Los Amigos de Cabrinha en Colombia!

Prepping for a Colombian Kite Trip

Monday, March 7

Worked a full day… Well, I should probably say that I worked half the day and packed the other half. I was mentally preparing, running all the checks through my head… Jeff and I were both frothing to get out of Michigan; it’s been a long, cold winter. We left and it was 23°F and after a week of eying the forecast of 80°F+ weather, we were ready for an easy flight and some sand between our toes.

Missing Flights and Losing Our Minds

Tuesday, March 8

Woke up to my alarm going off at 3 AM for a 6:45 AM flight. Gotta love a red eye. We got to the airport two hours early like any logical person would when traveling with two full ION gearbags out of the country. 

When we arrived for check in, Jeff and I were informed that Colombia requires extra documentation due to Covid. We booked our tickets through Priceline and flew American. AA usually emails you travel information but there was a gap on information from Priceline. The document took us almost an hour to translate and fill out the form. So much time had passed in the process we missed baggage check by 5 minutes.

So, here we are after another hour of phone calls with Priceline who told us our best option was a flight in 3 days. 

After running the options with our awesome lady at the American counter, we found the next best option: a 40-hour haul dragging us all over the states. Instead of having a 9 hour travel day, (Grand Rapids-Miami, Miami-Cartagena) it turned into Grand Rapids-Phoenix, Phoenix-New York, New York-Cartagena. 

At this point, we were just about ready to cancel the trip, but we decided to just send it and see where the adventure took us.

We Made It! Our Bags Did Not.

Wednesday, March 9

After one of the most brutal travel days I’ve ever had (and I’ve done tech for international concert tours), the boys from the north arrived in jeans and sweatshirts to a balmy 85°F. 

Nevertheless, our travel problems weren’t over yet. Both our ION gearbags got stuck in New York. So, instead of heading to the hotel for several well-deserved cocktails, it was time for some more translating and figuring out how to get our bags. We’re very thankful for Google Translate. 

Once we figured out that the airline would deliver to the hotel, we boosted over to Hotel Melia. We were greeted by the Cabrinha crew who told us to go jump into our board shorts and hit the water before we headed to dinner. As we got to our room, we quickly realized the room was under construction and we were going to need to swap out after dinner. We were able to score a quick session on a Conta 1-Strut 11m.

After a quick shower we headed to the Cabrinha welcome ceremony. We were greeted with a traditional band and dancers followed by one of the best fish dinners we have ever had at Club de Pesca. 

After dinner, we headed back to the hotel and it was time to swap rooms. It took the hotel an hour and a half to find us a new room. So after a 40 hour travel day, a session, and an amazing welcome dinner, we weren’t too stoked to be up till 2am figuring out our sleeping accommodations.

What's New From Cabrinha and Dakine?

Thursday, March 10

Finally got some sleep. Being horizontal for the first time in 48 hours felt amazing! We woke up and got some of the best continental breakfast to fuel ourselves for the long upcoming day. We then headed up to the official Cabrinha/Dakine dealer meeting. 

Let me be the first to tell you that there are some stellar new things coming from both companies. Cabrinha’s new FX2 has a cool new upgrade option to turn the kite into a 6 line C-kite. The Switchblade has a redesigned bridle system and new ceramic pulleys to reduce wear and tear. 

Cabrinha is also putting a lot of thought into making the best product possible, so they are introducing a new R&D part of the company called CAB Works. 

Cabrinha is also starting a cool new project called the “New Found Freedom” project, geared towards getting paraplegics into kitesurfing. The goal is to have 3 locations around the world in 3 years. 

Dakine has probably the best new travel bag for winging coming out. Another unique product from Dakine is the floating leash for winging, keeping it from sinking and wrapping around your mast when you are in the water.

After the presentation, we hit some lunch and prepped for a downwinder that we actually didn’t get to go on because the wind puttered out, so we bussed down to the beach where we would have finished for beers, kebabs, and some good comradery. 

When we arrived back at the hotel, we were greeted with more dancers and an amazing dinner party with fresh ceviche. The local sound company brought in a huge sound system so when we went to the beach after dinner the music was still thumping.

Light Winds, Wing Dings, and Indiana Jones

Friday, March 11

Finally caught up on some much needed sleep. Today was a semi-free day to ride all the gear. I was only able to make it out on the 17m Contra because the wind was so light, but the Contra was enough pull to get a bigger guy like myself up and going. We also got to watch all the bigwigs of Cabrinha race wings around buoys. John Modica, the fearless CEO, took the gold.

After the races, we headed over to the old town to a spot called Juan Del Mar Restaurante for our last Cabrinha dinner and some fresh local fish. It was an Indiana Jones-themed party, so at the end everyone got a hat in a bull whip that turned into some shenanigans. What happens at a Cabrinha party stays at a Cabrinha party.

Juan Pablo and the Kite Surf Experience

Saturday, March 12

On Saturday we headed north for the real adventure. JP from Kite Surf Experience scooped us up in his truck and took us an hour and a half north to Selena Del Rey. The GKA tour event had just happened 3 days before we got there, so the vibe was very much still alive. 

We arrived and immediately hit the beach. It was “only blowing 20” and we asked where all the kiters were; apparently 20 is considered a low wind/ rest day. I put up my 2022 Cabrinha 12m Moto with a Reedin Dreamstick V2 bar and a Crazyfly Raptor. To accompany all this was my new Manera Halo harness, by far the sturdiest, comfiest harness I have ever been on. I was almost overpowered but was stoked to get some big air in.

After the session, we headed to one of the 3 local restaurants for some of the cheapest dinners I’ve ever had for some amazing grilled chicken, rice and beans. Simple but much needed after 5 hours of riding. After dinner I crawled under my bug net for some much needed sleep.

Sleepless Nights and Windy Days

Sunday, March 13

The first night was definitely a rough one. It took some getting used to sleeping in a bungalow; all the different sounds from the iguanas, the heat and the bugs got to me. I didn’t think I needed bug spray until I was getting eaten alive at 4 AM. Our neighbors also threw a party till 4 AM with a huge sound system so that played a factor in not sleeping.

After some much needed coffee in the morning, we hit the beach for a big day of filming product reviews and riding. 

At lunch we came in and one of the local ladies made an amazing soup… in 88 degree heat… yes, it was delicious and some much needed carbs. 

One of the riders, Carlito Martinez, was still in town and hung out with us for the day. His transition tricks are some of the best in kiting.

High Stoke Downwinder

Monday, March 14

With some extra wind last night, I was able to sleep a bit better. The wind kept the bugs away for the most part. The temperature was a lot more manageable. We woke up early again for a big 30 km downwinder. The shoreline is crazy in Colombia - it’s super exposed to the elements so there’s nowhere to land your kite in case of an emergency. 

If it isn’t a straight cliff into the water, the entire shoreline is covered in debris and full-sized trees, none of this shrub nonsense. 

Nonetheless, it was the most amazing downwinder of my life. The stoke was high when we got back so we went back up, snagged some lunch, and hit the water for another session. After the sessions it was time to prep and pack for our trip home. We had a local doctor come to Kokohau bungalows and give us a Covid test. I got all the documents filled out for us this time in advance so we could have a stress-free travel day this time around.

Dreaming of Selena Del Rey

Tuesday, March 15

Arrived at the airport fully prepped with all the proper documents. Our travel day went off without a hitch. I slept most of the way back and arrived home to some cold weather that had me dreaming about going to Selena Del Rey.

Pre-Planning for the Win

Even if you book your ticket directly through an airline or through a third party, definitely spend some extra time doing some research on the appropriate documents you will need to enter a forigen country, especially during a global pandemic. 

Bug spray and sunscreen are a must for Colombia and possibly some in-ear noise canceling headphones for sleep. I brought a long sleeve sun shirt from Patagonia that literally saved me from burning to a crisp. A small medkit is always a good idea for cuts and a pair of tweezers are crucial.

I'd Do It Again in a Heartbeat

I traveled the world for 6 years straight and a simple 9 hour trip to Colombia seemed like a walk in the park with an added nap… boy, was I terribly wrong. 9 hours turned into 42 real quick because of some missing documents, and when we arrived both of our gearbags were stuck in New York. 

That being said, I’d do it again in a heartbeat to score those simply sublime conditions and hospitality from the locals. 

Best part? At the end of it all, my bank account wasn’t empty. We originally flew to Cartagena for the Cabrinha/Dakine dealer meeting and had an absolute blast! Got to check out all the exciting new products and projects coming from both companies. 

Dakine’s new winging travel bag and Cabrinha’s new FX2 were definitely some of the many highlights. 

After a few days of testing the latest and greatest from both brands, we headed North to Kokohau bungalows in Salinas Del Rey where the first stop of the GKA tour is to score some insane wind and waves. After 4 days of nonstop 25knt+ riding, a 30km down winder, and a couple solid crashes, it was time to head home. Tired and tuckered out, this time we had our documents prepped and got home without any problems.

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