BEGINNING
Most parents know that for children to have fun, they have to be with their
friends. Putting a kid on the water with windsurfing equipment and wind
will not be enough to get him hooked. But if he finds himself spending this
same day with friends of his age, the magic will happen!
Therefore we gathered a team of kids for a journey that would take shape
according to the weather conditions. Not all of them were windsurfers, but
we wanted to make them discover all the board sports available and learn
from each other. Today, there are so many different ways to have fun with
boards, that I did not plan a single second of rest for the whole two weeks!
Our trailer was filled with sails, boards, foils, surfboards, SUPs, skateboards
and some surprises! Manu Morel, our faithful photographer, came with us
to immortalize our sessions, but also to help me manage the team! Two
weeks with a bunch of kids - we must be mad!
KIDS ON TOUR
The message sent to each kid was clear! Meeting at my place in Carro in
the south of France with a towel, warm clothes, a wetsuit and a toothbrush
- everything must fit in a small backpack to ensure mobility! Our itinerary
will be decided by the weather forecast on the day of departure. This does
not really reassure parents, who usually need to know precisely where their
kids are, and I am surprised that everyone trusts me with their kids! Besides
the homework, which is not really our specialty, Manu and I are ready to
manage these five young water athletes.
LET’S GO!
The team, compromised of four boys and one girl and included two
kitesurfers. The idea was not to turn them into windsurfers but to share our
experiences on other boards such as surf, SUP or foil. The two oldest kids
are Astrid Cheylus (15 years old) and Edgar Cheylus (17 years old) from
Annecy. They love kitesurfing and are among the best freestyle skiers of their
generation. Edgar was French freeride ski champion in 2018 and Astrid
ranked 7th in Europe for freestyle skiing!
They have always spent their summers in Hossegor and are very good
surfers. Tom Guillo (15 years old) is a young waterman who lives not far
from Carro, in Sausset les Pins. His father put him on a surfboard as soon as
he was able to swim and he then started to SUP, windsurf and wind-foil. He
also excels on snow and downhill mountain biking and had just won his first
French downhill MTB championship. He has an inner sense of balance and
an amazing ability to disconnect his brain. He is the stuntman of the trip,
sending back flips on his bike to impress passers-by! Esteban de Cruz (13
years old / 33 kilos) is a dedicated windsurfer from Marignane and dreams
of walking in the footsteps of all the big French names on the PWA slalom
tour. He is the same size as my son, César Filippi, who has just turned 12
and is completely focussed on waves. Whatever the gear he rides, he only
thinks of surfing and jumping. With Manu Morel and myself, our team is
ready to traverse France looking for the best conditions but given the calm
weather, we decided to start our journey with a day of foil wake surfing,
thanks to Anne Louvet and Philippe Bracar and their boat! Kai Lenny has
revolutionized flat water foiling and it has become as fun as a good wave
session. The troops foil until dusk and those who were reluctant to try are
now completely won over and everyone has easily managed their first flights
and first tumbles! There was no injuries on this first day and everyone was
so tired they fall straight asleep. So far so good!
ON THE ROAD
Given the swell forecast, we decided to head for ‘Landes’ in southwestern
France the next day to enjoy the beautiful waves forecast. Looking further
ahead it seems our rough plan will be to enjoy some Atlantic surf for a few days
then chase the wind from Leucate to Gruissan, before driving to Port Saint
Louis (Camargue) and hitting up the spots around Carro.
There wasn’t the slightest breeze to sail in Hossegor, but the timing to surf
was perfect. A good swell with an offshore wind allows us to make the most of
the local beach break. Progress in surfing is a crucial step because it allows you
to better position yourself while windsurfing in waves. It is also an opportunity
for them to understand how tides affect surf spots. Not necessarily obvious for
Mediterranean kids! Edgar is already a very good level and gets some beautiful
WATER ACADEMY
74 AUGUST 2019
“FOR CHILDREN TO HAVE
FUN, THEY HAVE TO BE
WITH THEIR FRIENDS.”
A Russian tourist wanted a picture with
César, Tom and Esteban at Hossegor!