We interview the 3 x winner of the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge & incredibly skilled foiler, kiter, & winger.

Hey Théo! Let’s start at the beginning, you grew up in Saint-Martin in the French West Indies. Your parents run a kite school called Wind Adventures which must've been super cool. What was it like growing up in an environment like that?

I was very lucky to grow up in an environment where waves and wind meet during a good part of the year. I have been able to practice a very wide range of water sports, thanks to the kite school of my parents and the very sweet weather of Saint-Martin.

Am I right in saying you get consistent trade winds? What are the conditions like at your home spot of Orient Bay?

Orient Bay is a beach exposed on the East Coast where the trade winds strengthen around Christmas for a few weeks and can sometimes go up to 25-30 knots, all year long there’s enough wind to ride especially with kite foiling. We also get a fairly strong northerly swell. The wind is very consistent except for hurricane season.

Kitesurfing was your focus from the age of 8, when did you first discover foiling and what was the learning process like?

I started windsurfing at the age of 5, then I rapidly started to practice with a training kite and a skimboard, At the age of 8 I was heavy enough to ride a proper kite. In 2014, Damien Leroy came to Saint-Martin with a foil and he introduced me to the new discipline of kite foiling. This sensation was so unique as it brought more liberty and possibilities to ride in lighter wind. Since then, I had been highly attracted by every new sport such as the surf foil and the wing.

How did your relationship with Cabrinha come about? It looks like you’ve been riding the gear for a long time now.

My dad always worked with Cabrinha, then in 2004, the team came to the house for a shoot. Following this, in 2014 when Damien Leroy came, he really introduced me to the brand by giving me some gear. This allowed me to progress more and the vibes of the brand gave me the energy to pursue my career in this industry. 

I’m an avid fan of GoPro and have been for years now, so naturally I’m really interested in your 3 Million Dollar Challenge wins. What clips won you those 3 awards? How do you come up with these ideas and what are the logistics like behind them?

The 4 clips that allow me to win the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge all have in common the sea and sports action including kitesurfing, surfoiling, and Hobie Cat. To diversify the different shots, I used the FPV drone to innovate and create new shot angles. Living in Saint-Martin allowed me to access these beautiful spots at any time. 

You’ve recently been to Mexico with the Cabrinha Team. It looks to me like a close-knit family of people that are passionate about the sports they do. How was the trip?

The Mexico trip was our annual dealer meeting. This is the best time of year to regroup every person linked to Cabrihna including riders and dealers of the brand, and we all share the same passion and vision. It is an awesome event as this allows me to meet inspiring people with different cultures from all around the world. 

What’s your go-to discipline at the moment? Your Instagram page makes it look like you’re doing a bit of everything!

I really like to adapt myself to the forecast conditions. Depending on the time of the year, I am practicing different disciplines. For instance, as the wind is stronger during the winter, I prefer to kitesurf and wing foil. Right now, I am practicing for the competition in kitesurfing as I am planning to start competing again.

Massive congrats on 2nd place at the Foil Surf Racing League. That’s an impressive result in a seriously competitive field. How was the event and what tactics did you adopt to do so well? Also, which foil setup did you use?

A few weeks before the competition, I created a training plan mixed with Crossfit, swimming, and foil pumping. I didn’t have a lot of time to adapt myself to the conditions in Cocoa Beach as I arrived the night before the event. As this competition depends a lot on the beach break, I switched my foil between two heats for a bigger one. Regarding the setup, I used the Cabrinha H-series MKII 1300, with the LINK 4’3 and the 74 hollow mast.

Sticking with surf foiling, a recent video shows you doing strapped 360s when surf foiling - looks super cool! Did it take you long to learn? What kind of waves do you look for?

Indeed surf foiling opens so many more possibilities with the fact that you don’t need power or big waves, and a small mushy wave gives you the potential of doing tricks or turns. Regarding the 360, I've been practicing it for a while now, but I wasn’t consistent enough on riding with foot-straps. However, the foil racing league inspired all riders to create more tricks, increasing my motivation to practice.

Who do you look to for inspiration?

My first inspiration was Damien Leroy because he showed me how to enjoy riding different types of boards and disciplines, then Kai Lenny with the ability of ripping in so many different sports or Keahi de Aboitiz with such an effortless riding style. Actually, I am inspired by a wide range of riders as I like to create my own style and identity in terms of rides. 

Cabrinha has a huge selection of amazing gear. Can you talk us through some of your favourite equipment to ride at the moment?

The Cabrinha gear fits for every rider, from beginner to advanced, as well as in kite, wing, or surf foil. Personally, my quiver is composed of the MotoX which enables me to ride in any environment that I can use with the Ace Hybrid. Currently, I am using all the surfboards of the Cabrinha range. For the foils the H-series MKII is my go-to, with the perfect amount of manoeuvrability and glide, I love the control that it gives when riding on the wing and while surf foiling or flat water pumping. In terms of foil bards, I use the Logic, Link, and Code depending on the conditions and the discipline. 

Finally, what are your goals over the next few years? More competitions like the Foil Surf Racing League or do you have your heart set on something else?

My goal right now is to participate in GKA and GWA tours in all events including surf foil. The Surf Foil Racing League event was one of the first competitions I've done in a while. It really increased my motivation to push myself on a competitive level.

Thanks for taking the time Théo!

By Jack Galloway

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