Eli Bouchard, 10, took the snowboarding world by storm two years ago when he became the youngest person to ever land a double backflip.
Unsurprisingly, the French Canadian boy from Quebec City has continued to step up his game on snow. In April, he became the youngest to land a Frontside 1080 Double Cork, which involves both lateral and vertical rotations, a trick far beyond the scope of most 10 year olds.
“For the women at the last Olympic Games, the gold medal was won with this jump,” Eli’s father, Francois Bouchard, told Radio-Canada.
Eli’s double backflip, which he landed after 21 crashes:
Eli’s Frontside 1080 Double Cork:
“I was really happy,” Eli said about the new accomplishment he could add to his bag of tricks. “I could not believe I had it.”
Eli and his family drive three hours from their home each weekend so the boy can train in the Laurentians with coach Max Henault, who has previously worked with Olympic athletes.
“His snowboard becomes pretty much part of his body.” Henault told CTV News. “When he’s strapped in his board it’s like he is walking on the hill.”
Eli’s goal is to ride in the 2022 Winter Games in China, where he would be 14 years old and among the youngest crop of athletes in the competition.
He dreams of bringing a triple backflip to the world’s stage, but first thing’s first. At about 65 pounds, he needs to add some weight so he can gain enough speed heading into the massive jumps.
“The lighter you are, the slower you go down,” Henault said.
When not cruising on snow, Eli loves to surf. He recently took a lesson at Witch’s Rock Surf Camp in Tamarindo, Costa Rica, and got the hang of the sport almost immediately.
With many years of riding ahead of him, it’s fair to say Eli will continue to improve, stun and keep us all entertained.
