This whole progression didn’t happen without commitment, what were the highlights?
I spent a lot of hours in the waves of my home spot of Wissant in north of France, but it is true that I was also lucky to be supervised by experienced riders like Greg Closier, 40 years old and one of the first sup riders in France. I went on a couple of his training camps in the Canaries and California. He gave me a lot of valuable advice in the waves and I started race training with him. He made me work on my paddling technique and really motivated me to hang on when it got tough. Like many who come from windsurfing, the strength and cardio training needed for racing was not something I was familiar with at first.
Some might say you don’t train as much as others, would this be wrong?
Yes and no! [laughs]. Several years ago I was just race training occasionally with friends when I wanted and there was no wind, I had trouble doing it on my own. Today I know I should have take it more seriously, so as well as surfing I have periods of intense training to prepare for big competitions. I paddle upwind and downwind, focus on my pace over long distances, try to work on my beach starts and other technical aspects to be ready for race day. Even as I try to commit 100%, it’s important to not go too hard on the body and pick up an injury, shoulder pains for example. Rest is one of the most important aspects of preparation as everyone says.
