10 Questions with Rita Arnaus

Get to know a little more about Spanish Athlete, Rita Arnaus

After five years on the World Tour, Rita Arnaus doesn’t need much introduction! One of several Spanish athletes currently competing professionally, she is sitting in fifth in the current rankings. Not only is she a renowned pro-athlete, but Rita also boasts the largest social media following of most kite athletes, with almost 90k Instagram followers. So, what made Rita the successful pro-rider that she is today? Let’s find out more:

Can you tell us a little bit about how you got into kiteboarding?

I was born into a very sporty family; both mum and dad were Spanish Windsurf Champions and my dad was among the first to start kiteboarding in Spain. I got into windsurfing and sailing when I was ten-years-old, and it wasn’t until I was 16 that my dad taught me how to fly a kite. The kite community was growing a lot back at home, I had many friends that were kiteboarding and I was very eager to learn. It only took me three days until I was in the water and completely hooked on the sport.

What challenges have you faced as a woman in kiteboarding?

I don’t think I had to face more challenges because of the fact that I am a woman. Also, water and extreme sports are normal in my family, so I’ve always had a lot of support. I think women might actually have more advantages as kiteboarding is a sport dominated by men, so they will always come to you, help you with whatever you need and they love to see girls ripping on the water. I also weigh less than most of the guys, so I can always be the first one on the water as soon as the breeze starts blowing.

How hard was it for you to find your first sponsors?

I had to work a lot, focus on my goals and believe in them – nothing was going to stop me. With a lot of determination I got my first job, saved money and started studying online to be able to travel and train in good conditions. I invested in myself to pay for my first trips and World Tour competitions. The key to success was consistency, good results and lots of content on social media.

Do you find it hard to be travelling all of the time? How do you find the balance with your family and friends?

In the beginning I was struggling with the fact that I was away from home all the time. Sometimes it can get very hectic, but with time I learned how to find the balance.

I always try to visit home between trips and to really fully enjoy my time with family and friends. They support me a lot and that means the world to me. I’m really lucky to have them by my side and even if I’m gone for a long time, it’s always as if I just saw them a week ago.

We’ve seen you focus a lot lately on your training off the water. Can you tell us a little bit about it?

I recently got heavily into fitness and nutrition, I have a very good trainer and nutritionist back at home who made me a personalised plan and diet. Every day I push myself to becoming a better athlete, having a balance between training in and out of the water, and with a proper diet it has helped me to improve my form a lot. I’m still learning to balance everything between all the travelling, but so far it’s going very well. I have basically increased the amount of proteins and cut refined carbs in my diet. It’s not easy to follow with so many options and yummy food around me, but I’m trying!

How do you manage to adapt your training while travelling?

I’m still learning how to manage it. I would say training out of the water is not that hard to manage, as I can always find a gym near by or I can do high intensity interval training or use resistance bands for a workout. Since I’ve been getting more in to the fitness world, I’m adding a lot more knowledge and creativity into my workouts, so whenever I have time I will do one. Anyway, this is only the training part out of the water! In the water, it can also be hard because it’s tricky with the wind sometimes, it doesn’t always blow as much as I would like, but that’s the interesting point of kiteboarding; when good conditions come together, nothing can beat a good kite session!

Which is your favourite kite spot and why?

It’s really hard to choose only one! The world is so big and there are plenty of spots that I would still like to visit. I would probably say the northeast of Brazil has one of the very best winds of all, blowing non-stop from August until December with kilometres and kilometres of beaches plus many lagoons with flat water spots. The towns are full of kiters and we all get reunited to kite together. It always feels very good to be back there.

How long have you been on the World Tour, and how much has it changed?

I started in 2014, my very first World Tour competition was in Dakhla, then Germany and Tarifa. The kite competition scene has changed a lot since then. We used to have around ten minutes to perform our tricks and now we have more time; we go one after the other which gives us the opportunity to really focus on our trick without having to worry about the other riders. The scoring system has improved as well and we have live scoring which allow us to plan our tricks strategically.

Who do you look up to, and why?

Well, definitely my parents, they are top athletes and my role models. They have taught me everything I know about the wind and the sea, the values of the sports, the perseverance and consistency. They are my biggest inspiration! We are so passionate about kiteboarding, it’s amazing to share this with my loved ones. Like them, I want to do watersports and keep the stoke alive forever!

Any words of wisdom for other young girls who want to start kiteboarding and also start competing?

Go for it! Kiteboarding will open so many doors for you, getting to know new people, visiting new places… It is a beautiful sport that involves a great and healthy lifestyle and you wouldn’t want to miss any of it! Hard work pays off, so set your goals, work for it and let your passion help you push your limits. If someone ever tells you that you are not capable of something, do not listen; limits doesn’t exist! Enjoy the ride and share the passion with your friends and family!

Follow Rita on instagram to see all of her kiteboarding adventures.