Flying a kiteboard
Evangeline man anxious for 2017 kiteboarding season
Evangeline’s Lucas Arsenault kicking off this season defending his title at the Canadian Freestyle Kiteboarding Championship.
Lucas Arsenault is itching to get on his board.
Last year he ended the competition circuit by winning the Canadian Freestyle Kiteboarding Championship.
This year, he is kicking off the season by defending his title.
“The competing season is just getting started and that’s what I’m really looking forward to,” he said.
“It will be a challenging year. There are some really great guys out there that I’ll have to compete against. I can’t wait to see where my level stands.” Since late September, Arsenault has been working on his tricks, preparing for future events and working as a kiteboarding instructor.
“I spent about six weeks in Brazil, which is one of the best places in the world to kiteboard. The winds are constant, you never have to doubt that, and I really learned a lot every day.”
Then from November until April he was in the Turks and Caicos.
“I would go out as much as I could when I wasn’t teaching. I was looking to try new tricks and explore different moves and bring my skill to a greater level.”
Now he’s back on the Island. “I’ve been in Island waters about 10 times now.
“I’m really thrilled at how kiteboarding has grown on P.E.I. It’s exciting to see as I get ready for the competition routine.” The 2017 season kicks off on
Canada Day weekend.
“I have some bigger tricks to end off the heats.
“The way it works is you go out in the water for seven minutes and you land tricks. Once I land my tricks I try to keep going and raising the level with my rotations to try to land higher scoring ones to shave off the lower scores. Then your top five tricks are counted.”
What keeps Arsenault coming back to the sport is that every day, every ride, is a new experience.
“There is always the opportunity to progress. It’s never boring. There isn’t just one discipline with kiteboarding. There is always the chance to learn something new or try one thing different and progress to be better.”