Cold winds, Canadian adventures and a win for Alice Read!

A trip to Canada brought coaching, challenging conditions and a Canadian National Championships women’s title for Alice Read. But for Alice, the highlight was watching the people she had coached put their new skills into practice on the racecourse.

The Official Test Centre blog this week we speak to Alice about her transatlantic trip and why in a gesture of sporting goodwill she gave her prize away!

By Emma Maguire

Alice winging it!

Competing on the X-15 wingfoil equipment, Alice joined her brother Rafferty for a week that combined teaching with racing and a chance to explore somewhere she had always wanted to visit.

“It was so cool to be in Canada, and meet lots of new people,” she said. “I’ve always wanted to go, everyone was super friendly and really looked after Raffer and I.”

Alice and her brother scooped both of the top prizes!

From coaching to the racecourse

After a busy week coaching during CanFoil Week, Alice chose to race on just one of the two competition days, taking the other day to rest and explore the area.

The women’s fleet was small, with just one other competitor, who completed only a limited number of races. Alice was open about that context and chose to give her award and prizes to the other woman because she felt she deserved them.

Her own focus was on sharing the experience with the students she had spent the week coaching.

Alice had to wear a hat under her helmet to keep warm!

“For me, it was more about being on the water with everyone and with my students from the week that I was coaching, so I was super proud to see everyone doing the races, doing really well and showing what they had learnt.”

Seeing their progress made the racing particularly rewarding. Despite long days and occasionally difficult conditions, Alice said the enthusiasm stayed strong.

“Some people had come from further away than us to be there and it was long days, but everyone was just getting stuck in and enjoying.”

Alice said the highlight for her was the coaching.

A beanie-under-the-helmet kind of week

Canada also delivered a chilly challenge.

“It was a bit colder than expected, and quite windy and gusty! So I needed to be really switched on!” Alice said. “And I wore my beanie under my helmet, it was quite a look! Haha!”

Asked about the biggest challenge, her answer was straightforward: the cold, which called for a good warm-up and a little extra motivation.

The equipment, however, helped make the racing enjoyable. Alice described the X-15 setup as accessible and fun, allowing riders of different abilities to take part once the board and foil were properly set up.

“I really like it because I can go fast, ride swell and jump!”

Alice and Rafferty power siblings!

Sharing the experience with Rafferty

With Rafferty also taking a Canadian National Championships win, the trip gave the siblings another sporting experience to share.

“It’s really cool that we get to compete together and then sometimes win together!” Alice said.

Although they sometimes train together, Alice explained that they are largely independent in their approach. For her, their progress reflects the time each puts into the sport, and she hopes they can pass that enthusiasm on to others.

Rafferty also provides a useful source of motivation.

“At the moment Raffer is much better than I am! He is amazing at wing foil, and I challenge myself with ‘If Raffer can do it, I can too’.”

Alice only started learning to wing properly last year, making her progress especially encouraging.

“I hope to get good enough to challenge Raffer one day!”

Why showing up matters

For anyone considering their first race, Alice’s advice is to give it a go.

She believes racing can help riders progress by encouraging them to attempt manoeuvres they might otherwise avoid during a normal session. It also offers a chance to meet people and enjoy time on the water together.

Alice highlighted the Holy Moly League as an example of racing that recognises different skills alongside results.

Her strongest message, though, was for anyone worried about whether they are ready.

“You may not be able to or want to do all the races or all of the days, but you never know you might surprise yourself! Showing up and being there is the greatest thing you can do!”

The Canadian trip reinforced that outlook. Watching her students develop reminded Alice how much can be achieved through practice, enjoyment and a positive attitude.

“I have learnt that positive attitude and hard work can allow you to achieve great things.”

Next stop: Ibiza

Alice would love to return to Canada, catch up with the people she met and have another opportunity to compete.

Next on her schedule is the X-15 World Championships in Ibiza, where she is looking forward to reconnecting with friends and seeing how the class has developed.

For now, she leaves Canada with a title, happy memories and the satisfaction of seeing her students take their learning onto the racecourse.

Photo credit: Hubert Pelletier and Joyce Sailing