Lords of Tram took place last month, and this year the biggest Big Air competition in France is a World tour event organized by the BAKL (Big Air Kitebaording League).
My role this year was as unexpected as it was rewarding!
After judging the competition for two years, this time, for personal reasons, I was not sure to be there, so I was not part of the judging team.
Attending such a competition is always a pleasure: enjoying the show offered by the best riders in the world, meeting friends, helping with the organization… these are some of the reasons why I decided to close my school for a few days to be part of the event.
The idea was to go to Lords of Tram as a spectator. But things turned out differently and something unexpected finally happened.
1. A change of role, from spectator to coach
Second day of competition, all riders on the beach and the siren signals the start of the competition. The participants launch their kites while their friends and family are ready to share the results with their phones. The show begins.
Lords of Tram has a particular format: the riders perform their maneuvers one after the other, 5 tricks per rider, the two best are selected, and a diversity bonus is awarded according to the versatility demonstrated. The wind blows off-shore, so all the riders return to the beach to rest between tricks and to know their position in the heat, thanks to the live scoring.
I enjoy the show and go back and forth on the beach watching all the groups glued to their phones to check the results. Everyone has a friend or family member to get the information they need.
Finally, it was the turn of a friend, Julien Huyn. A friend, but above all a very talented young man who had not been able to express all his quality during his last competitions. As a personal challenge, I joined Antonin Rangin to support Julien during his heat.
Like magic, I felt the same passion that has been driving me for years, but a bit differently. This time, it’s not about teaching and transmitting my passion for kiteboarding, but about supporting a talent so that he can express himself at best.
I arrive at the worst moment, Julien has just missed his first trick. The anxiety of having to accept another performance below his level reappears.
But, with Anto, we laugh, joke, and talk a lot with Julien. At first sight, he seems much more relaxed than usual. From then on, we constantly compare notes to determine the best sequence of maneuvers to get through.
Our goal is to build the confidence necessary to get the adrenaline flowing and eliminate harmful stress. The choice of the succession of tricks is essential in a competition like Lords of Tram.
Unexpectedly, Julien performed the maneuvers with the same calmness and quality as in his training. The result is incredible, a latebackroll board off as last trick allows him to take the first place in a very complicated heat!
Seeing Julien’s smile after the announcement of his result is an invaluable reward.
The next heat was Antonin Rangin’s turn. He simply asked me to stick around and give him the results on my phone. Of course, I agreed.