Katie Wins Both Freestyle and Speed at the 2012 Punta Cana Kite Jam!

Katie Bowcutt at the 2012 Punta Cana Kite Jam

Katie Bowcutt, 14, won the women’s division of both freestlye and speed 2012 Punta Cana Kite Jam. She was excited to be invited and looks forward the next contest. She will be competing in the Cabarete Cup in march of 2012. She expects to compete against kiters from 8 or 9 countries.

F-One is proud to sponsor such a strong and enthusiastic competitor and wish Katie  great success in the Cabarete Cup in March 2012.
Katie Bowcutt is sponsored by:

F-One Kites (These kites and this gear rocks!)
Lavera Organic Cosmetics (My skin looks great)
Airbound Apparel (Always cool)
Cosmickites.com (Best service, wide selection)

You may be seeing Katie on surf breaks in the United States

Originally Published: Dominican Central

Three top-ranked surfers from the Dominican Republic National Team, Rene Gough, Zion Balbuena and Katie Bowcutt, will compete in two different surf competitions in the United States in September.

Katie Bowcutt will compete in the 13th Annual ‘Sisters of the Sea Surf Classic’ in Jacksonville, Florida, September 10, 2011. The event benefits Bosom Buddies at the Women’s Center of Jacksonville. Katie will also attend Surf Expo in Orlando Florida, where she will meet with industry experts to talk about her future plans in the water sports industry.

Rene Gough and Zion Balbuena will compete in the Belmar Pro, in Belmar New Jersey, September 15-18, 2011.This annual event is well recognized, with a great history of waves and high level of performance. Competitors from Central America, Australia, Brazil, Puerto Rico, Europe, South Africa, and all over the US participate.

Nestor Puente, President of the Dominican Surfing Federation (FEDOSURF) remarked, “Surfing in the Dominican Republic is growing every year. Currently there are over one hundred and fifty athletes competing in our national circuit of surf competitions and local community warm-ups.” René Gough is the number one ranked Long Boarder in the Dominican Republic, Zion Balbuena is Third in the Men’s Open division, and Miss Katie Bowcutt (age 14), is Second in Women’s Open. “We are privileged that these prominent athletes will be representing our nation. Congratulations to them and many blessings. May they return with continued motivation and enthusiasm”, continued Mr. Puente.

Katie Bowcutt, an accomplished Kite Boarder, is sponsored by F-One/Cosmic Kites, Airbound Apparel, Mi Gym and Lavera Organic cosmetics and skin care. Airbound Apparel, the lifestyle clothing company, commented “Katie’s absolute love for being on the ocean instantly attracted us to her a couple of years back when she was just a little grom on Kite Beach.  It has been a pleasure to see her come into her own as an athlete and young woman, and even more fun to watch her performance in the waves on bigger days.  We are proud to have Katie as part of the Airbound Team.”

Daniel and Wendy Stockdale are generously hosting Rene Gough and Zion Balbuena during their stay in New Jersey. Daniel Stockdale is a professional photographer and Long Board rider and is a frequent visitor to the Dominican Republic. He is the official event photographer for the Belmar Pro. Mike Barber, Paul Foster, Gough and Hijos S.A., The Boat House Bar & Grill Boca Chica, Duharte Surfboards, The Board Spot, Villa Taina, Casa de Piedra, and Sea Horse Ranch have provided additional community support for the athletes.

FEDOSURF, established in 2002, is the National Governing Body of surfing in the Dominican Republic. It is a non-profit entity, whose main goal is to support and advance the sport of surfing and high-performance athletes in the Dominican Republic. FEDOSURF is recognized by the International Surfing Association, the Pan American Surfing Association, Dominican Olympic Committee, and the Ministry of Sports, Physical Education and Recreation.

Rene Gough and Zion Balbuena – Belmar Pro, NJ, Sept. 15-18, 2011
Katie Bowcutt – Sisters of the Sea Surf Classic, FL, Sept. 10, 2011

Have you heard of Maika Monroe?  If you are a kiteboarder you probably have.  Soon the rest of the world will know her as well.  Not only does she rip, she is also poised to be a powerful ambassador for the sport. Check out the ESPN article below to find out why.

Source: ESPN

In a few months, you will.

See, she’s the girlfriend to heartthrob Zac Efron in a new untitled movie, which is directed by Ramin Bahrani and co-stars Heather Graham and Dennis Quaid.

Monroe is also a professional kiteboarder.

“It’s really cool to be able to do both,” said the 18-year-old Monroe, who grew up in California. She has been kiteboarding for seven years and acting almost as long. “I get a chance to be in this film with these amazing actors, the coolest people ever, and I try to kiteboard as much in my free time as I can.”

 Kiteboarding (or kitesurfing) is an action sport where you harness the power of the wind to propel a rider across the water on a small surfboard/kiteboard, which is similar to a wakeboard.

 ”I was watching my dad do it a bunch of times and I thought it was the coolest thing ever, so I convinced him to let me do it,” Monroe said. “I was hooked. I fell in love with the sport.”

 Right now, Monroe is No. 32 in the world in freestyle kiteboarding and recently finished ninth in a competion in New Caledonia a few weeks ago. That was after crashing into some rocks in practice and requiring a few stitches.

 ”The scar is right behind my hairline, so I was very lucky,” she said. “My acting agent wasn’t too happy about that crash!”

Monroe returned to the states to finish filming the movie, which is about a farmer (Quaid) whose insistence on expansion begins to drive a wedge between he and his family.

When that movie hits, Monroe knows that she might be spending more time acting and less time kiteboarding. But she plans to try to do both.

“I can see myself competing and then Skyping with my acting coach and then traveling to film my scenes,” Monroe said. “I want to do more competitions and more auditions. I’m really excited, hoping this movie helps me land other roles.”

Thanks to cosmickites.com, a F-One certified dealer, for developing young
talent too be the next generation of riders that will break kiteboarding
into a more mainstream sport.

By Nico Ostermann (F-One) and Chris Boyle (Cosmic)

F-One in America and CosmicKites.com are thrilled to announce that co-sponsored rider Robinson Hilario is the newest member of their freestyle team.

Introducing Robinson Hilario from F-One Kiteboarding Americas on Vimeo.

Robinson is a rising star from Cabarete, Dominican Republic. In his international debut competition, Robinson scored 2nd place at the Heineken Puerto Rico Regatta.
In June of 2010, Robinson finished 2nd in the DR National Championships behind his mentor and fellow F-One and CosmicKites.com team rider Alex Soto. Unfortunately, due to his young age and limited resources, Robinson has not been able to compete much on the international scene.
Recognizing this talent, F-One Kiteboarding intends to change that.

Robinson is currently a professional rider and assistant at Kite Club, Cosmic Kites Kiteboarding School partner on Kite Beach in Cabarete. Together, Cosmic Kites and F-One provide everything from English classes to the kite gear required for Robinson to nurture his talent and fulfill his dream of becoming the best freestyle kiteboarder in the world.

Robinson Hilario Slider Sessions from F-One Kiteboarding Americas on Vimeo.

At 17 years of age, Robinson is a dedicated kiter with 6 years of kiteboarding experience and can be best described as a force. His nickname: Robhila. With this attitude, nothing gets in the way of him and the water as he refines his skills and pushes himself to invent new tricks. While on the water, Robinson exhibits no fear, able to hang with the best of the Dominican riders. Off the water, he is a mischievous jokester with a great sense of humor.
F-One and Cosmic look forward to helping Robinson grow as a kiter and as a role model to that next generation of kite beach kids who look up to him just as he looked up to Alex. We are excited to have Robinson on board, and expect great things from him in the near future as Robinson and Alex will be part the 2011 world tour.

Robinson’s kite quiver includes the 2011 F-One bandit IV. For boards he rides the 2011 F-One Trax and Acid; he also loves doing freewave sessions on the F-One bamboo surf line-up. Robinson’s other sponsors include Airbound Apparel & Hyperflex Wetsuits.

Robinson is currently training hard for the 2011 PKRA World Tour. Please enjoy the photos below taken by Hege Holt of Dreambuz at the renowned flat water spot La Boca, just east of Cabarete as well as two videos showing Robinson’s style in the water and on the rails.