The Spotyteam has left for you to discover the brand new wakepark which has just opened in Arles: Dynamite Wakepark. A huge place that allows you to practice the sport you love so much: wakeboarding.
A warm team, a bipoulie, catering with local products, an idyllic setting, … you will never want to leave.
Discover this wakepark from its manager: Chloé Thiebaut.
Hello Chloé, can you introduce yourself?
So I’m Thiebaut Chloé. I am the manager of Dynamite Wakepark. It is a new park which has been set up and which will open shortly, on April 8, 2023.
Are you a wakeboarder?
I’ve been practicing wakeboarding for over 17 years. It’s a sport that I love.
I was trained in the old school with people like Kanard or Laurent Delacroix, who taught me a lot.
I originally practiced this sport to train in the summer because I was a snowboarder. And in the end, little by little I practiced wakeboarding more than snowboarding. And so I got started.
Wakeboarding is a sport with which you have direct sensations. I am not going to say that it is a simple sport, but it is a sport where you quickly have very good sensations. And you can practice at a decent level very quickly. In addition, this sport is suitable for everyone: for young and old alike.
What is the Dynamite Wakepark?
The Dynamite Wakepark was created by a enthusiast who wanted to make the sport even more accessible to everyone, with modules for everyone.
And I want to share my passion, which is wakeboarding, to share it in a very educational way. Which represents me.
Why did you choose Arles and the Camargue to set up the wakepark?
So as we all know, there aren’t that many lakes in the south of France. Most lakes are on public property. So for quite some time, I’ve been looking for a lake to buy.
I explored a lot in the region and even in the southwest. In the end, the only lake I didn’t look for was the Dynamite Wakepark here. He came to me on his own, and everything happened gradually.So I was able to work on creation.
Do you offer internships during the holidays?
There is the possibility of doing internships all the time.
We offer 10 session packages which allow you to create your tailor-made course, as you want, with the number of sessions you want.
Afterwards we will of course have camps, training courses, … on very specific weekends where it will be a little more structured.
We are open eleven months out of twelve, that is to say from February to December. You can therefore come to either do an à la carte course or wait until one is created by the Dynamite Wakepark for a little guidance. A bit like Club Med but much more rider-oriented.
From what age can you enjoy the wakepark?
So you should know that wakeboarding can be practiced from the age of 7. So for me, it depends on many things, on different parameters.
For me a child, at 7 years old, you take two different children, it will be two opposites. One who will be very dynamic, who has a good body shape, who has fairly precise movements, … For him, wakeboarding from 7 years old, no worries. There are even children at 6 years old, they are like that.
Other children, at 7-8 years old, they don’t have this dynamic, so it’s complicated. So I really do it according to the person. I will look at the child.
After us, we have a system where when a child between 7 and 10 years old arrives, we will put him on an elongated bodysuit to send him more or less far, then bring him back. This allows us to know if he is comfortable in the water.
If we see when sending him to the bottom and coming back, he is completely comfortable, then we will put him on the wakeboard.
I have already had children who were disgusted by wakeboarding because we put them directly on a wakeboard and they fell forward. They were blocked by the board and they panicked. Then they didn’t want to do it again.
It also allows them to take away this fear.
What are the different offers available within the Dynamite Wakepark?
There are basic sessions, the session with board rental or basic too. For rental equipment, we use high-end boards from DoubleUp.
We also offer all tested equipment from DoubleUP and Slingshot.
Then you have courses or 10-session packages which are valid for two years and which are family nominative. And you have memberships.
What are the advantages of riding on a bipulley?
For me, the bipulley is an exceptional learning machine.
You will spend a quarter of an hour in the water where you will really ride for a quarter of an hour while being coached. We work with a radiocommunication system BBTalking which allows us to coach you at the precise moment.
You fall, you are told what to do, what not to do. You are afraid of going to a module, we can guide you on this module.
All in confidence, in security.
We really adapt everything. The bipulley, what’s great, is that you can also adapt the speed to your practice. You want to do a 360, we will come and help you. Are you afraid of going to a module? We are going to reduce the speed slightly. We will help you.
The pilot, the coach, he is there with you, all the time, for you, so that you come out of your session with a smile, a smile where you almost have a jaw cramp .
The Dynamite Wakepark: for whom?
The wakepark is for everyone. Those who just want to enjoy, to forget a little about what we experience outside, in society, in the world. Leave your problems and come enjoy yourself.
What brand do you use for the modules?
I swear by the Unit brand. I have an affection for them. The modules are made by riders and are studied.
I don’t talk about other brands because I don’t know them. But in any case, for this brand, these are really modules that have been super well designed, designed with a 100% safety aspect and that fits into the time.
So these are modules that are really an investment, but a long-term investment.
Here the set up, I chose to adapt it to everyone. For me, a rider, whether beginner, intermediate, pro, or super advanced, we all have to have fun at any wakepark. And my wakepark, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate or pro, you’ll have fun.
As Yannik Paton said: “this park is just amazing because anyone can enjoy it, ride here”.
What additional activities do you offer?
We have a catering service with our food truck, on our menu, we have a lot of fresh products. Afterwards we have a small snack service when the restaurant is closed. Here you have hot dog and waffle.
We really try to promote the short circuit and work with local producers. Next door, there is a market gardener with whom we want to work. We are in the process of signing all contracts and negotiating the price to work with them 100%.
You should also know that here we have 70 olive trees. And we will collect the olives and make our own olive oil to offer them to our customers.
Why come to Dynamite Wakepark and not elsewhere?
You can go elsewhere, and I advise you to go elsewhere because it’s good to change spot. But you can come see me because we are smiling, smiling too, because we also have boys who work with us.
We’re not too bad at coaching, even pretty good, and then we’re all going to enjoy it together.
Do you have a team of riders and a competition goal?
Yes, we have two people who are sponsored by the park:
- Axel Castanier, who won more than 30 WWA masters last year, who is part of the team, who comes to train regularly. I am his coach.
- And there is Leny Catelier, who is also a young kid, who has a lot of style and who I would like to see progress in international contests. li>
For me, a good rider is not just I ride a 720. For me, a good rider is I ride a 720 with style, beauty of execution. Bringing in a 720 is beautiful, but bringing in one with style and beauty of execution is just magnificent.
What are the values of Dynamite Wakepark?
You should know that the bipulley is 100% electric. There is no hydrocarbon. The only engine we have here is our maintenance boat which we use to carry out maintenance on the modules, we cannot do otherwise.
After all our systems like street lights,it’s 100% solar, 100% electric. We are planning to install solar panels. 200 m2 of self-consumption solar panels slide over the year.
What are your goals for the 2023-2024 season?
To make the spot known and make people feel good.
My saying, my ambition is that on the estate here, that you spend an hour, two hours, half a day or a day, that you have enjoyed it and that you have forgotten all your worries.
