Wing and a spray buoys Mid West kiteboarder Patrick Smyth

Mid West kiteboarder Patrick Smyth can’t be stopped. Any parent of a junior athlete knows coronavirus has put a halt on travel plans and training for now — training trips north of Carnarvon and overseas have been halted, and so have gym sessions. But nothing can stop him hitting the water in Geraldton, and he’s been taking two friends with him: dogs Flash and Diva love a surf. Patrick, who won the open division freestyle at the Carnarvon Windfest this year at the age of 15, is also a team rider for a hydrofoil and board designer in the Eastern States. “He’s been lucky,” mum, Conny, said. “He’s been affected in the way we weren’t able to go to Gnaraloo, (which) was going to be an important training session for him up there to kite in some real swell, some decent waves. “That was a disappointment for him. We had already booked a trip to Exmouth in July, as well, which has been cancelled.” She said a possible trip to Mauritius had also been cancelled, and it wasn’t certain when things would be back to normal. “We don’t know what the future brings, when we’re going to be back travelling,” she said. “In the bigger picture, the big events ... have been cancelled as well.” The Global Kitesports Association said last month it had cancelled and postponed upcoming events. Still, with the wind and wave conditions in the Mid West, for a kitesurfer some fun is never too far away. “As far as just going out in Geraldton as well, that hasn’t really impacted him,” Conny said.