You may have spotted him on our social media, introducing Arthur Guillebert our young and promising newest member of Team Switch.
Kiting in the pristine waters of New Caledonia, Arthur has been able to dial in his riding skills and bust some impressive moves, and grab the Switch teams attention. He's keen to follow in the footsteps of our seasoned pro, Marc Jacobs, with the goal of becoming a professional kiteboarding athlete on the world tour.
We caught up with Arthur to ask him a few question...
Vital Statistics
Full Name: Arthur Guillebert
Age: 18 year old
Years Kiting: 4 years
Best Results: 2 x European Junior Champion
Home Spot: Noumea, New Caledonia
Sponsors: Switch Kiteboarding, Vakarm Surfshop, Kitaddict, Seventyone, Utopik, Ang Glisse, Caledonian Kite Team (Ligue Kite, New Caledonia)
Congratulations and welcome to Team Switch. You've been riding Switch for a few months now, what attracted you to our brand and what's your favourite kite?
I'm proud to have joined the Switch Team. I was particularly attracted to the brand by the work done by the team with Marc Jacobs on his free-style kite and board. I love riding with my Legacy which is the kite that all riders dream to have.
Tell us a little bit about yourself? Your family, where you live, school or work, what makes you smile?
I live on catamaran in the Noumea marina with my parent and brother Max. Noumea is just a perfect spot to progress with the best kitesurfing conditions and the little islands around me are great for diving. I attend a technical & development High School. What makes me smile is I'm able to ride almost every day of the year in perfect conditions. I love this sport and dream of working in kite development.
How and when did you get into kiteboarding? Did it come naturally or was this a practice makes perfect scenario?
I started kiteboarding in 2010 when I arrived in Noumea. Growing up on a boat gave me the opportunity to always practice board sports such as surfing and wake. All my new friends in Nomea were kitesufing so naturally I started to kite with my friends. Being able to surf and wake made it very easy for me to pick up kitesurfing easily.
You won the European Junior Kitesurf Freestyle Cup 2014 and placed 4th in 2015, what's your goal for 2016?
In 2015 the conditions did not allow us to finish the competition, so I finished 1st tied with four other riders which gave us all the title of European Junior Kitesurf Champions. As for 2016 my goal is to finish in the top 3 at the French Championship, win the European Junior Kitesurf Cup and compete at the world championships.
New Caledonia's vast coral reef offers some of the most spectacular diving in the world. Should it also be a destination for kitesurfing?
New Caledonia is a paradise for sea lovers. The lagoon is an amazing playground to ride, dive, fly and many others activities.
You can swim with dolphin and whales and live on a boat and eat the fish you catch all year round. When the wind blows you can kitesurf in perfect conditions and when the wind is off you can dive with the sharks or wakeboard, surf, go climbing or just chill out.
New Caledonia is definitely a destination for kitesurfing, it's a part of the world you must come visit.
You have a healthy appetite for adventures on the ocean, kitesurfing, sailing, fishing and diving are you involved in any land activities?
Yes, of course. Almost every day, I head to the gym to practice cross fit with my personal trainer. I love learning new athletic moves. I also do gymnastics once a week and other sports as the opportunity arises.
Anything else you would like to say?
Thank you to Switch for your confidence in me and GO RIDE MAN!
