2023-10-18 16:17:05
His thing is “riding” on the water. This is what has driven Thibault Lagel, 16, for three years now. Double reigning French junior wakeboard champion, the teenager who lives in Vaux-sur-Seine (Yvelines) discovered this board sport consisting of performing figures towed by a boat, near his home, around the island from Platais, to Villennes-sur-Seine.
In competition, he is judged on the completion of a sequence of figures on his board, his intensity and his style. “The wave of the boat serves as a springboard for me to perform my tricks,” confides Thibault, a former trampoline enthusiast. I go as high as possible to have the most style, thanks to several parameters: cable length and speed…”
Wakeboarding is a water sport that appeared in the 1980s. DR
The first year student at the Institut Saint-Thomas-de-Villeneuve, in Saint-Germain-en-Laye, is now registered on the ministerial list of high-level athletes and a member of the French team.
Rapid progress
Since his debut, the young man has experienced rapid progress thanks to his determination and the support of his two coaches, Daniel Dusquenoy and Laurent Delacroix, who advise him in Bordeaux (Gironde).
“Now that I am entering a professional career, I am followed by a physiotherapist and I do bodybuilding,” he explains. At the French Championships, I was not aiming for first place but simply to give the best of myself…”
Objective more than achieved since Thibault is preparing to compete in the European Championships in the specialty, from October 30 to November 4 in Palermo (Italy). He is delighted to represent France in a sport which was a candidate for the 2024 Olympic Games program without ultimately being selected.
The French wakeboard hopeful can count on the unwavering support of his father, Éric. “He’s a bit like my manager, the one who manages my contracts,” smiles the teenager, already accompanied by sponsors, two French companies.
Training sessions for 4 euros… per minute
It also benefits from the Performance Pact for high-level athletes, supported by the National Foundation for French Sport. “Sponsors give credibility, support Eric, the dad. Wakeboarding is not football, the expenses are high and the funding is low and few in number. » The son’s passion has a price estimated at several tens of thousands of euros per year, materials, training courses and travel included. Just one session with a coach costs 4 euros… per minute.
Eric, the father who is also passionate about board sports, was even forced to break the bank to acquire the boat which is used for his son’s training. “This special boat repels water and creates waves at 30 km/h,” explains the person concerned. Beyond snowboarding, this sport which comes from the United States also motivates my son to surpass himself in English. His dream is to be able to go riding there, among enthusiasts. It’s a small environment. »
The prodigy son leaves himself two more years, time to obtain his baccalaureate, to seriously think about crossing the Atlantic. Provided that he can one day make a living from it, he will settle in Florida, the cradle of his discipline. And far from the Seine.
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