Our Team
The Elevation Kiteboarding team is a group of enthused kiteboarders who love what they do and enjoy sharing their passion with students. Our instructors are IKO (International Kiteboarding Organization) certified with years of experience teaching students of all levels. Our aim is to teach independent, safe and successful kiteboarders! After 11 years in business, we pride ourselves on being one of the original kite schools in the world with two North American locations that allow us to teach nearly year round with a team that continue to come back each year.
Marie-Christine Leclerc

Owner

Marie is from Quebec and started kiteboarding in 2002. She has pushed kiteboarding limits and established Elevation Kiteboarding as a premier school on the west coast of Canada and Mexico. She has been teaching since 2005 and has taught hundreds of students with her attention to detail, safe and positive approach. Her teaching techniques and uplifting attitude have inspired and educated many of the people you will meet at Nitinat Lake and in La Ventana. Elevation Kiteboarding School has an excellent and experienced team thanks to Marie’s vision and skills.

Mark Bavis

Gear Specialist / Duotone Kiteboarding Retailer

Mark comes from a background of sailboat racing on the coast of New Brunswick. As kites became available in 2000, Mark saw the potential for another form of sailing and became a kiteboarding pioneer. Mark is a Duotone Kiteboarding retailer for both of our teaching locations and is the go-to for gear questions.

Robin Bowles

Instructor – Advanced Kiteboarding Specialist

Robin comes from the UK and has been kiteboarding since 2002 and an IKO instructor since 2004. Robin has a skillful background in skateboarding and snowboarding. He has devoted thousands of hours to freestyle riding and has logged as many hours teaching.

Robin loves to use film and video to show his students their riding style as a method to improve technique.

Peter Rhymer

Instructor

Peter joined the Elevation team in 2010 in La Ventana and follows the Canadian team back to Canada each summer season to teach at Nitinat Lake. Peter has been kiting for 10 years and has a passion for kiting that has endured. He can often be found on the water after lessons catching big air. Peter’s patience is boundless and is great with timid beginners or our younger students.

Luce Durocher

School Manager & Instructor

Another Quebec export, Luce joined the Elevation team in 2010. Working closely alongside Marie, she has a passion for empowering our female students and is one of our Women’s Camps aficionado’s. Her positive outlook, her love of teaching and her go-get-em’ attitude has enabled hundreds of students to become confident successful kiteboarders. She teaches in English and in French.

Karen Lacombe

Instructor

During the summer season, Karen works in Quebec as a raft guide and whitewater photographer. Her extensive years of varied outdoor experience has made her an excellent instructor. We were thrilled when Karen joined our team in 2015 in La Ventana. Her upbeat personality and humour give her the title of Head Cheerleader! She makes everyone of her students feel special and confident while keeping a joyful session on and off the water. Karen provides instruction in both French and English.

Cristina Repetto

Instructor

Christina is from the Peninsula of Yucatan and joined Elevation team in La Ventana in 2017. She saw kiteboarding for the first time in Progresso, Mexico, and has been kiteboarding ever since. During the summer she goes back to her hometown in Mérida where she teaches kiteboarding at a local kiteboarding school and enjoys arts and crafts at her studio. The feedback from her students is always about how incredible and passionate she is about teaching and how lucky they feel that she was the one teaching them this sport. Cristina teaches in Spanish and English.

Iza

Instructor

From the northern region of Spain we are very lucky to have this dynamic woman on our team. Iza’s career history as a physical therapist and a well seasoned traveller has made her a perfect fit for Elevation. Her kindness and huge heart have helped many travelling kiteboarders sort out their daily dealings here in Baja, and wherever she has gone. Iza’s love for community, kiteboarding, travelling and the lifestyle can be felt through her positive energy, good deeds, beautiful smile and incredible stoke on and off the water. She is fluent in both Spanish and English.

Charles Ford

Instructor – Advanced Kiteboarding Specialist

Brought to Mexico by popular demand, we have our Aussie, Charlie. He brings over 10 years of teaching and knows every trick in the book. As a young kid he would sit on the beach for hours waiting for a chance to go kiting, and over 15 years later that passion has not left. Great with all ages, especially kids, Charlie will have you feeling comfortable and confident and get you up and riding with a smile on your face.

Rachel Hettinga

Instructor

Rachel hails from the small town of Emo, Ontario, Canada. She learned to kite while traveling Central America in 2016 and after seeing the light she committed to living the dream life of a kiteboarder. She completed her IKO certification in 2018 and since then she has been instructing year round between Mexico and Canada, further developing into a well respected and professional instructor.

Danielle Gee

Instructor

Another Canadian in the bunch, Danielle left the plains of Saskatchewan to follow her passion for dog rescues and came to Mexico which lead her to her other passion, kiting. She now runs a dog rescue, Baja Pet Rescue, and teaches kiting and winging.

David Williams

Kiteschool Assistant

David is one of the best faces to see around the school! Always lending a helping hand or being there to keep your schedule lined up, David has become a key part to our school. Working in both Mexico and Canada, you're sure to see his smiling face on the beach or in the water!

Al Ducros

Instructor

Alex Links

Instructor

Isnel Pérez Guerra 

Instructor

Sergio Castro Geraldo 

Driver

Tom Breedon

Driver

Modelo

Elevation’s Mascot

Our little Mexican puppy rescued in one of our favourite Kitesurfing location on the west coast of Baja. Modelo was skinny, full of fleas and very small from mal nutrition. His life changed on May 10th 2015 when we found him at a Modelorama. He is now a beach bum that lives between Nitinaht Lake, B.C. and La Ventana, Mexico or wherever the wind takes us. Modelo specializes in swimming and lounging on the beach.