Original Source InMotion Kitesurfing article on F-One Team Rider Katie Bowcutt
A Cabarete Water Woman Dreams of the Big Time
The inspiring story of the talented young Cabarete kiteboarder, Katie Bowcutt…
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Join us as we follow Katie on her way to becoming a kiteboarding star!
Katie’s Journey
From day-one Katie was interested in water sports. It started with surfing, and then wakeboarding. When we first moved to Cabarete, Dominican Republic; it was the first time we had ever seen the sport of kiteboarding in action. It was love at first sight for Katie. Gradually, she began taking surfing more seriously and with that, her desire for kiteboarding grew.
Katie practiced everyday for several months at her beloved Kite Beach in Cabarete. With the pressure of being the smallest on the water (9 years old at the time), the youngest, and on top of that being a girl, she still posed as a great role model for the locals and foreigners learning on the beach. It was definitely a “Mi casa, su casa” vibe.
Over time Katie began competing in local competitions and winning. This was a huge confidence booster for her and it definitely pushed her to practice and compete more. She was one to look out for and still is for up and coming competitions.
The PKRA 2009 was a huge success and promotion for Katie. She was definitely ready and excited to show off her passion and love for the sport. She ended up placing 7th overall in the women’s category.
Now, at the age of 15, Katie is known around the country as an accomplished surfer, kiteboarder, and overall water woman. She is ready for the big time and is looking forward to seeing where this love will take her. Katie has been all over the country kiteboarding and sharing her love for it, but hopes to soon travel elsewhere to experience a new gust.
Although she hasn’t been kiting for long, independently for 3 years, she has worked hard to get where she is, and has a great group of people behind her, her sponsors. She first started with Lavera Cosmetics, Cosmickites.com, and Airbound Apparel. She was recently added to the “riders” page on F-One’s site and has also joined Tortuga Swimwear. Katie has also been working as an instructor for Pauhana Surf School for a while now, and they have supported her all the way.
On June 16th, Katie competed in the Cabarete Bay Kite Challenge 2012 as the youngest girl on the water; she took home a 3rd place, but is determined to do better in the next competition. One week later the Copa Neptuno 2012 took place in Puerto Plata (Dominican Republic). This time, while again being the smallest girl on the water, she placed 2nd overall in the women’s category. We were all so proud to see that she really can do anything if she puts her mind to it.