Butt What? - Live from the PKRA, Cabarete, DR

Posted Thursday June 28th, 2007

by Chiche Arimbe, Staff Photographer (pronounced Chee-Chay A-RIM-bay)

The DR continues in all its madness and glory. We lucked out again with accommodation thanks to Laurel's help. A friend of Laurel's was conveniently leaving for holidays and offered us his beachside apartment to rent!! A brief note: The apartment is in front of the event site and Alvaro could launch his kite here and enter the competition. A/C… Internet… pool… its perfect. We can sit on the front grass and watch the contest.

The weather has been weird the last few days. Light to no wind, then really strong and cloudy, then lightning buzzing on the water. Yesterday, Wednesday, was the first day of the comp and it started off by raining. The rain brought some small waves so Tiger and I went for an early morning paddle, in which I successfully pissed off two locals for being in their way. They got quiet upset over 1 foot slop! Maybe because I was on a Mal ... who knows ... Mals seem to make people angry.

Anyway. The other night Tigs and I were chilling out watching the sunset when two guys came out to the pool area with this strange object. Here they were trying to push off and pump there way across the pool on this foil like thing. Naturally I grabbed a beer, sat by the pool and checked out the action.

After a few chuckles Tigs and I tested out this flying fish. It's called an Aqua Skipper and it's a self-propelled foil-like chair that can glide through the water. Sounds easy. But it's NOT! So for over an hour we all tried to master the Skipper eventually moving to the neighbor's pool, as it was better shaped and longer for the foil to gather speed. Finally we got it and could glide our way to the other end of the pool though our session was cut short by an irate neighbor asking us what we were doing in her pool. Why, aqua skippering of course!!

Oh yeah! Back to the Comp. Alvaro and Bruna were both ripping yesterday as the rain cleared and the wind really kicked in. Alvaro was perfectly powered on the 7m and he worked his way through the first 3 heats of the 1st elimination.

Maybe not worked his way ... he systematically picked apart each competitor with buddahist joy, even with the taunts of a fat kid telling him he is going to lose before the heat as he sailed by ...

Bruna had a "by" in the first round and went straight into the second round to face Suzi, who she beat comfortably.

The girls will kick off first today (Thursday) before the guys go into the finals for all the finish off the first elimination by this afternoon.

Apart from that we have been working on a few shots with the team in the shore breaks and down at Encuentro ... although I don't think I will be allowed back in Encuentro, especially if the surf stays 1 foot and shitty. Stacey arrived yesterday to bring some kites down for the team.

Carlos turned up to judge and celebrate his 30th. Happy b'day Mackerel!

More soon from the DR as it all continues ahead.