Can’t
believe I’m writing those lines and turning a long, exciting, intense and full
of stories page voluntary and not as often because of life decides that I’ve to
turn it.
I always drove my life full gaz on, following what my feeling said, always
having a close look to family, friends and my bank account (yeah you need it
for doing the life you want), or I least I tried.
Gorges du Tarn - summer 1996 - 6 years old
I have this bad feeling, or let’s say this bad taste in your mouth of stopping
something which always makes me happy, make me dreaming, makes be a better
person I guess too, and for sure taught me so many things.
It’s probably the first time I decided to turn a page of my lifeby myself, by stopping kayaking as my main sport.
Don’t know if it’s a question of those too many hours in the car to paddle a 2 hours river run, or the smell of wet kayak gears in my garage and in my car which make me stop.
It’s probably the first time I decided to turn a page of my lifeby myself, by stopping kayaking as my main sport.
Don’t know if it’s a question of those too many hours in the car to paddle a 2 hours river run, or the smell of wet kayak gears in my garage and in my car which make me stop.
It’s probably not.
I don’t live along a class V river and the closest one is at 2 hours driving, yeah I’ve a class 1-2 slalom course at 15min from home but it’s not in the perception of I want to do in the future or what I want to easily do.
I don’t live along a class V river and the closest one is at 2 hours driving, yeah I’ve a class 1-2 slalom course at 15min from home but it’s not in the perception of I want to do in the future or what I want to easily do.
Tapoul canyon - 2006 - at 16 Salles la Source - 2008 - 17 years old
Nevados, Chile - 2009 - 19years old Upper Tarn River - 2013 - 22 years old
I’m now working more and more as filmmaker/producer and as river guide (on summer time), having my own company to make rolling as good as possible, and less time to kayak and travel.
And yeah kayaking doesn't pay my food...
Also my vision to make sport has changed these past 2 years.
Kayaking has been so good, I discover how to manage fear and adrenaline, tight situations and hard rescues, basically I feel “good” in all mentally hard paddling situations.
I’m now working more and more as filmmaker/producer and as river guide (on summer time), having my own company to make rolling as good as possible, and less time to kayak and travel.
And yeah kayaking doesn't pay my food...
Also my vision to make sport has changed these past 2 years.
Kayaking has been so good, I discover how to manage fear and adrenaline, tight situations and hard rescues, basically I feel “good” in all mentally hard paddling situations.
But now I need to find myself in hard physically and
mentally situation.
At work with my camera and on my Stand Up Paddle on summer 2013
From few months now kayaking has been less and less a priority in my everyday life, even if I was training hard for, and by the way never have been stronger than today.
From few months now kayaking has been less and less a priority in my everyday life, even if I was training hard for, and by the way never have been stronger than today.
Last weekend I was filming a really close friend running a 75km trail run during one of the major French trail running races.
It suddenly clicked for me to see him pushing
himself physically and mentally deep in his capacities and he managed to win
the race, ripping the reference record time for more than a 1h (on 8h racing…).
I had pain to sleep for the next 2 nights, and editing the video was exciting me and makes me wanted to discover myself deep inside in something else, in something new.
The 3rd day after the event I had a dinner with my friend to show him the video, and telling him that I’m stopping kayaking this same day.
I had pain to sleep for the next 2 nights, and editing the video was exciting me and makes me wanted to discover myself deep inside in something else, in something new.
The 3rd day after the event I had a dinner with my friend to show him the video, and telling him that I’m stopping kayaking this same day.
Sources of the Tarn - 2007 National Champs - Summer 2009
A year ago I registered in an “adventure race” club, mixing trail running,
MTBiking and kayaking (the easiest part), and by the way the guys of this club
won an adventure race World cup this year…
I didn’t want to compete and also didn’t want to be part of the trainings quite often. It was easier for me to go at the gym and push hard some weights.
Now I see it like it was to me an open door to stop kayaking. And today I stop.
There’s no idiot choice taken…
So yeah I stop kayaking as my main sport, as sponsored athlete but I stay a kayaking lover!!
And yeah there’s kayaking on adventure races!!!!!
I didn’t want to compete and also didn’t want to be part of the trainings quite often. It was easier for me to go at the gym and push hard some weights.
Now I see it like it was to me an open door to stop kayaking. And today I stop.
There’s no idiot choice taken…
So yeah I stop kayaking as my main sport, as sponsored athlete but I stay a kayaking lover!!
And yeah there’s kayaking on adventure races!!!!!
With David Arnaud - May 2007 Sources of the Tarn river - April 2008
French west coast - Feb 2009 Palguin, Chile - Dec 2009 - 19 years old
I feel more comfortable today with this choice, I can train everywhere, every
time, just have to jump on my bike or run somewhere in the forest, I don’t have
to wait for rains to go kayaking and/or travel a lot for.
But for sure, I’ll keep going on the french events and I’ll join buddies for few class 5 river runs, and yeah I’ll take photos to show you how kayaking is good!!
FLUID Kayaks team trip, French Alps - David Arnaud, Paul Villecourt and I - August 2011
I’ll stay faithful to my current sponsors who are now friends since those 7 years as sponsored kayaker and keep working with them for my river guide activity.
But for sure, I’ll keep going on the french events and I’ll join buddies for few class 5 river runs, and yeah I’ll take photos to show you how kayaking is good!!
I’ll stay faithful to my current sponsors who are now friends since those 7 years as sponsored kayaker and keep working with them for my river guide activity.
Thanks FLUID Kayaks, LevelSix, TyWarp, NIL style, Astral and Land Mountain. You guys rock!!
Also wanna thank my previous partners Adrenagliss, sandiline, Teva and ATpaddles
Rio Turbio, Chile - Dec 2009 Cauterets "les 800", Pyrenees - May 2012
A special mention for the persons who taught me so many things and had a close look at me on the river, the most important ones:
David Arnaud, Paul Villecourt, Fabrice Poueyto, Eric Deguil, Fred Dumont, Max Mitaut, Bastien Dantin, guys from PEK, Raph Thiebaut, Stefun Pion, Nouria Newman, Mat Coldebella, Gael Kernin, Mat Dumoulin, Mariann Saether, the guys at St Pierre de Boeuf, the MJC Rodez Kayak Club, my parents and my brother, my girlfriend and many more!!
It’s now time for me to discover another myself, and I’m sure the kayaker one will be not that far.
Upper Tarn river, France - June 2013
See you really soon!!
NB: I’ll keep posting news and photos on this blog, about kayaking during my adventure races but also simply about kayaking!! ;-)
NB: I’ll keep posting news and photos on this blog, about kayaking during my adventure races but also simply about kayaking!! ;-)
No comments:
Post a Comment