Kiteboarding in Cali - yahoo!!!

[cancunhound]

Well, Lago Calima to be exact.  I just spent 3 days taking lessons for this new sport there.  I'm no young buck anymore, and it was very demanding - but very rewarding.  This lake is probably one of the best locations for consistent wind in the world - so if you like watersports and are in Cali for a couple of weeks anyway - you may want to consider it (It's also a great mountain retreat to take your gal and escape the Cali heat).  Cost was amazingly cheap - 400,000. for everything - just bring your own wetsuit (water was not that cold).  Lessons in the states or elsewhere would easily cost quadruple of that.  I posted a trip report on  another forum for anyone interested:
http://www.kiteforum.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=12094
The school's website is http://www.velasyvientos.com/index.html

Ended up the manager "Mario" lives in Cali and speaks English so it was very easy to arrange.  Tell him the gringo "Roberto" referred you.  Email me if you have any further questions.

[Ralph]

... in response to Kiteboarding in Cali - yahoo!!!, posted by cancunhound on Jul 8, 2003

I was in Cabarete, Dominican Republic a few weeks back, the day before the World Cup of Kite Surfing. cabarete is THE place to learn and participate in this sport. If you have a broadband net connection www.dr-tourist.tv I posted the kite surfing clip there along with other videos of the Dominican Republic.

[pablo]

... in response to kite surfing in Cabarete Video!, posted by Ralph on Jul 8, 2003

Ralph,

Those guys get some serious hang time!  I watched the clip on Kite Beach and was really surprised how long these guys stayed in the air after launching.  Any bigger parachutes NASA would be getting called.  Wow.

[Ralph]

... in response to Re: kite surfing in Cabarete Video!, posted by pablo on Jul 9, 2003

I've counted to 7 and 8 seconds on some guys! They held the world cup in Cabarete this year. The young local Dominican kids get the mosthang time. I love just going there, drinking some Ice Cold beer and being a spectator. I've met people from all over the world that go there because it's the best. The young dominicans LIVE there so are on the beach doing it every day, not just a few weeks per year.

Shooting that video was a pain. VERY high wind, no tripod, standing in the surf, while zoomed in virtually all the way. Lots of fun though and I've gotten kite surfers from all over the world visiting my site to see it!

[pablo]

... in response to Kiteboarding in Cali - yahoo!!!, posted by cancunhound on Jul 8, 2003

Sounds like you had a blast Roberto.  Nice trip report at the other forum.  It was nice of you to put a plug in for the Calenas there.