Age: 22
Home park: Boarder Pass Wake Park
Country: Canada
WHAT MAKES YOU SO ATTRACTEDTO PARK RIDING?
Ever since I started kiteboarding, my main focus has been on freestyle progression. Getting into park riding a bit more over the past year or so has allowed me to shift my focus to other aspects of our sport. It’s rewarding and motivating to progress in more than one discipline. The KPL crew is also a pretty unique group to be a part of. From sending it in the park, to putting on very well-organized events, to beach clean-ups; everyone’s head is in the right place and it feels good to be a part of it.
WHAT MOTIVATES YOU ON THE WATER?
It seems like the limit to what you can learn in the park doesn’t exist. There are so many variations, grabs, rotations and unique styles that you can add to tricks. It’s motivating knowing that I’ll never be, “there.” There will always be something new to learn or improve on. I’m also driven by the high level of riding amongst all the girls. The sheer progression side of things will always push me to try something different, incorporate a new grab and try to build my own unique style in my tricks.
WHAT IS YOUR OFF-THE-WATERTRAINING LIKE?
Like many of the girls, I do a lot of yoga and stretching. Runs are part of my daily routine as well. I just went on my first cable trip to Phuket Wake Park in Thailand; that was pretty cool. I’ll definitely try to work in a few more trips like that in my year. Cable consistency is so helpful in learning new tricks that will hopefully carry over to the kite park.
ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR LEARNING NEW TRICKS?
I find the thing that holds me back the most is second-guessing myself. I usually have my biggest crashes when I hesitate or think too much. Visualizing helps, but at a certain point, you just need to go for it.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO ANYONE WANTING TO LEARN TO KITE?
Kiteboarding can be for anyone of any age. The sport can be what you want it to be, whether you’re in it to learn some unhooked tricks, boost huge or cruise. When it comes down to it, kiteboarding is incredibly fun and it’s something that everyone should have the chance to experience.
TOP BOOK RECOMMENDATION?
Good question! I definitely spend a lot of time with my nose in a book on no-wind days. Right now, I’m reading The Friend by Sigrid Nunez. It’s about a woman who loses her best friend and finds herself adopting his great dane. The story follows the woman’s bond with the dog and how they are both dealing with this grief. I’m about halfway through. It’s a great read so far!
WHY DO YOU LIKE COMPETING ON THE KPL?
It sounds cheesy, but competing on the KPL feels like competing in a league that goes beyond just kiteboarding and competing. Sure, the main aspect is our sport, but the events themselves incorporate so much more. The beach clean-ups, the reusable goodies and so on show that the crew cares about taking care of our playground, which is really the most important part. It’s neat seeing kiteboarding events that don’t lose site of the big picture. I’m still pretty new to the KPL.
