If spending a few hours in front of a television camera is what it takes to promote the sport of hydrofoil, then that is just what Jason Clouston will do. Hydrofoil is much like waterskiing, with two wings mounted on the bottom of a ski that allow for the rider to get airborne from a seated position.
The local man spent about five hours on Shuswap Lake near Salmon Arm, B.C. on Sept. 7 filming a segment about the sport for the Rick Mercer Report. Clouston and Darcy Notland, a fellow hydrofoil enthusiast who practises at Gleniffer Lake with Clouston, got the chance to ski in front of the camera.
“It was fun. We got to ski in front of the cameras a little bit. I don't know what exactly they're going to use, but I'm sure there's going to be a little bit of myself and a friend of mine from Red Deer, and then we had a little interview time,” Clouston said.
Clouston, who recently won the advanced division at a Water Ski and Wakeboard Alberta event at Gleniffer Lake, emailed the producers of the show to get the crew to come there. But a man who sells beginner hydrofoils in Salmon Arm also emailed the show, so the producers decided to bring everyone together and film it at Shuswap Lake.
“We came out as the advanced riders to show the top end of the sport in Canada and this other fellow was showing his beginner hydrofoils,” Clouston said, adding that he hopes his daughter Kallie, who is a novice hydrofoiler, will also get some time on the segment. “It was a good setup and I think the show will really show the sport.”
Clouston speculated the segment will air in mid-October.
