It’s been three 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 card entries that guarantee a passage through the days international qualifying rounds.
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 flavoured 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 serious 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 including the likes of Alex Soto and Luis Alberto Cruz alongside younger and promising riders such as 17 year old Robinson Hilario and Possito Martinez.
After over 20 heats it was a simple final between Soto - the mentor - against 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.
These two riders have surely set the standard for what’s to come during the next 4 days on the PKRA Cabarete World Cup 2010. Having the trophy handed to them by a jovial 5 time world champion Aaron Hadlow just put the icing on the cake.
PKRA Cabarete World Cup 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.
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