Text/Photos: Jonathan Winberg/DreamBuz Media
It’s been 3 years since the Dominicans competed for the DR Freestyle Kiteboarding Nationals, but on Wednesday they got to kick off the PKRA Cabarete World Cup 2010 by battling each other for the last two wild cards that guarantees passage through today’s international qualifying rounds. Few words can describe the skill and the determination of these athletes, executing triple handle passes even in the borderline light wind conditions at Bozo Beach yesterday.
Every year the PKRA brings motivation for the local athletes of Cabarete, Dominican Republic. After having a break in 2009, the PKRA is back in this amazing international flavored kiteboarding town. The local nationals have been training for months now, getting ready for one of the few opportunities to show their impressive freestyle skills to the world.
Today was no surprise, when one after the other threw down some hardcore tricks in the heats that might give them the opportunity to escape the tough qualifying heats of PKRA.
As expected, some of the riders impressed the spectators and the judges big time. On the water were riders like Alex Soto and Luis Alberto Cruz alongside with younger and promising riders 17 year old Robinson Hilario and 15 year old Possito Martinez. There’s reason to keep an eye on these young guns, as there’s hardly any doubt that they will excel in the future events of PKRA.
After 20 something heats, Alex Soto and Robinson Hilario celebrated their wild card wins with a final battle pitting Soto the mentor versus Hilario the protégé.
When asked if he would beat his fellow F-One & CosmicKites.com Team Rider, Alex Soto, who at 23 is one of Cabarete’s elderly statesmen of kiteboarding, replied “ It really doesn’t matter who wins or loses, we’re all on the same team.”
However, leaving the finals with the top spot in his hands, there’s no doubt that 1st place tasted better than the 2nd. Having the trophy handed to them by the jovial 5 time world champion Aaron Hadlow just put the icing on the cake. Soto and Robinson have indeed set the standard for what’s to come during the next 4 days of the PKRA Cabarete World Cup 2010.
The competition continues today with the qualifiers, after a proper opening party at LAX Cabarete last night. Amongst an impressive list of riders, athletes like Susi Mai, Bruna Kayjia and Alex Pastor are present to throw down some serious challenges for the local and international riders present in Cabarete this week.
Results:
1. Alex Soto (Cosmic Kites.com, F-One, Airbound Apparel)
2. Robinson Hilario (Cosmic Kites.com , F-One, Airbound Apparel)
3. Luis Alberto Cruz (Starkites)
4. Posito Martinez (Starkites)
lens: Anne Grethe Thommassen/DreamBuz Media