The small North Coast town of Cabarete in the Dominican Republic will play host to the 2006 Kiteboarding World Cup from June 28 to July 2.

Kiteboarding is a wild mix of surfing, sailboarding, parasailing, snowboarding, hang-gliding, kite-flying, and who knows what else. Basically, competitors on short boards skim along the ocean surface propelled by wind power from handheld kites, occasionally soaring high into the sky for aerial tricks. The Kiteboarding World Cup is sponsored by the Professional Kiteboard Riders Association and has been held in the Dominican Republic for the past five years.

The Azzurro Club is the official hotel for the World Cup and is offering package deals to competitors and spectators; the 7- and 14-night deals include admissions to kiteboarding events and special concerts. The boutique Villa Taina hotel in Cabarete has standard rooms available during the competition for $80/single or $50 per person double occupancy; oceanside rooms are $110 for singles and $85 per person for doubles. Other lodging options include the Viva Wyndham Tangerine in Cabarete or the Wyndam Playa Dorada (see the Wyndham website for details), as well as the Casa Colonial in Puerto Plata.