Interview: Mallory de la Villemarque, kiteboarder

Friendship even when you lose

I remember when I was living in Costa Rica (for three years), I started to surf as there wasn't wind in this place so we had to quit windsurfing, and once I was in one of the best known spots of the country (playa hermosa). There were perfect waves and hundreds of surfers catching them and I was waiting in the water together with my brother when we saw a crocodile swimming just about 2-3 meters from us and we went out of the sea like crazy...


By MILENA STOŠIĆ
from Niš, SERBIA


Mallory de la Villemarque started with sailing boats and windsurfing in Guadelupe at the age of 7. Later he moved to Tarifa, one of the best places for this kind of sport, where international riders meet. Thanks to hard trainings and great love for kiteboarding, Mallory reached numerous high results in his career. Since this year he is planing to combine his involvement in kiteboarding with studies, too. This 22-years-old young man, who traveled all around the world to compete, speaks for WAVE magazine about his sport, beginings, competitions, rivality, about success and future plans.

- My dad used to compete in sailing boats and my brother and me started wind surfing at the age of 7. Kiting is quite new sport, so there were not so many adepts when I started. I was lucky to be in the right place and to find my first sponsor. In one of my first world championship competitions, the team manager Jaime Herraiz, a pro kiter by this time, saw me doing good in Brazil and he liked it. I already was in the brand, but just with the shop. Since that moment I entered the team, first national and then international. Since then, I am with North kiteboarding, which is the biggest brand, more or less, as they treat me really well and we work good together. It starts with loads of passion and ambition. When you have that and keep having fun and enjoying every time you learn new tricks, and if you like to compete - good results comes alone - explains his begining Mallory.

How difficult it is to dedicate to this sport?

The kiting takes much time, as it's not only about riding, but training also, keep in contact with photographers, cameras and sponsors; it's about trips, development of the material, meetings... It's like beeing your own agent. And at certain level you need loads of training and motivation.

Is this sport dangerous and tricks that you do? How often are injuries?

We have quite more injuries lately, because the sport became a bit more hardcore in a way that the last tendency is newschool based on powered tricks, pretty much like wakeboarding, so we are starting to see some injuries: knee, ankle, shoulder... So, we start to train in order to avoid them. The main tricks are handle passes. It consist in passing the bar in or back from one hand to the other, so it means when unhook (we hold the kite with the power of our arms and not the harness anymore) jump and pass the bar so it needs some strength and technic. We have plenty of variations of handlepasses. Anyway, kiteboarding is better to me than wakeboarding because we can do many different things, we are not behind a boat, we can jump high, ride waves, take the board off our feet...

What about rivality in kiteboarding?

In competition you'll always find some unpleasant people, but in general we don't have it so much. Even if some pressure, sometimes it's just a bit of tension. I have never seen a fight in kiting.

You had many great results - twice French champion, European junior champion, Vice World junior champion, many great results as a senior. Which one is particularly special for you?

I remember the competition of Cabarete, one step from the world championship, where I did my first podium in freestyle - 3rd. This was hard, loads of emotions and I was damn happy to be up there... Really exciting moments when I think about it. I had a heat for the 4th position against my friend and I won. It was really hard, and stressful for both of us. I was even sad to win against him and then when I won the next heat he came to say congrats. So there is friendship even when you lose. And this feels just great. Also, it was amazing when i got my first pro model from North Kiteboarding - Mallory pro. This was one of my biggest goals when I was a kid and looking at all these surf and windsurf magazines. I wanted so much to have a board with my name on it, just like pro riders in magazines. And i finally had it in 2008.

You've been all around the world to compete?

Yes, that is part of the job I like the most. I have been in Mexico, Venezuela, Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, most countries of Europe (France, Spain, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Lithuania, England...), Mauritius, USA, Canada. I remember when I was living in Costa Rica (for three years) I started to surf as there wasn't wind in this place so we had to quit windsurfing. Once I was in one of the best known spots of the country (playa hermosa), there were perfect waves and hundreds of surfers catching them and I was waiting in the water together with my brother when we saw a crocodile swimming just about 2-3 meters from us and we went out of the sea like crazy... Egypt has been the most easthern part I've been in the world, so I'd like to visit Asian countries (Philippines is planned already for this winter) and maybe Western Balcans, too. I'd also like to go to Australia, Tahiti would be my No.1 (fighting with the Maldives!!!).

So, after all those trips, how Tarifa looks like to you now?

Tarifa is really the Mecca of kiteboarding and windsurfing in Europe. It is perfect place for training and the place itself, it's beautiful. There are all kind of conditions during the whole year - different winds, spots, a lot of wind. If you come in summer you'll be amazed how many kites are there.

Nevertheless you will move to Nice?

Yes. I will be studying in Nice for 2 years and then i'll do two more in Hawaii. After a gap of 4 years of competitons and traveling, I decided to start again, as I want to do something new, but combined with sport. It's sport management and I think that this school will be the best for me and my kiting career. It was a big decision for me to decide to study and to change my hometown. Good thing is that I'm going to Nice with my girlfriend.

Is she in sports, too?

She does kite. She's German form Munich and she use to compete in athletics, but not anymore. She was on Erasmus in Spain, near Tarifa and we met on the beach two years ago. Actually, my boss sent me a wetsuit for a girl, a friend of his and when i gave it to her that's how all started. Thanks to an ION wetsuit.

What would be your advice for youngsters interested in this sports?

If they really have the dream to become a pro rider or to compete and do this sport life - for sure never leave it, keep going for it and things will come slowly to you. But on the other side : I would say to at least finish the bachelor and if you have to stop for some years just come back, because you'll need it. I would never change my experience and decision but I was aware that at some point you have to start again.

If you want to do kiteboarding and to compete you need to be a part of a club and federated, and if you are really into this you need to find sponsor as well. One board can cost you, depending on the brand, around 500-700 euros, but you can earn much more. Not many people become pro and obviously this sport ask sacrificing but according to Mallory - it can bring lots of happiness and fun to one who is truly devoted and interested in it. Despite all his successes and experience Mallory's main values are to "stay humble, be openminded and friendly to the people". - That's what i try to do and like to have back from the people".


(Published: 12.09.2009.)