“At work my job is one of the chief inspectors for quality control
and I make sure the products that are going out the door have
no mistakes. Believe me, I get a lot of heat from my brothers
because I am brutally honest with the quality of the product
that goes out the door and when there is a redo they might
not always agree. Then, we all get on the water to hash out our
differences. It’s fun!”
Estelle is the only daughter in this racing dynasty and is the
youngest, but she’s not shy about her role on the race team.
“When I was younger I didn’t hesitate about letting my parents
know that I wanted to follow my brothers into racing. It was so
natural, just get out there and be competitive. I decided to do this
at age 10 and started at 15. When you have three bigger brothers
around you all day and night, you have to learn to get right in the
middle of the action, or else drown in self-pity and that I don’t do.
“I am still in school and look forward to next year attending
college so I can someday become an architect. Being around the
family building business it’s only natural that I go in this direction
and I can’t wait to start.”
Do you think that there will be more women who will continue
to join the sport?
“Yes for sure. As a matter of fact we now have 11 women in France
racing this year so the numbers are climbing.”
Does Estelle think she can become the next member of the
family to become a World Champion?
“Of course, this is what I am aiming for and I think I have a good
shot at it in 2014. We’ll see how it plays out.”
Mickael, the oldest of the four at 27 and the defending Ski GP1
World Champion, has been racing for 15 years. Can he keep the
motivation at a high level again this season and win another
title in 2014?
“Yes, actually I do have the motivation to do it again. I feel that I
always have something to prove every time I go out on the water
and just focus on the job at hand to get a winning checkered flag
at the end of the day.”
With so much time with family either racing or at work, do you
ever have a chance to get alone and socialise on your own?
“Of course, as a matter of fact my girlfriend races and my Brother
Jeremy’s wife also races and the brother of my other Brother
Morgan’s wife also races, so there are seven of us now closely
competing together almost as one large family unit.”
So, if you can’t beat them on the water, you marry them and
make them part of the family?
“No, but I like the way you think.”
INTERVIEW
18 | H20 MAGAZINE - SEPTEMBER 2014
h2oracing.net
