Not only is Menuel Selman a top competitor on the WSL and competed in the Olympics, he also shreds on all disciplines of foil.

Hey Manuel, We feel very lucky to have an olympian in the mag! Welcome 🙂 

Firstly, massive congrats in Cabarete recently! Great result. Can you start by telling us about your childhood in Chile? It must’ve involved a lot of surfing.

I was born in Viña del Mar, Chile about an hour's drive from Santiago to the coastal city of Valparaiso, my dad was a bit of a windsurfer when I was a kid and had a fantastic childhood in Chile, but funny enough I was not revolved around surfing or any water sports really. I was a little skate rat, in school, I played soccer, with family and friends I played tennis and mountain biked, but I didn't surf until I was 12 years old when we moved to Cabarete in early 2001, and it quickly became my passion. 

At what point did you move to the Dominican Republic? What was that change like? It’s still a watersports mecca but perhaps doesn’t have the same wave quality?

DR is where I found a new home and it's definitely the mecca of wind and wave sports in Central America and the Caribbean, some incredible waves for sure. I would say that Chile, as it's on the Pacific, definitely gets more consistent and bigger surf, but DR has something to envy anywhere in the world, I think warm water makes up for those small windy days, hahaha. While the wave quality might not be as consistent as Chile, the Cabarete watersports scene is unparalleled, with epic surf, kite, foil, and wing conditions and you don't find that in many places.

When did you start competing in the World Surf League? It must be incredible to travel the world surfing. Do you find it stressful at the same time?

I began competing in the World Surf League consistently in 2009 and have since been fortunate enough to travel the world, meet amazing people, and surf some of the most incredible waves. Although it can be stressful at times, during the pandemic I had my first break of not needing to pack my bags every two or three weeks in 12 years. Since then, the WSL is split by regions, it's a lot less traveling these days and now I miss going to other continents and competing in more diverse waves around the globe, I try to focus on the positive aspects and take things one day at a time.

What was the qualification process like for the Chile surf team and the Tokyo Olympics? You must have been thrilled to qualify. Tokyo was the first time surfing was in the Olympics. What was it like to compete for your country?

Qualifying for the Chile surf team at the Tokyo Olympics was a dream come true for me. Representing my country and the DR also in a way on the world stage was an honor, and it was an unforgettable experience to compete in the first-ever Olympic surfing event. Although we had heavy covid restrictions like not being able to attend other sports which was a bummer and the waves weren't amazing, it was a real experience being there.

As a professional surfer, it’s not that common for athletes to take part in many other disciplines at the same time. Do you think your kitesurfing, winging, & foiling make you an all-round better athlete? Why do you think more professional surfers don’t do it? Or maybe we just don’t hear about it…

I believe for sure that kitesurfing, winging, and foiling have made me a more well-rounded athlete. They all really complement each other in different aspects, both of your physical body and mental approach. A lot more surfers are foiling than kiting and winging for sure, but I think it's more of a personal choice, and it depends where you're from too. Surfers from Maui, most of them all foil, while Brazilians foil and kite too like Pedro Henrique and Caio Ibelli. They are the only other athletes on the WSL that kite and foil that I know of.

It must be cool to be recognised by surfers when you’re back in Chile?

Being recognized by people and surfers in Chile is always humbling, and I'm so grateful for their support.

How did your relationship with Slingshot & Ride Engine come about?

My relationship with Slingshot & Ride Engine began when they reached out to me, I learned to prone foil on a Hover Glide H3 and an Alien Air board, I posted some photos on Instagram, and Jeff McKee at the time was the surf foil team manager for Slingshot and he loved it, a couple calls later and I was on the foil team. I'm so stoked and happy to be a part of their family. Then with time, I got in contact with Wyatt Miller and Sam Light and I was all Slingshot waterman, hahaha, and shortly after that I got in contact with Gary Siskar from Ride Engine and went on an epic trip to Chile with the team to shoot "El Camino"

I’ve found shortboard surfers to mostly have a fairly negative view of surf foiling. What has your experience with that been like?

Regarding surf foiling, my experiences have been the exact opposite, when I paddle out people are really intrigued, I mean, it depends, if you paddle out a line up with glassy 3+ feet waves then you're gonna get the stink eye for sure, I think of surf foiling as a wave optimiser, making the most of bad surf conditions and that's what's attractive to surfers, I think it's an epic way to explore new facets of surfing and challenge yourself in different ways. Some surfers might have a negative view of it, but it's ultimately up to the person.

I'm glad to hear you've had positive experiences with it! How do surfers on the world tour view surf foiling? We see the odd clip of John John Florence surf foiling but don’t hear much else. Are many of the athletes foiling?

As for the world tour, I can't speak for every athlete, but from the top of my head, I believe that John, Medina, Caio, Ian, Zeke, Barron, & most Hawaiians foil, but I know that more and more surfers are getting into foiling. 

How’s that Phantasm G700 for surf foiling? Looks not only like it turns well but also pumps well. The V2 Flying Fish looks super fun. Is the 4’2 your go-to size?

The Phantasm G700 is my new go-to surf foil, it really turns like surfing, hits the white water, breaches, and smoothly re-engages, it's sick! It's a bit hard to pump but if you manage to kick out with speed it's an easy connection. And yes, the 4'2" Flying Fish is my go-to size! I've also been prone and wing foiling on the Spencer Pro 45L.

Do you have a favourite discipline or do you prefer to do a bit of everything? What's your training routine like for competition? Does foiling fit into that in any way or is it specifically a hobby?

I don't have a favourite discipline per se, surfing takes the advantage but my favourite thing to do is the best discipline for the conditions at the time. I enjoy trying new things and pushing myself to new limits. All three disciplines are definitely a part of my training routine, and I think it's an excellent way to stay in shape and improve my surfing. I'm contemplating competing soon in one of the foiling disciplines so...

Ooo that would be cool! Finally, as I mentioned earlier, a massive well done for your 2nd place finish at the Cabarete Pro! What is your schedule like for the rest of the year?

Regarding my schedule for the rest of the year, I have a few events coming up, I'm in Panama right now at the Panamerican Surfing Championships, in June I'm off to El Salvador for the ISA World Surfing Games and I have some exciting projects in the works. I'll keep you updated!

We look forward to it. Good luck and thanks for chatting Manuel.

By Jack Galloway

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