Tim Blanchard - A Canadian Kitesurfing Heritage Moment

#PERMASTOKED, Episode 18: Tim Blanchard -  A Canadian Kitesurfing Heritage Moment…Now Available Free for Streaming and Download on the Alexa App, iTunes / Apple Podcasts at https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/permastoked/id1518415157,  Deezer, Pandora, Podbean, Google Podcasts at https://podcasts.google.com/search/permastoked, Stitcher, Spotify at https://open.spotify.com/show/6qsR6lN7M7edO798HSBxpj, iHeart Radio, TuneIn or wherever you get your podcasts.  You can also Watch the Show on our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChueUd4VG0WYXN3ky532vzg?.  Be sure to Listen, Rate, Review and Share! In this episode, Derik Hyatt interviews Owner and Head Instructor of Surf Culture Canada and Founder of Kitestock, Tim Blanchard.  These two Windsor-Essex County Natives discuss the power of Lake Erie; Tim forming a band named Sublime before the actual SoCal Reggae Dub band, Sublime; windsurfing; the history and development of Canadian kiting on the west coast and the Great Lakes; escaping the grips of US Border Patrol for posing a threat to Homeland Security by kiting on the Detroit River; Kitestock; foiling; snow kiting, wing surfing, kiting on a food tray, SUP, surfing and more! Well-traveled waterman and Puce resident, Tim Blanchard started windsurfing in his early teens.  At 20 he traveled extensively, spending a year in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Costa Rica where he caught the surfing stoke. After University he moved to Victoria, BC and spent his summers training for competitive windsurfing in Hood River, OR (The Gorge) and Lake Nitnat.  He began his kiting journey in 1999 along with Ross Harrington (head designer of Ocean Rodeo) and the rest of the Victoria crew. His first kite was one of Ross’s hand made 8m four line kites.  He got in over a hundred sessions at Lake Nitnat during the summer of 2000, mastering his kiting skills, before moving back to Ontario to attend Teacher’s College. Being years ahead of everyone else in the region with his polished skills and powerful riding style, he quickly became the poster child for Great Lakes high-performance kiteboarding.  During the spring of 2001 Tim took part in the first Internationally Certified Instructors Training Course taking place in Cape Hatteras, NC.  He has since trained 1000’s of students and several instructors over the past 20 years.  With over 25 years of water sports experience in the World’s Oceans and the Great Lakes, he can provide you with the proper skills and knowledge to safely get on board.  He was also the Great Lakes rider for the Naish North American Team from 2001-2006.  Due to work, instructional and family responsibilities he only competed a few times but was the “King of Great Lakes Big Air Champion” and placed second overall at the 2001 IIes de la Madeleine World Cup event.  His current day job as a high school science teacher, experience as a collegiate track and field athlete and crossfit athlete/trainer make him uniquely qualified to provide the best instructional experience in Canada. Today, in its 20th year of operation, founded in 2000 by Tim, Canada’s first certified instructor, Surf Culture Canada has pioneered the sport in Southwestern Ontario and is committed to the continued promotion of kiteboarding and other wind and wave sports in the Great Lakes and Southern Ontario.  Surf Culture Canada has some of the most passionate and experienced instructors in the world and is also equipped with the latest equipment which makes learning faster, easier and more fun.  As Canada’s first kiteboarding school, with over 1000 lessons taught and 7000+ hours of combined lesson and riding time, Tim Blanchard is your kiteboarding authority in Ontario.  The most experienced, the most respected, Tim Blanchard and Surf Culture Canada have been featured in: KiteBoarding Magazine, Kiteboarder Magazine, OLN, CBC Radio, Global TV, Intersections Magazine (Mazda), and local TV interviews. To learn more about Tim or to book lessons w