Paris on Tio’s mind

MANILA, Philippines — It’s a long wait until the 2024 Paris Olympics but Boracay kiteboarder Christian Tio intends to be ready for the water when the time comes in a bid to land a podium finish after bagging the silver at the recent Youth Summer Games at the Club Nautica San Isidro in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Tio, 17, said one of the things he’ll focus on in the next six years is mastering the hydrofoil board that will be used in Paris. He has occasionally practiced in Lake Caliraya with the hydrofoil board borrowed from Domingo Juan of Alabang but what he raced on in Buenos Aires was the standard 165 cm by 42 cm, carbon-fiber flat board.

“With the hydrofoil board, you’re like in the air with the fin touching the water, said Tio. “It’s still the same principle, you’re moving with the kite that’s propelled by the wind. You need balance and leg strength. That’s why I do one or two hours in the gym, five days a week. We have a gym with weights and kettlebells at home where I live in Boracay so I work squats and bench press. I’m in the water at least three hours a day.”

At the Youth Olympics, kiteboarding was strictly a racing competition. It will be introduced in the regular Olympic program in Paris as one of 10 sailing events. Tio said he also does freestyle kiteboarding but it’s not an Olympic discipline. In Buenos Aires, there were 12 competitors in kiteboarding where two qualifying heats of six contenders each were held. The course had obstacles that the boarders jumped over. The three fastest boarders of each heat advanced to the final. Tio, who topped the Asian qualifiers in Thailand last March to make it to Buenos Aires, finished third in his heat and in the final, also wound up third. But second placer Toni Vodisek of Slovenia was docked a point for an infraction so his score went even with Tio’s. Organizers decided to award Vodisek and Tio a silver medal apiece. Tio was the Philippines’ only medalist in the Youth Games.

“Kiteboarding races aren’t timed,” Tio explained. “It’s not like swimming and the scoring is like golf where the lowest points take you to first place. The gold medalist (Duery Corniel of the Dominican Republic) had one point. Vodisek had two points for second place but because of his violation, was added a point to finish with three. I had three points for third place. So Vodisek and I ended up tied with three points each. In every competition, an arbiter determines the order of finish in the end. Wind is a factor and of course, balance to get the most out of the wind moving your kite.” The silver feat earned for Tio a cash reward of P2.5 Million. He said he’s not touching the money and he’ll leave it in the bank for the moment. 

Tio’s first kiteboarding teacher was his mother Liezl, a Dumaguete native who moved to Boracay because of her love for the water. Liezl, 36, has competed in world kiteboarding events. His father Chris Mohn, a Norwegian, was also a kiteboarder. He passed away two years ago. Half-brother Eric Mohn and half-sister Pernille Mohn, both older than Tio, live in Norway but often visit Boracay. Eric assists Tio in plotting his training schedule and guides him in his career. In Buenos Aires, his mother, Eric and Pernille were on the shore cheering for him.

“I was a little kid when my mom taught me kiteboarding,” he said. “At first, I didn’t like it. I preferred to stay home and play computer games. But as I got better in kiteboarding, I fell in love with the sport. I was seven when I took lessons from coach Khristopher Ken Nacor who owns the Freestyle Academy Kiteboarding School in Boracay. Now, we ride the water together for fun and kiteboarding is the only sport for me. There are boarders in their 40s but the champions are mainly below 20. It’s a new Olympic sport and the young generation has taken over.”

Before racing in Buenos Aires, Tio trained in Italy and the Dominican Republic where he hooked up with American coach Michael Gebhardt. “I went to the Dominican Republic because of coach Michael,” said Tio who does home study and is at the level of a Grade 10 student. “He couldn’t coach me in Buenos Aires because he was with another competitor. But if I had a choice and the PSC and POC allow it, coach Michael would be the best to prepare me for Paris.”

With Red Bull as a sponsor, Tio said he’s amped to engage in events to promote the sport all over the country. “We’ve got so many islands and I would love to introduce kiteboarding to anyone who’s interested to learn it,” he said. “I’m not the greatest and most patient teacher in the world but I’ve taught my best friend how to kiteboard. It was an honor to represent our country in the Youth Olympics and I’d like to give back by making myself available to promote kiteboarding. We can bring in a girl to kiteboard in Paris so now is the time to find someone willing to put in the time and effort to compete. There are about 150 kiteboarders in the country today and only 20 are internationally competitive. We have six years to get ready for Paris.”