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7 mai 2022 In

ARICA CULTURA 2022

Chile, Arica – May 2022

A MILESTONE IN MY CARREER

May 2022 is the start of the 2022 World Tour with the Arica Cultura, the first stage of the Bodyboard Tour. I arrive directly from Galdar, Gran Canaria via Madrid, in Arica, in the north of Chile, for the contest. I come to this mythical wave that I have been venerating for many years… It is an ideal wave for bodyboarding, a monster hard to tame that allows to score. The finest of global and local bodyboarding flocks for this first stage of the World Tour 2022, it’s great to be here. After two years of interruption of the World Tour (2020 and 2021), business is back on track and the riders have not been prayed for !

I START FROM THE BOTTOM

I’m part of the game, my goal is clear: I want to resume the World Tour gradually to try to get back in the Top 16 in 2022. I only participated in two stages in the last World Tour of 2019 – to dedicate myself to my family and my academy – then I came out of the Top 24. It means that I will have to go through the qualifications during the next events.

GAINING THE UPPER HAND FROM THE OUTSET

In the first rounds, I quietly score my opponents, winning each serie.
As I begin the 8th of the final, my strategy is simple : I want to score high and hard very early in the series to put pressure on the opponent and get ahead of the wave lines that sometimes delay to enter.
From the 1/4 finals, I will go up a notch, leaving my opponents combo practically during all the series. Against Matias Diaz (CHI) local rider capable of the best, I score a tube at 10 pts from the beginning. And he will respond with a 9.40. This is the magic of Arica: all riders can make good scores, because the level is high.
In the semi-final, against the underdog Maxime Castillo (FR), same score, I put a 10 pts in the first minutes. I coach him during the series, it’s important to encourage him to choose the best waves.

A MYTHICAL FINAL

In the final against Tristan Roberts (ZAF), I reissue the 10-pts tube at the very beginning, then very quickly a 9-pts to continue with another 10-pts. I feel that Tristan is no longer in the game. I also encourage him. It is important that he scores good waves. He has to fight to the end. He is a gifted rider, he must give the best. At the end of the time, I raise my arms to the sky. I am in shock.

Joy, emotion, fatigue but above all, pleasure.
I enjoy surfing these magic tubes, of making aerial inverts, of paying tribute to this wave.
I love feeling the fusion with the audience on the shore.
I appreciate climbing the technical cursor to surf at my best level because my opponents push me, because the level here is amazing.

When PLC and Yann Salaün (a French rider too) hold me up to the official stand, I feel moved and inspired, I have so much to say !

CLICK TO SEE THE VIDEO ABOUT THIS FINAL DAY

MY MESSAGES ON THE PODIUM

ABOUT MY VICTORY
» The riders who come to Arica all want to win. My first win here was in 2014, it’s been a long time. And yet, I came back every year, I have been on podiums.
I kept training, fighting, dreaming about that moment.
There are so many good bodyboarders on this wave, the path is difficult to get back on this podium, I did not give up and today I am there again !
Never give up, work and keep your aim.
I am proud and moved because it was a tough and beautiful fight with excelllent riders. »

FOR YOUNG GENERATIONS
» The dream of a bodyboarder is not to be a professional in this sport.
First, it is to have the bodyboard always present in your life, with you and in you, to inspire you an healthy life, travel, meet different people and cultures on different oceans, learn other languages.

Bodyboarding is a beautiful sport that has been living in the shadow of surfing for so many years but that’s the way it is. We, bodyboards, have a spirit, a mentality.
We live in an atmosphere far superior to that of a simple lucrative sport.

Connect to the ocean the way you want, because the ocean is life.
And if you connect with the bodyboard, you will live an unique and unforgettable experience.

I am so proud to be a bodyboarder and to share this with you !«

FOR THE FUTURE
« I just feel so thanksfull for what the universe has planned for me today and super gratefull for all the support I received during this event.
Definitely, it is a highlight in my competitive carrer and one of the best performance in the History of bodyboarding competition.
A huge congrats to all the competitors for putting the show during this contest.
The professional bodyboard Tour has now a new entity with the IBCWORLDTOUR.

So let’s work all together to push bodyboarding where it deserves to be ! »

30 mars 2022 In

BOCAS INVITATIONAL

Bluff Beach, Isla Colon, province of Bocas del Toro – Panama – 2022 February 14 to 20

AN INCREDIBLE STAY & COMPETITION

Hard to find the words to describe the week we spent on Bluff beach, Bocas del Toro, Panama, for the BOCAS INVITATIONAL, a contest dedicated to bodyboard.
I suppose that veryone has his own vision of Paradise…
If for you, it is a safe place with good waves, warm water, really friendly local people and a great bodyboarding community, so this could be it.

The event has been a total sucess from the start of it until the final day where we had some awesome waves for all the finals : Juniors, Women, DK and Open.
The Hawaiians dominated the prone and DK disivions with the Victory of Sammy Moretino and Dave Hubbard.
Isabela Sousa (Brazil) and Joel Rodriguez (Portugal) won in Women and Juniors divisions.

For a private competition, the event was very well organised and perfectly managed.

I am very grateful for the great work of the organizers, Francisco, Ruben and Gustavo !

I want to thank especially those who carried this event.
And in particular, the local guys who agreed to open up their tropical paradise.
At the time of departure, I was looking forward to returning with my family for an incredible holiday,
in the heart of this beautiful nature, and especially in the company of these beautiful people.

See you, Bocas and Panama !

11 février 2022 In

YUYO PRO 2022 – Invitational event in Galdar

El Pico del Agujero – Galdar – GRAN CANARIA

MOST OF THE TOP CANARIAN RIDERS

This event is organized by El Yuyo himself, the famous local rider Alexandre Reyes.
An invitational event with most of the top Canarian riders and one of the best wave location you could imagine for a competition !
El Pico del Agujero is one the waves I can see from my house when I wake up… It is a very strong one !

For me, it is a privilege to be part of it and to be able to compet in amazing conditions of waves against some of the best local riders.

In very good conditions, and with a tight timing, this competition will be a real challenge technicaly and physicaly.
As I am on the two divisions – Open and Drop Knee – I will have to ride 6 heats on the final day on the powerfull and the majestic wave of « El Pico del Agujero »!

ON BOTH PODIUMS !

I am super stoked on the final results with a first place in the DK division. I have tried my best riding back side against Javier Ceballos, Angelo Freda and Alejandro Ryes.
In the Open division, I’m happy to be on the second step of the podium with Jonathan Vega, the event’s winner and the talented Lionel Medina and my fellow countryman from Reunion island Robin Legros !

A special thanks to Alejandro Reyes el Yuyo for the organisation of this invitational event.
And my gratitude for the local community to make me feel at home…
See you next year !

3 novembre 2020 In

2020 – FRONTON KING – One podium with special conditions

Galdar – Gran Canaria, October 2020

A big suspense for me until the end

This competition is quite different from all the others with the constraints of the Covid atmosphere.
This Fronton King competition is the only one of the 2020 IBC World Tour that has just taken over the reins of the World Tour.
The protocol is very strict, there is no public and you must wear a mask as soon as you get out of the water.
These are pretty special conditions for all of us. With the strict travel conditions, few international riders come as Pierre-Louis Costes, Maxime Castillo and a rider from Costa Rica.
Some Spanish riders are there with a majority of Canarian bodyboarders. These local riders really raise the level of the competition.

IN MEDIUM WAVES

On the edge of the cliff, the site of the competition is empty, very secured, it’s quite strange. No noisy crowd…
The competition is broadcast in live.
The wave conditions are quite good, with some lay-days to catch the best waves.
I lead my series with determination and I find myself in the final with Lionel Medina, a local rider.guys at his level in the Canary Islands.
Throughout the final, he shows maturity and concentration by surfing above average. He has a good strategy and he knows how to stay calm.
When the bell announces the end of the series, we are tied for the score : we have the global wave-points. Lionel having scored the best wave of the heat, I let him the first step on the podium

MY POSITIVE REACTION

At the Fronton, I’m the man to shoot down, it raises the level of motivation of my opponents …
Some people are surprised that I’m happy for him but they don’t really know me.
Of course, I am disappointed not to get the first place, with such a close score.
But Lionel is a young man who is come so far and he deserves to win this first place.
I react positively and realistically to his victory. I like to see new talnets comoing out and defying me.
I really that in 2021, the Fronton will once again receive the entire elite of the World and local BB.
With the exalted public, at the top of the cliff… and no more masks.

Leer el FRONTON KING 2020 en ESPANOL

Lire le FRONTON KING 2020 en FRANÇAIS

15 août 2020 In

2020 – QUEMAO CLASS – One more victory for me

La Santa, Lanzarote – January 2020

A WORLD CLASS WAVE

Located in Lanzarote, the wave of La Santa is nicknamed the European Pipe Line.
It is a wave of rare perfection that needs very concrete conditions to be perfect.
This is why the waiting period sometimes lasts for several months.
For the 2019 edition, the waiting period lasted beyond December.
It is January 2020 that the comp is lauched in absolutely perfect condition

I just come back from Cape Verde where I have been with my family for the holidays and for an Amaury Academy.
International guests including PLC, Alex Uranga, Maxime Castillo, Ibrahim Iddouch and Antonio Cardoso are invited.
I’m the titleholder so I feel super motivated.
The tide plays a crucial role on the quality of the wave, so you have to calculate the series at the most fair, between surf and bodyboard.

As we are at the top level, each discipline wants to ride in the best conditions…
I am very proud to win the competition.
As 2020 has been a poor year with no World Tour, profesionnal riders need to compete and this event is like a breath of fresh air.

The Best Wave Trophy

The organizers decide to intersperse two sets of surf and two sets of bodyboarding alternately throughout the competition.
In all my heats, I have the chance to score high then I earn points. In 1/8th I score 17.97 pts (10 and 7.97).
In the semi-finals, 19.00 pts (10 and 9) and in the final, I win with 16.00 its (9.33 and 6.67).
I retain the title ahead of Aitor Ojeda (Canary), Alex Uranga (Euskadi) and Pierre-Louis Costes(FR). I am proud to get the Quemao Class Best Wave Trophy as well.

Every year, it’s amazing to see the growing crowd that invades the beach, the enthusiasm of the public and the mutual respect between riders, surf and bodyboard.
This is a rare opportunity that should come more often on others spots.
It is true that on this perfect wave, as on that of Pipe Line or Teahuppo, both bodyboarders and surfers have opportunities to surf at their best.

My prize liste at La Santa QUEMAO CLASS

2016 – QUEMAO CLASS CHAMPION For my first participation, I won ahead of Moises Dorta, Alex Uranga and Salomon Moore.
2017 – QUEMAO CLASSS TOP 2  I finish 2nd behind Alvaro Padron, a Canarian bodyboarder.
2018 – QUEMAO CLASS CHAMPION I regain the title by winning the final, ahead of Alvaro Padron, Ruyman Rey and Carlos Sainz.
2019 – NO EDITION   Due to poor conditions, the 2019 edition is reported in early 2020
2020 – QUEMAO CLASS CHAMPION  I keep my title by winning the final ahead of Aitor Ojeda (Canary), Alex Uranga ( Euskadi) and Pierre-Louis Costes (France)

FR _ El Quemao Class 2020 – Lire en Français

ESP _ El Quemao Class 2020 – Leer en Español

15 avril 2020 In

2019 – FRONTON KING – A big challenge

El Fronton , Galdar – Gran Canaria

A HIGH-STAKES FINAL

In 2019, the step of the Fronton King returns into the APB World Tour season.
This is my first year of break on the World Tour and I decide to go only to Arica and to attend the Fronton King.
I’m not in the title race nor the Top 10, I have no goal other than to surf at my best and show that I’m always in the game and fit.
It’s a great competition, with big waves every day, that allow me to score high.
excepted on the last day when wind and rain decide to come and disturb the perfection of El Fronton.
But on that spot, even in poor conditions, the waves are much better than in other places.

LOOKING FOR BIG SCORES

This 2019 competition is very intense, I have to play on technique and strategy.
In the 1/4 final, I score a 10 pts in the last seconds wave against Tanner Mac Daniel
In the 1/2 final against Jared Houston – my winner in the previous FK final in 2017 – a 8,5 pts IN the last second of the heat allows me to reach the final.
From the beginning of the afternoon, conditions are stuck with irregular waves and little opportunity for high-potential waves.

A BIG SUSPENSE FOR THE WORLD TITLE

For this last competition of the Tour 2019 the ranking is favorable for two riders on the WT :
Tristan Roberts and Pierre-Louis Costes, each one can be the World Champion 2019.
This final of the final event is very important : if Tristan wins, it will be the 2019 World Champion.
In case I finish the first, it is Pierre Louis who gets his third world title.
Imagine the pressure as you enter the water for the final for both Tristan and I.

AN AVERAGE FINAL WITH A BIG STAKE

As Tristan and I are going the he peak before the start, I tell Tristan that the title is within reach, that his destiny belongs to him.
Tristan is afraid, I tell him it’s the perfect time to do it.
The heat is not easy to lead as the sea is hasty, the perfect Fronton lines do not arrive

The final does not offer a very big show, in the rain, wind and capricious waves.
But Tristan and I fight fairly, with Tristan scoring two waves at 7.67 and 7.5 and for me only at 6.67 and 6.53.

ONE VICTORY AND ONE WORLD TITLE

It’s exciting to see your opponent becoming the World Champion.
The emotion is very strong for the winner of the heat and I am close to him to share this unique feeling.
I also appreciate the enthusiasm and the support of the public, my wife who is waiting with Nahara in the rocks below the cliff, just by the sea.
I like to see my son Oliver waiting for me upstairs and the big ovation of the audience.
Thank you to all of you.

A big bravo for the organization of the contest and the quality of surfing of the Canarian riders who are not on the worldWorld Tour.
These riders set the bar very high for competitors at El Fronton.
The ceremony of the 2019 season is memorable, Tristan Roberts celebrates his World Title.
I receive the 2019 APB Award for Best Performance.

Lire le Fronton King 2019 – FR

Leer El Fronton King 2019 – ESP

12 janvier 2019 In

2018 – FRONTON KING, one more time

Galdàr, Gran Canaria – 20 October 2018

TAKING MY CROWN BACK

The Fronton King 2018 is a World Cup form and is not part of the APB tour, following disagreements with theorganisers.
So there are few riders of the World Tour but the level is really high.
There are three world champions as Dave Hubbard, André Botha and Guillerme Tamega who are not the least.
Above all, there are many canarian riders who know the spot perfectly and are serious challengers.

Among the stages of the World Tour, the Fronton is the one where the local riders have the highest level.
The 2018 edition offers a prize money of 12,000 € to the winner, the strongest in the history of bodyboarding.
For my part, I do not hesitate a minute, with a prize money like this on one of the waves best suited to our sport.
And I want to win.

The organisation and the promotion of the event is perfect, worthy of the world level : live webcasts and comments, interviews, press realise, concert, demonstration in schools…
The fan-zone on the cliff is crowdy and the online audience is high-level .
During the comp, I keep my hand throughout the heats, I’m really focused and motivated to win.
In the semi-finals, I take Guillerme Tamega out with my 18,57 pts and I am happy to face Jonathan Vega, a talented canarian rider, in the final.

During the final, I begin with a 7 followed by an 8-pts wave. Jonathan answers me with a 7,1 pts.
I find a good left tube + invert + rollo scoring 9,5 pts. Jonathan is in a combo position.
However, five minutes later I get a huge tube on a solid right and deep barrel catching 10 pts.
When the bell rings, the socre is 19,5 pts for me and 15,2 for Jonathan Vega.

On this tricky and powerful spot, tension and concentration are essential to succeed.
Now the pressure is dropping. Emotion overwhelms me. My heart is full.

Fronton is a kingdom to be conquered constantly…

See the FINAL DAY FK 2018 video

Lire Fronton King 2018 en FRANÇAIS

LEER Fronton King 2018 en ESPANOL

25 février 2018 In

2017 – FRONTON KING GALLERY

Galdar, Gran Canaria – October 2017

VICEROY OF THE FRONTON

For the 2017 edition, I have to defend the crown that I have wun for two years in a row ( 2015 and 2016).
It is a big challenge and I know I am the favorite and the man to shoot down…

I definitely appreciate to compete at El Fronton, there is a very special atmosphere.
First, the local riders have an incredible level and they really enjoy fighting with the world elite.
Second, the inernational riders who come to Galdar, Gran Canaria really enjoy the local lifestyle, the food, the landscapes and the quality of the waves they ride.
Third, the organisation is perfectly well-oiled and the competition site which overlooks the spot is just perfect for both public and judges.

Mates, Tubes and Scores

In quarter-final, I compete with Ryan Hardy, Australia. He is a rider who has been inspiring me since I started and the REEFLEX wetsuits brand owner.
I score two good waves (9,33 pts + 9,44 pts) then Ryan in a combo position and he never can overpass me.
In the semi-final against my best friend and rival, Pierre-Louis Costes, I wait more than 10 minutes before taking a wave.
PLC tries to score at the beginning, but the spot is lazy. He takes the lead while I patiently wait for the ocean offering a tonic awakening.
And it comes…
PLC and I are taking the same wave : PL on the right and me on the left. The right wave closes on Piere-Louis while mine on the left allows me a deep 8 pts-tube.
About one minute later, I go one a right for a tube and a big invert scoring 8,83 pts. I let him combo too

LENDING MY CROWN ?

The other semi-finalist joining me for the last heat of the day is Jared Houston. I remember that his mother and father are here coming from South Africa.
But in the final, when the tide is high and the waves lazier, with cramps in my legs, Jared Houston resists and wins the title.
It was a good fight and I lend him my crown of King of the Fronton with a good grace.
Jared deserves this victory, as he could catch and optimise the few good scoring waves of the final.

Bravo Jared. Tribute to the Fronton for its superb waves and riders.

2 décembre 2016 In

2016 – FRONTON KING – KEEPING MY CROWN

Gran Canaria, October 2016

I KEEP MY CROWN

Last stop of the 2016 APB World Tour. The conditions are hard, the waves are strong for the 2016 edition. It is what one calls a Big Fronton ! It’s the lottery for the contestants depending on whether you go high or low tide. The conditions change radically. The two contenders for the WT title are PLC and Jeff Hubbard.
As the tide is getting low and the waves are getting too big, the organizers decide that the finals will take place with 4 riders-heats and not man-on-man.

I am in the final with Igor SANCHEZ, Uri VALADAO and PLC. He is already the brand new 2016 World Champion as he wins his semi-final. It will be an incredible moment. Here is what I want : a high-level scored heat, big tricks, suspense and celebrate this game with my best friend on the Tour. PLC gets a good score with a belly-air, on landing he cuts his tongue with his teeth. I follow him with a good vague and I get 9pts.

PLC & ME

Then I take and I keep the leadership of the final. Five minutes before the end, the two other riders are combo and PLC still needs a good score to beat me. About a 8,5 or 9 pts wave. It is not impossible for Pierre. But he tells me :
» Ok guy, let’s stop the game now. I feel I won’t beat you. You dominate the contest and the final, you desserve to be the Fronton King and I am already the World Champion. What more do we need ? «
So the three last minutes pass and the bell rings. We congratulate each other, we have reached our aim.
He is sincerely happy that I win the 2016 Fronton King and he needs nothing more.
And I am deeply happy that he is the 2016 World Champion and I need nothing more. For this year …

This moment illustrates the strong and unseen link that there is between us, friendship, rivalry and brotherhood.
We are so happy to celebrate !

For 2016, French bodyboarding is at the top of the World : PLC is the World Champion and I am the 2016 World Vice-Champion

I want to give a special tribute to the local organization that made a very big job.

And I thank heaven that made me come to live in this incredible spot with my beloved family sorroundig me.

Click here to see my Videos Fronton King 2016

8 octobre 2016 In

2016 – PORTUGAL – Competing and cruising

A GIPSY TRIP BY THE COAST

During the three steps of 2016 APB Bodyboarding World Tour in Portugal, I decide to travel with my family on a camping-car.
We spend one month cruzing together Malennhy, Oliver and I, on the Portugal coast between Sintra, Nazaré and Viana.
Usually I leave my home just to go for a contest. But in Septembre 2016, I chose a new package. I vote for sports, competing, driving, camping, cruzing, training ,lifestyle and family.
It is a very different way that makes you feel balanced, relax and focused.

A NICE ROAD TRIP

Portugal is an incredible place for surfing, with hudge beachbreaks and a big riders community.
I enjoy empty waves on vast beaches, with fresh water and big pleasure and we meet nice people overthere too.
If you want to spend beautiful moments of freedom, natural life and free surf in good conditions, Portugal is really the ideal experience.

A FINAL IN VIANA

According to competitions, my results were not so high (Top 9 in Sintra – Top 5 in Nazaré). I enjoy the Viana event, with my final with Ian Campbell, then I finish Top 2.
Sometimes, your body and mind need something else than big results : harmony, discovery, liberty and fancy moments as a family as well as a competitor.
As I come back to Gran Canaria,The Fronton King is in my sights and I want to keep my crown… The 2016 APB WT is not over yet.

Bodyboarding spirit is still in action. Ever.