kitcycle.org to help out!Three nine-story towers are being proposedfor Cabarete which could adversely affect thetown’s charm and wind.CABARETE WINDS THREATENEDBy Ari Barshi | Photo Eric HertsensThe small village of Cabarete on the North Coast of the Dominican Republic has enjoyedsustainable tourism since the early 1980’s. Thousand of tourists who travel the world in searchof wind have turned Cabarete into a kiteboarding, windsurfing, and sailing mecca. The beautyof hundreds of sails, and kites on the water every afternoon has caught the eyes of the NewYork based developer Sackman, Enterprises, Inc. who wants to build three nine-story towersin Cabarete. Current density law limits buildings to a three-floor height, which keeps thesmall town ambience, and ensures constant wind flow over the low-density construction.Like in movies showing how business is done in third world countries, Sackman, Enterprises,Inc, has been wining and dining government officials with direct contact to the Ministers,promising them great financial incentive if the density laws are changed. The Association forthe development of Cabarete; the Windsurfing, Kitesurfing and Sailing Schools of Cabarete;the Federacion Cabarete Sostenible; and the Association for Protection of Tourism and theEnvironment Sosua and Cabarete, have all sent their letters to the Minister of Tourism in hopesthat New York greed will not kill the ambiance and potentially affect the wind adversely inCabarete. If you wish to help out Cabarete, please email your opinions to the deputy minister ofTourism, Mr.Radhames Martinez Aponte, at r.aponte@sectur.gov.doThe 2009 La Ventana Classic and KiteXpo raisedover $16,000 to help out local community projects.Palapas Ventana is happy to report that the muralfrom the El Sargento primary school has beencompleted, $2,000 worth of medical equipment hasbeen purchased for the local health clinic, andconstruction has begun for the La Ventana primaryschool outdoor presentation area. Additionally, fournew air conditioning units have been purchasedand installed at the local Junior High and moreprojects are in the works with the extra moniesraised. Thanks again to all the riders and brandsthat made this possible!EH Kiteboarding has taken over worldwidedistribution and is actively looking for new retailersin the USA to continue serving its customers. Formore information, contact EH Kiteboarding viaemail eric@ehkiteboarding.com or in the USA,All Out Kiteboarding 912-234-8260 or by emailinfo@alloutkiteboarding.comwww.ikitesurf.com isin the process of settingup dozens of brand newsensors to help us betterdetermine if we need tobuckle down and workor cut out and play! Theyare also in beta testing ofa new desktop widget for PCs and Macs that theywon’t tell us about, but if it works, say will be a verycool and handy tool.A “Wind Meter” phone application is now availablefor your iPhone. Developed by engineers in theSilicon Valley area who also kite, the applicationhas been found to be surprisingly accurate insteady winds up to 28 mph + and converts to Km/h ,knots and Beaufort units. Priced at just 99 cents, it’sdefinitely worth checking out. See www.windapp.com for more details.Paddle Surf Hawaiiwelcomes kitesurfersPeter Trow and ChrisGutzeit to its team.US Distributor JimBrewer, a kitesurferhimself, says thecrossover betweenstand up paddleboarding (SUP) and kitesurfing isideal. Kiters worldwide are picking it up for theirno wind fun and finding that SUPing in the surf canalso dramatically help them with their straplessboard skills. www.onboardwatersports.com14 thekiteboarder.comthekiteboarder.com 15Photo Eric SmailPhoto IkitesurfPhoto Jim Brewer