THE LUCKY FOUR: MAURITIUS

 

THE LUCKY FOUR: MAURITIUS

John Carter heads to Mauritius on a two-week photo shoot with the Duotone wave crew. During the mission, he caught up with the riders to find out how they enjoyed this wave sailing paradise, the move over to Duotone boards and sails and also about the camaraderie between the team.

Words: Arthur Arutkin, Victor Fernandez, Adrien Bosson and Maria Andrés.

ARTHUR ARUTKIN

 

ONE EYE

It is my first time in Mauritius and I loved it. You kind of need a boat to be out at One Eye when it is big for safety support, as it can be a bit tricky. The waves are amazing and super clean and it was quite quiet because it was still early on in the season. I did a lot of windsurfing and some SUP and the waves have been insane. One Eye is amazing. Victor laid down some huge turns and Adrien and Maria were ripping. I was also stoked to be sailing in just a pair of boardshorts. We are all teammates and have done quite a few trips together, but this was next level.

RISK / REWARD

The best session for me was the first day at One Eye. It was super fun with a solid swell. I really enjoyed it and it always feels great when you sail a new spot. We were all excited about sailing there. The waves were amazing. Big, glassy, barrelling and still plenty of wind, so it was pretty epic. It was not too scary, but when you sail a new spot you need a few waves to dial in. After going over the reef once I saw that it was not too bad. In the beginning I was trying not to break anything. The section was quite fast and hollow, so you really have to make your moves, if not you end up on the reef. I ended up going over the reef four or five times and I can tell you it’s a long way back to the lineup, but honestly, I was really surprised that One Eye was not as bad as I thought it would be.

ARTHUR ON HIS TEAMMATES

I have been looking up to Victor since forever and he is one of the legends of the sport. It is amazing to sail with him and to see him rip on those waves. Adrien is also a machine and Freestyle world champion. We can see that he is an amazing wave sailor and a general all-round ripper. We have a super good team and we are all friends.

VICTOR FERNANDEZ

I was really looking forward to a trip like this, as for the last twenty years we have been doing photo shoots in Maui. This was a new destination for the shoot and my third time overall in Mauritius. The other times were at dealer meeting where you are often busy with other things going on. This trip we were just focused on sailing, especially in the waves and I loved it. The young guys are pushing me. I have a lot of fun in and out of the water with all the team. I can see energy they have. They are at the age where they are learning the most. I was pushing when I was that age. They still push me and I like to show that I can still sail well and go for it. I think my level is still there with the best guys. I have a lot of experience from travelling around the world and sailing in many places, which I think helps a lot.

The Duotone change is a good thing. I am a bit sad for Fanatic because I have been with them for so many years, since 2001, I think and then I went to North in 2009. I received a lot of help from Craig Gertenbach and he took me into the team. He saw my potential when I was a kid at eighteen. I really appreciated that.

STANDOUT SESSIONS

I think the second day at Platin Rouge was the best session. It was awesome. Also, the last session we scored in One Eye was incredible too. The wind was very light, but the waves were so clean. It is hard to pick out just one session as a favourite. We sailed a lot more than I expected as looking at the forecast it did not look that windy. We sailed almost every day. I sailed on a 5m SLS Super Hero and 93L Grip 4 most of the time. I saw Arthur going for a massive air in front of me at One Eye, but he got back winded and his gear went flying. Adrien had some amazing turns at One Eye and Maria was ripping too. Everyone was sending it.

VICTOR ON HIS TEAMMATES

Adrien is a complete all-round sailor, who sails in the Mediterranean Sea like myself. We have all conditions at home, which helps you become solid on both tacks. He is good at jumping and wave riding. I was also in Cape Verde with him and he was sailing really well.

Arthur is a machine as well. I met him the first time when he was fourteen and his father sent him to Chile to come and sail with myself and Klaas Voget. He has spent a lot of time on Maui as well and has really improved. On the SUP he is extremely fit from racing.

Maria has enjoyed the trip, but she has to put up with all the guys. She is the only girl on this trip and has done really well to go out at places like One Eye, which is a super-fast wave, on a sketchy reef, and you can really hurt yourself if you are not fit and confident.

ADRIEN BOSSON

THROWN IN THE DEEP END

This was my first time in Mauritius. It was not at the top of my list to come here, but when the guys from Duotone invited me, of course I was not going to say no. It was early in the season, but we scored so many waves. We sailed some massive swell and One Eye was big and heavy! Maybe a bit too solid for a first session! I wish it would have been a bit smaller. The wave breaks right on the reef and the sound of the wave and the power of the ocean is quite intimidating. At some point I really realised I was riding waves in the Indian Ocean. It would’ve been nice to go step-by-step to warm up, but we didn’t get that, we were thrown straight in the deep end. When you go to Hawaii you don’t go straight out and sail double mast high waves at Ho’okipa. You need time to get into the rhythm. So, to go out in One Eye in mast high plus was not the best way to start. It was gnarly and, in the end, I got washed, hit the reef and took some solid beatings. There are perfect waves, but you need to be humble and respect the power of the ocean.

That was the session I will remember the most as it was my first time at One Eye on the biggest day. I will remember this session for a long time to come. There were many other amazing sessions in Mauritius, but that was the standout with the most adrenaline.

FREESTYLE POTENTIAL

For freestyle it was quite early in the season, so the wind was not so strong. I think this sort of wind comes from the ocean, so it felt super soft. I still enjoyed the freestyle sessions, but you need to go at the right times, i.e. low tide, so there is not too much current in the lagoon. With the current you don’t go as fast and the board feels a bit sticky, but the spot is pretty cool for freestyling.

ADRIEN ON HIS TEAMMATES

It is pretty cool to be with the team as they have a lot of knowledge about riding in the waves, so I could listen and learn a lot from what they had to say. I have always windsurfed in the waves, but I like to learn, especially when we are at a new spot like One Eye or any reef break. I will never find a wave like this in Europe. The swell period is so big, the waves break on the reef and the wind is light. You need to understand the reef as well and know exactly where you need to be on the wave. These guys know that more than me, so I just tried to learn as much from them as I could. On the water they have a great level, so I can enjoy watching them sail as well as learn at the same time.

I was with Victor in March in Cape Verde and he was ripping in Ponta Preta and Ali Baba. I think he is just taking it a bit easier now at this stage in his career. Victor has achieved so much in his career and is just enjoying his windsurfing now, but he still absolutely rips.

Arthur is such a good wave rider too. The team are such different characters – both on and off the water. Previously when we were in Maui we all stayed in different houses, but here we were thrown in together, so you get to know each other a lot more.

Maria has done amazing since it was so hardcore with these top level guys. You can get seriously injured quite quickly on these reefs, so Maria has done brilliantly and I have seen her take some proper waves. At One Eye, it is a wave you need to be close to the barrel to ride it, so that is another consideration and it can be intimidating for anyone. There is more risk to make mistakes and any mistake gets heavily punished there.

MARÍA ANDRÉS

OUTSIDE HER COMFORT ZONE

At times it was a bit frustrating as I was here with some of the best riders in the world. Of course, when we had to choose a spot for the day, they opted for the most radical spot, which made it very challenging for me. Some of the sessions I enjoyed and had fun, but other times I really had to push myself to sail. Some of the sessions were next level in terms of difficulty. It is great to be inspired by those guys and even just to watch them sail is incredible. I had to push myself out of my comfort zone and that felt good. I was just trying to deal with the conditions and do my best. It wasn’t easy being the only girl with the hardcore guys. Their level is so high and they are some of the top riders in the world. They have an appetite for the shallow water and the hollowest waves, which didn’t always suit my windsurfing requirements to be able to showcase my best performance. I had some good moments though and I sailed some breaks that I certainly wouldn’t normally sail in those conditions.

MARÍA ON HER TEAMMATES

I already knew Victor very well because we have spent some time in Sardinia together during another shoot. We connect very well and can talk about anything and everything. Victor is super friendly and I feel like we are very similar people. Victor like to joke a lot also. I know how Victor sails as we have sailed so much together and he knows how to enjoy all kinds of conditions. Even if it is super difficult / horrible, he is having fun as he has that ability to be able to make the most of whatever is on offer. When the conditions are really firing, he enjoys it even more.

I didn’t know Adrien that well before this trip and I have to say he is awesome! He is super fun, very chatty and is extremely motivated. He is also honest and not scared to speak his mind. I like that a lot. I have to say all the guys are super fun. Adrien is such a good sailor. He can do everything. In freestyle he is world champion and in waves, if he pushed a little more, he could also be competing at the top.

Arthur is just so multi-talented. He is a true waterman and can do everything. He can surf, SUP and windsurf to an amazing level, which is very impressive. He is always very calm. I have never seen him stressed – even if he breaks everything in a gnarly situation, he seems to be able to keep his calm, which is a skill in itself. He is positive, always smiling and just a great person to have around. Off the water he is very easy going and adapts to everything. He is funny too. I feel like all together we are a really good team and we gel together very well.

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