This article questions the role of training in the making of professionals from local authorities, sports educators in water sports. The survey is based on the analysis of a historical corpus and 24 semi-structured interviews. Three sociological portraits show the importance of previous sports training and status. If this shaping of identities is exercised through measures acquired through experience with various audiences, tourism, the issue of regional development, appears central in territorial policy. We hypothesize a change in the missions of these sports educators, which would participate in a recomposition of identity.