"Surfing has become a performance sport": while visiting Sainte-Maxime, the president of the Federation speaks out

Present in Sainte-Maxime on Ascension Day weekend, on the occasion of the SUP race cup, the president of the French Surfing Federation (FFS) agreed to answer our questions.

As a reminder, the FFS includes stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and was also in the spotlight almost a year ago at the Paris Olympics, thanks to the gold medals won by Kauli Vaast and the bronze by Johanne Defay in Teahupo'o (Tahiti). A first in the history of surfing!

First of all, what are the reasons for your visit to Sainte-Maxime?

I've been following the SUP Race Cup for several years now. This time, my presence was also an opportunity to present the town of Sainte-Maxime and its mayor, Vincent Morisse, with the "SUP Town" label [understand stand-up paddle, Editor's note] . It is the second town in France and the first in the Mediterranean to be labeled by our Federation.

This label also rewards the work of La Cigale surf club...

Clearly! The Sainte-Maxime club has invested heavily in promoting paddleboarding. Its president, Yannick Pinaud, is a true force in the SUP world, and this label is also the result of his commitment. Sainte-Maxime is becoming a must-see paddleboarding destination in France...

Precisely, why did you appoint Yannick Pinaud to head the national SUP commission?

He's been involved in this discipline for years. Over time, he's become a true figure in the world of paddleboarding. He's now, logically, the head of the national stand-up paddleboarding commission. I remind you that he's also the president of the Southern Regional Surf League. For this position, we needed a true specialist with clear ideas and real determination: Yannick ticks all the boxes. He's the man for the job.

As president of the French Surfing Federation, how satisfying were the Paris Olympics for you?

Almost a year later, I'm still on cloud nine ( smile)! And I still have a little tremor in my voice when I talk about it. Many images are etched in my memory. I want to say: "Forever the first!" when it comes to French surfing. The contribution and role played by Jérémy Florès [the most successful European surfer in history, who announced a few days ago that he was battling a brain tumor, Editor's note] were considerable. I really experienced a very emotional moment with the two medals won by Kauli Vaast and Johanne Defay.

What are you most proud of to date?

Aside from these two medals, what makes me most proud is seeing the world of sport take a different look at surfing. We've gone from being a friendly beach game to a performance sport!

Was there an Olympic effect on the number of licensees?

It hasn't exploded, no. It's up to our Federation to offer different options to attract more people. So I want to say: "Come to the clubs and get a license!"

The FFS has appointed a new DTN (national technical director), what can you tell us about it?

Cédric Leroy has been in office since May ^1st . A specialist in high-performance sport, he was most recently a high-performance advisor at the French National Sports Agency. He also worked at the French Sailing Federation, where he held several positions, including coach of Charline Picon, windsurfing gold medalist in Rio (2016) and silver medalist in Tokyo (2020). He spent a day in Sainte-Maxime!