Winnipeg kiteboarder Roland Rioux still soars at (almost) 70

Manitoba kiteboarders are honouring a local legend, Roland Rioux, who is still going strong as he approaches the age of 70.

Members of the kiteboarding community held a pre-birthday celebration for him and demonstrated some jumps on Friday in La Barriere Park, ahead of Rioux's 70th birthday on Dec. 9.

The retired paramedic has been kiting on water, snow and land in Manitoba since 2002, and these days he's been going four or five times a week to parks, fields and beaches across the province.

He said it was his love of windsurfing that brought him to discover kiteboarding, and he estimates he goes out on the water almost 300 days a year.

"The adrenaline rush, the excitement, the freedom of the wind, the outdoors — I love the outdoors — and it all combines to make me feel absolutely wonderful," Rioux said.

While some may consider kiteboarding an extreme sport, it hasn't deterred Rioux from taking up the sport later in life.

"I remember when I was windsurfing and I was in my 40s and 50s and people said, 'Well, if I was 20 years younger I'd take it up.' And you know what? I started this in my 50s and I'm still doing it, and I didn't ever think that my age was a factor," he said.

"I'm just enjoying it and relaxing, and you kind of take the time to understand what you're doing and then you go from there."

Rioux has recorded more than 2,300 kite jumps since this past August alone. His highest recorded jump on water was over 11 metres high on Lake Winnipeg near Sunset Beach on Sept. 26.

Click on the video player to see Rioux in action.