Posted at 6:00 a.m.
What can a racing champion do in “retirement”? Many stay involved in their sport, others move on. Richard Spénard is one of them. And he won’t let age tell him what to do or what not to do.
Now 68, he was one of our best racing drivers for a long time in the 1980s and 1990s, with numerous victories in both Formula Ford and the Porsche series.
A renowned instructor – he taught Jacques Villeneuve, Craig Moore, Patrick Carpentier – gifted for business, he managed his career well and is now enjoying a fine retirement.
And if it is not the approach of his 70th birthday that attenuates his passion for competition, it is no longer at the wheel of cars that he expresses it. “In fact, I’ve never really been a tank guy,” says Spénard, in a telephone interview from the Magdalen Islands, where he has been living for a few years.
“For me, the cars were a way to satisfy my thirst for competition. I did not have the talent of Gilles [Villeneuve, qu’il a côtoyé à ses débuts], but I was doing fine. At the time, with the involvement of tobacco companies, scholarships were attractive and, with my work as an instructor, I earned a very good living. But I was not the type to hang out on the circuits. I didn’t like being on the other side of the fence,” says Spénard.
I have only ever gone to the Grand Prix if I was taking part in a race or had to advise students in the support races, usually in the Ferrari series. This race was contested on Sunday, just before lunch, and I swear to you that I left at lunch time!
Richard Spénard, former racing driver
His afternoons, Spénard liked to devote them to other “mechanics”. “Auto racing was my business, but I’ve always been interested in non-motorized sports where you’re in nature, in contact with the elements, the wind. »
After retiring from motor racing, it was first mountain biking that really got him hooked. Owner of a vast estate in the corner of Sainte-Adèle, Spénard opened it up to the practice of this sport, a rare initiative at the time.
For several years, he was involved without counting his hours and his efforts. And the competitor was not far away…
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RICHARD SPENARD
Richard Spénard on a mountain bike
“It’s always been important to me to be in good physical shape and that doesn’t change as I get older, quite the contrary. And as competition has always been one of my sources of motivation, I also competed in mountain biking, at the regional level, to push myself, to see how far I could go”, explains Spenard.
“Beyond the competition, I also stay active because I like the sensations that sports like mountain biking give me. There are also many parallels between these sports and motor racing; balance, friction, speed. And there is the same importance of steering, even if on your bike, you are also the one who provides the engine, with your legs. “, he continues.
“Besides, I’ve never been a fan of road cycling because I thought there wasn’t enough piloting. And also because I’m afraid of cars, of drivers, that I know too well…”
Speed… on the water!
After mountain biking, Spénard discovered a new passion about ten years ago: kitesurfing.
“When I was younger, I had done windsurfing and hang-gliding,” he explains. Then, on a trip to Hood River, Oregon, I saw kiters in action… I said to myself: ‟I must do this before I die! I was 58 at the time. I took classes a couple of years later and haven’t stopped since. »
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RICHARD SPENARD
Richard Spenard in kitesurfing
“It is, moreover, the kitesurfing who brought us to the Magdalen Islands, my wife and I. We have been spending our summers on the Islands for seven or eight years, and we had a house built there five years ago. »
Despite his age, Spénard is just as competitive as he could be on the track. “In fact, it’s not that physical, probably less than windsurfing in time, he tempers. In kitesurfing, you are pulled by the wind, but here too, you are piloting something. And even if it’s different on the water, I still look for the sensations of speed there, I time myself in order to measure my performance; 50 km/h on water is like 200 km/h on the road. Even at my age, I’m known for being fast on the water! “says Spenard.
While others are there to walk around, I am always looking for the optimal positions, the maximum performance of my equipment. It’s my nature, it’s what got me into motorsport when I was younger and it’s what keeps me active today.
Richard Spénard, former race car driver
The Îles-de-la-Madeleine are recognized as one of the best destinations in the world for the practice of kitesurfing.
“The particularity of the Islands is that there are 300 km of beaches and a minimum of 45 spots for snorkeling. kitesurfing ; at sea, in large bays, in the lagoon, etc., explains Spénard. So, we can always find sites without waves, places with light waves, or go to sea where we have waves of two, three meters sometimes. I already made one downwinder 60 km in 2 h 45 min »
And the season extends well into the fall. “Summer arrives quite late here, but autumn is very pleasant with the water still warm,” recalls Spénard. Also in the fall, there are stronger winds and they are more frequent. But I would say the conditions are good from the end of May to mid-October. It does not sell every day, but the average is good! Last summer, I accumulated 70 outings. »
Decidedly bitten kitesurfingSpénard and his wife play the snowbirds every year.
“In the winter, we go to Mexico, to the Baja Peninsula, where the kitesurfing is also very popular. The weather is perfect and we can also practice mountain biking in a very beautiful environment. This winter, in five and a half months, I did 110 outings for a total of 2750 kilometres! It was really excellent.
“Between the Îles-de-la-Madeleine, in summer, and Baja, in winter, we have a great… active retreat! »