Gabriele Steindl: Professional Kitesurfer & Freelance Writer - Action, Lifestyle & Travels

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Portfolio Cabarete

My first ever travel story! Following my second participation on the PKRA World Tour, the PKRA World Cup in Cabarete, Dominican Republic, I hooked up with the French Champion Fabienne D’Ortoli and the French photographer Kristen PelouTrip, we rented a car and explored the North of the Dominican Republic with the main aim of finding ‘alternative, new spots’ to Cabarete, back then the only popular kitespot in the island. Along the way we met some ‘local VIPs’, such as Susi Mai and Carolina who shared some good sessions with us.

I remember driving Fabienne pretty crazy during that trip. Until that road trip my focus ever since I have started to kitesurf (about 10 months earlier), was purely on training, i.e. 2-3 training sessions per day. Driving around in the car for hours, searching for new spots, unridden places etc. made me nervous and edgy…need to practise, need to learn new moves…

What I learnt back then: The duties of a kitepro comprise way more than ‘only’ kitesurfing. Photoshoots, exposure are at least as important as a good result. Back then I guess I wetted my freeride-spirit taste buds for the first time, travelling in good company, jumping from waterfalls, discovering beautiful, deserted places and so much more… Something else that will always stay in my mind thinking back to that trip, how good it felt to get confident at spots with absolutely no one else around. I learned a lot of Fabienne, she was already experienced and knew how to launch my kite with hers in the air etc.