Episode #60 - Hugo Marin

Episode Transcript: 

Hugo (00:00.288)

an hour or something.

Luc Moore (00:00.847)

Yeah, yeah, sure. All right. It seems to be uploading perfect now.

Luc Moore (00:09.23)

Okay, let's check our mics and check everything. So I'm on that mic, my camera's good. Sound is in the air. Okay. How's your stuff sounding?

Hugo (00:09.888)

Mm -mm -mm -mm -mm -mm -mm -mm -mm -

Hugo (00:20.276)

It must be okay for me also.

Luc Moore (00:25.135)

Okay, you're on AirPods and AirPods, I'm assuming.

Hugo (00:27.296)

Yeah, AirPods and microphone, it's my MacBook.

Luc Moore (00:33.742)

Alright my friend, thanks for taking the time to come back.

Hugo (00:37.44)

Yeah, sure, with pleasure. I think there was a little issue with the first time.

Luc Moore (00:41.167)

So.

Yes, sometimes every once in a while the world of online crashes, but we make time. We make time. So you're studying for your pilot's license? That's what you're doing today?

Hugo (00:50.304)

It doesn't matter.

Hugo (00:57.376)

Yeah, I'm actually studying a lot for the private pilot license. It's not yet a license to be working or commercial flying pilot, but it's a beginning. So it's not the same level, but it's quite, I would not say hard, but quite full. It's quite full license too. So there is a lot of aspects to know and to learn by heart. So.

But I like it. I spend my time doing this now and I like it.

Luc Moore (01:29.614)

When did you start flying? Or...

Hugo (01:32.192)

I started this January this year, so it's now 5 -6 months and I'm almost finished. I still have to pass the theoretical part, so now I'm studying for it. And then I pass my flying exam and it must be fine around July if everything goes well.

Luc Moore (01:35.629)

really?

Luc Moore (01:53.064)

that's cool. May bunch outs there. Hope that goes well. So flying, I guess, flying foiling and then flying flying. That's gonna be pretty sweet. They work together.

Hugo (01:54.208)

Yeah, thanks.

Hugo (02:02.912)

Yeah, sure. And actually there's a lot of pilots who also do kiting or winging in the industry. So I think the mindset is kind of linked.

Luc Moore (02:16.653)

see that being, yeah, I've always wanted to try it and maybe that's something I'm going to do in the years to come. Cause there's a, it's hard to access though, isn't it? It's expensive and difficult. Yeah.

Hugo (02:25.504)

It's super hard to access. It's really a tough job. It's a lot of involvement and a lot of things to do. As well as the way to go in, it's really hard. Like, you have some schools, but you also have not that much places for a lot of them. So, yeah, it's tricky, but it's made of being passionate by it, I think. You will not want to be a pilot if you are not...

Luc Moore (02:50.925)

Hmm.

Hugo (02:53.76)

I'm passionate about airplanes and aviation. You must be motivated, I think.

Luc Moore (02:56.077)

That's fair. That is fair. That's fair. Well, it got me motivated in the foil world too. It's been a little bit since we talked. So you went to, what was the last event that you went to? Diffie Wind. Yes. How was that?

Hugo (03:11.136)

The defi, I went to the defi. That's what we were talking about. Yeah, it was super good. Actually, we had a lot of chance winging this year because we had the only period of wind. I was also doing the defi kite. There was totally no wind. It was really light. But the week after for winging, we had around 15 to 30 knots. So this was perfect. And we had three days of...

pure actions. So we enjoyed a lot. Yeah, this year was really nice. I think there was more people on the water and out of the water. And I think the organization wants to increase this amount of people already for next year. So we must be around 1000 next year. And this is crazy, I think. Yeah.

Luc Moore (04:03.597)

Wow, a thousand. A thousand wings or a thousand everything? Yeah.

Hugo (04:06.876)

Yeah, 1000 wings and it's 5000 windsurfers also. But regarding the wings, it's going to be a huge amount also.

Luc Moore (04:12.525)

Eh, boy.

Luc Moore (04:18.157)

wow, that's awesome. So the festivities were good. Everybody showed up in old camper vans, that kind of thing.

Hugo (04:23.584)

Yes, yes, this year it was really tricky to be competitive, I agree. Everybody was in races for it and everybody was really with a super good level, so I mean, if you wanted to be competitive, you needed the good gears, the good level and the right implications, so it was...

Obviously you can also go for a funny race and just do with pleasure and going slow but if you wanted to do a result or to be on the podium it was super super hard. It's crazy how the sport evolved in one year since last year. Everybody is now on the racing foil like the Schubenger, the Levitas or the kite foil racing foil so...

Luc Moore (05:03.309)

Hmm.

Hugo (05:19.2)

Definitely if you don't have 110 centimeter mast and super small front wing you cannot beat anybody so yeah, it's a lot about the gears and But yeah, that was cool. That was super great actually

Luc Moore (05:29.197)

That's fast, eh?

Luc Moore (05:36.397)

Huh, okay, so next year, a thousand wings. That's gonna be, that's a lot of wings on the water at the same time. That'd be so cool. Any crazy crashes?

Hugo (05:41.632)

Hey, it's crazy. That's crazy. I don't think so. No. There were some crashes on the start line and on the finish line. Yes, the last race we did 40 kilometers and doing the track. In the track there was a big bunch of seaweed so everybody was falling but...

Luc Moore (05:49.005)

No, all good.

Hugo (06:11.52)

It's not like a big crash, it's just you are falling to remove the seaweed and then you go back. Now actually this year we had luck, there was no big crash, no injuries, so this is super good. Especially with 40 knots of wind, if you are full committed, it's really important to be prepared and not crash the wrong way, otherwise you can really hurt yourself. But this year, I don't think we had anything special.

Luc Moore (06:16.301)

Yeah.

Luc Moore (06:38.253)

Well, for those who don't know it, it's full offshore as well, right? Yeah.

Hugo (06:45.92)

Yeah, it's full offshore. It's in Grisant, in the south of France and the wind is the Ormistral or Tramontana. It's a wind blowing from the northwest or the north. So obviously the coast is oriented south so it's kind of offshore, side offshore.

Luc Moore (07:05.357)

Okay. Okay. And you're competing this year as well?

Hugo (07:10.912)

Yeah, yeah, I was competing well, I mean I was there for my brand for reading and it was also there to enjoy on the water, but I was quite surprised how I went super fast with 85 centimeter must compare to everybody on their 110 and I actually I was super proud to be able to compete against them.

I really thought I was going to be a minute or two behind, but I was really competing with people with Schubanger and Levitas. That was super nice. But it was really like, yeah. And they're super fast. They're super fast. And yeah, you see they are spending a lot of time and thinking into the process of it and the hydrodynamics who works on the foil.

Luc Moore (07:42.861)

well, congrats, congrats. Yeah, because those are those are finely tuned machines that levitas right like they're the little airplanes.

Hugo (08:04.448)

That's also quite interesting, I think.

Luc Moore (08:04.941)

Yeah. Okay. Huh. All right. So what's next for you after this exam, but what's next in the wing world for you?

Hugo (08:14.016)

Me, I'm heading to Peru and Chicama in 10 days. 10 days from now. So I'm super happy, it's first time for me. I've heard a lot about it, everybody's talking about it, I've seen a lot of images. Now I want to try it and experience it by myself.

Luc Moore (08:18.637)

Come on. sick. That's gonna be so fun.

Luc Moore (08:37.977)

that's amazing. Are you going with reading or by yourself or?

Hugo (08:41.664)

No, I'm going by myself with a friend to make some content and just to enjoy on the water and train a bit in the waves. I don't know. Have you been there already? Never.

Luc Moore (08:54.221)

No, but Amit, so we had, he was, I think an Israeli windsurfing pro. And he was our number eight episode, I think on the show. And let me see if I can look him up real quick. He gives coaching clinics there all the time. Amit Inbar. And so I should connect to you or just at least send him a message and let him know because he is, he's like,

Hugo (09:03.552)

Yeah.

Hugo (09:08.768)

Okay.

Hugo (09:15.296)

Hmm.

Okay.

Luc Moore (09:23.629)

He's been going there for years. So he knows every little nook and cranny of that spot. Yeah, and crazy, crazy windsurfer. So yeah, that could be fun.

Hugo (09:23.712)

Yeah, why not?

Yeah.

Hugo (09:33.6)

The spot looked perfect so I think it's gonna be good. Yeah, that's crazy. I don't know what to expect but I think it's gonna be crazy.

Luc Moore (09:37.005)

yeah, like one of the three, four minute wave or something.

Luc Moore (09:44.109)

Thank you.

How's the forecast looking, do you know?

Hugo (09:51.2)

I didn't check very well, to be honest. I think it's quite far from here yet, so it can change a lot, but I think it's quite consistent. It's no wind in the morning, and then the wind is picking up by noon, and it's increasing until mid -afternoon, and then it's decreasing. Regarding the waves, I think it's wavy mostly in July, so that's going to be fine. I hope.

Luc Moore (09:52.749)

Okay.

Luc Moore (10:19.405)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Nice, how long you on for?

Hugo (10:23.264)

I'm gonna be there for 17 days so I have the time to enjoy a lot.

Luc Moore (10:31.597)

that's beautiful. I hope that goes well. And yeah, let us know when you're there. We want to see. That's going to be so sick. Yeah, I can't wait to go.

Hugo (10:36.96)

Yeah sure, but I'm gonna try to make sick content and enjoy a lot of the water, definitely.

Luc Moore (10:44.973)

Yep. Beautiful. All right. What's the next trip after that? Do you have something else planned?

Hugo (10:50.464)

After that, I don't have that much planning yet. I know the next competition is in Darla and I have to train my backside side because it's going to be a right wave and I'm goofy foot. So maybe I'm going to go somewhere with right waves.

Luc Moore (11:17.453)

Okay.

Hugo (11:17.584)

Maybe I'm gonna go again in Mauritius by the end of August, just for 10 days.

Luc Moore (11:25.869)

Okay. Yes. No schedule. That's okay. That's okay.

Hugo (11:26.752)

I don't know yet. It's a bit, it's not scheduled yet, but it's gonna come. Yeah. I'm a bit shivering last minute. Every time.

Luc Moore (11:39.309)

Yeah, I kind of do. We kind of do the same thing. It kind of makes it a bit exciting in that way, but you've been to Mauritius before, right? Because we talked about your crazy incident there last time, but yeah. Okay.

Hugo (11:42.336)

Yeah.

Hugo (11:46.976)

Yeah, yeah sure. I've been a lot of time in Mauritius. I like it a lot but I think I've done it maybe too much this past year so I try to go somewhere else like Peru now. I wanted to organize a trip at Fiji, I think I told you about it. It was a bit complicated to organize it.

Luc Moore (12:09.704)

Mm -hmm.

Hugo (12:14.208)

within a short period, so I think I'm going to keep it for later in the year or next year. So this year it's going to be Peru eventually. Yeah, Mauritius, it's really a nice place, but it's, yeah, when you go too much to the same place, it's maybe too repetitive for people, so I wanted to change a bit. Even though I like a lot this place, it's really amazing.

Luc Moore (12:25.255)

Okay.

Luc Moore (12:38.112)

that's fair. Okay. Yeah, it looks like a paradise. So what other spots have you been to in the last couple of years that have been your highlights that people might want to know about?

Hugo (12:45.152)

Yeah.

Hugo (12:53.024)

I've been a lot of places outside of Europe. That's why I think I want to focus on Europe in the next years and in the next month. Because I really think we have a good spot in Portugal or all around the ocean coast, the Atlantic coast. Where did I go in the past? I went...

to Tahiti was I think one of my favorite trips. This was definitely insane. Just the vibe there, the landscape, the vibe mixed with the people, it's just a special place that makes you can't dislike this trip. Even if you don't ride a lot, you're gonna like it because you have the feeling with people, you have the vibe, it's nice.

You have the landscape, which is obviously amazing. So I think this was one of my favorite trips. In my top three, there is definitely Mauritius, which is also one of my favorites because it's easy to access. The spot is also easy to access. It's just a beach you can drive at and you pump your car on the beach or your wing and then you're going straight in the water.

and you go straight to the wave. So it's super easy compared to Tahiti where you need to drive more or to access to a boat to go to the reef. In Mauritius, it's totally different. It's super easy. So that makes it a good place for our sports who are really, who needs to bring a lot of equipment. And my top three, I think...

Luc Moore (14:33.094)

Hmm.

Hugo (14:50.656)

would be, I think it would be Cape Verde in the Atlantic Ocean on the island of Sal or Boa Vista and this is also nice places with really right people and good conditions so this makes it special.

Luc Moore (14:59.27)

Okay.

Luc Moore (15:11.622)

How do you like riding at Ponte Preve?

Hugo (15:16.064)

Ponte Perla, we went two times winging there for the competition. It's a really difficult wave because the wave is really breaking almost on the rocks. You don't have a lot of place and a lot of margin in between the shore, which is made by rocks, and the point where the wave is breaking. And the wave is really fast. So...

If you don't make it through all these sections, you can get caught and end up on the rocks. So it's a good wave, who can provide you good feelings on the water, but I would say it's not the best wave I've winging at least. It's super tricky, super dangerous, so you are more focused on surviving than enjoying. But the landscape is still special. It's still a good, pretty island with...

crystal blue water and nice rocks everywhere. So I like the landscape but regarding the conditions it's a bit complicated I would say.

Luc Moore (16:29.093)

Yeah, it's way more challenging. I guess more just for contests or for pros or kiting and windsurfing as well. Yeah. Okay.

Hugo (16:36.448)

Yeah, yeah, it's definitely this.

Luc Moore (16:40.229)

What did you like so much about Tahiti waves and whatnot? Obviously they're freight trains too.

Hugo (16:46.176)

Where? Sorry, didn't he? Yeah. There you have a variety of spots which is incredible. You can find flat water, you can find the best wave in the world, you can find the most pretty place you would ever see. I mean, this is really subjective, but in terms of islands I saw, it's one of the most pretty islands I saw, I think.

Luc Moore (16:47.269)

to hit it? Yeah.

Hugo (17:16.352)

in terms of color of water, of landscape, how all the landscape of the island is still existing and it's not... like I mean humans didn't destroy it yet I hope. And the waves are kind of difficult to access because you're always in a boat to go to the shore or to the reef.

Luc Moore (17:31.813)

Okay.

Hugo (17:45.824)

So I would say it's more difficult than Moetius. You always need the boat to then pump your kite or your wing on the boat and leave from the boat to the wave. It's one of the reasons why you need the boat, it's the safety because most of the time the wind is offshore and the reef is really far from the shore. So if you have a problem you are immediately in the deep blue water and...

then there is some creatures who are looking for you there. So...

Luc Moore (18:18.277)

Ha ha ha.

Luc Moore (18:22.468)

You got some some big guys there. What's your favorite break there? Because I know there's a ton.

Hugo (18:28.672)

And yeah, there is a lot of breaks definitely. You can do everything on any kind of breaks. You can wing or surf or prom, foil on any breaks. The place I liked the most was definitely Teupo. Winging in Teupo was such an insane experience. Maybe not the best waves I rode ever, but just...

to be there, to think that you are there, you are at this place, the mythic place of Teopo, and then you see the landscape around, which is full of mountains and full of diversity of green and blue and all these shades of color and it's so beautiful, really. It's really an experience I'm never gonna forget. And also to be there on the water with...

three friends of mine, nobody in the lineup, it's something which ends your experience. It was super, super cool.

Luc Moore (19:34.788)

Well, that puts you in like an elite group of humans that actually get to stamp their names that they've been there. And that's pretty special.

Hugo (19:43.871)

Yeah, also I think so, but yeah, when you are there, you really... I don't know, it's because we grew up in this environment where we hear everywhere that Teupo is so special. Or I don't know if it's because Teupo is special. You know what I mean? It's a feeling you have once you are here and you can understand it and if you went there on this spot, I think.

but it's really amazing.

Luc Moore (20:15.716)

Well, it has a lot of history and I can only imagine feeling that almost when you're there. Like that's what would make it like how many people who have given their lives to these sports and dedicated to the love and passion of it have been there. Like you that that's pretty cool. What makes that wave? Cause it is shallow. It is reefy. It is thick. Like how,

Hugo (20:23.296)

Yeah.

Hugo (20:31.424)

Mm -hmm.

Hugo (20:34.976)

Yeah, it's super shallow. Hopefully I didn't see it from close because I didn't fall. But I think the reef really hurts. What else? The wave is really short. You have this kind of bump of the ocean that falls on the reef. So this is what makes the tube.

Luc Moore (20:45.879)

Yes.

Hugo (21:01.504)

and then the wave is immediately finished. So it's not the most long wave you're going to find, but it's definitely the most powerful. What's next? Yeah, it's really shallow, and I think the riff hurts because it's kind of riff with really sharp. But yeah, hopefully I didn't fall.

Luc Moore (21:27.895)

Wow. That's the main thing. All right. So you're saying you're going to work in on your backside then for the next contest for Dakla. So hopefully try to find a spot that would be more conducive to working on that. Is that kind of how you, you organize a trip a little bit? Cause I guess you can't travel all the time, obviously.

Hugo (21:29.824)

That's a main thing.

Hugo (21:45.184)

Yeah.

Luc Moore (21:51.492)

but does your sponsor reading help with that training kind of aspect of things? Cause I know you just switched over to the team and you said they were a pretty, pretty cool community.

Hugo (22:02.112)

Yeah, sure. They are helping me a lot with this. Obviously, we want to make the brain grow together. So, making the brain grow also is linked to making content, training, winning competitions, increasing the gears, having good image. So, all of that, it's the work we have together and for that, they are helping me.

for my travels when I'm going to shoot somewhere or when I'm going to train somewhere for the next competition. So most of the time when I go on a trip I look obviously for waves and if there is a competition coming right next to the trip I try to organize it on the wave which is gonna look as the wave on the competition or

also on the competition spot. If it's a good spot where you can do good images, I try to go before, for example, Cape Verde, you go before because you know you're going to have some proper shots or proper good waves before the event. So that is something I do. Otherwise, yeah, I just go on a trip trying to look for waves who has never been ridden by a wing fighter.

For example, I wanted to go to Cloudbreak, but I think it has been written by a wing already. I'm not sure, but I think so. I think I saw some images of somebody who went there.

Luc Moore (23:39.362)

That would be an interesting spot just trying to pick down the spots that haven't been touched yet because there still are some everywhere. Definitely would be.

Hugo (23:47.328)

Yeah, there are so many spots, there are also spots nobody knows about and where I think are amazing for wing because you have so many possibilities with the foil now.

Luc Moore (24:02.818)

That's very true. That's very true. What do you like so much about the gear that you're riding right now?

Hugo (24:09.568)

What I like is that with my fall I can do a lot of different aspects of wing fall. I can race as during the defy. I was going quite fast and I was quite competitive against the other guys. So I find this super good. And the last day I went also downwinding with my SUP.

and I was on the same foil, not on the same size, but on the same model of foil, which is the El Capitano. So from racing to downwinding to wave riding, you can do all these three together and still have a lot of performances and enjoy a lot on the water. So this is what I like. You just don't fool yourself with five or six different models. You have one model you can use.

If you have three different sizes or two different sizes of this model, you can then cover a lot of session you're going to have with your wing. So that's one of the main points I like about this for you. Yeah.

Luc Moore (25:18.658)

Hmm. Okay. That's more of a higher aspect kind of foil or what's the.

Hugo (25:23.744)

Yeah, it's a mid -high aspect, I would say. I don't know exactly the ratio. It's around 8 or 8 .5, I think. So it makes it really nice for downwind. It provides a lot of glides. But it's not also ultra -high aspect, which makes that you can't carve and turn anymore. So you have this compromise in between, which is really nice, I find.

Luc Moore (25:51.809)

I guess almost similar to the different kinds of planes you're going to fly to, right? Some bigger ones, some slower ones, some...

Hugo (25:56.32)

Yeah, that's another thing. But it's really nice because you link everything you learn with aviation, with hydrofoils and what we are doing in the industry. It's quite similar, it's just the same underwater but of course there is different forces and presence and everything but it's still a bit the same environment.

Luc Moore (26:01.921)

Yeah

Luc Moore (26:25.281)

Are you thinking of ever getting into jets and that kind of thing? Like.

Hugo (26:30.976)

What do you mean? I am...

Luc Moore (26:31.202)

flying? For like flying are you ever going to get into like specific jets and that kind of thing or is it more just rec for now and maybe commercial or?

Hugo (26:40.16)

Yeah, I would like to be a commercial pilot, but I think I'm going to take, if I do this and if I go in this career, I'm going to take what I can have on the path. It's already a luxury to be a pilot. I will see after whether I can choose or not what I want to do exactly, but my main goal now will be just to be a commercial pilot and he arrives, anything. Just be able to fly and to live from it. It will be a dream for me.

Luc Moore (26:50.689)

Okay.

Luc Moore (26:59.713)

I see what you're saying. Okay. Okay. Yeah, that would be pretty exciting. Huh, I guess that does tie in well. So what do you do with reading the team there? Are you helping with R &D and helping with feedback and all that kind of stuff as well?

Hugo (27:20.288)

Yeah, it's always really hard to help with R &D at Bren I find when you are also a rider because you focus a lot on your performances on the water and you tend to forget that every people who ride are not also competing and are not aiming for the best performances. So this is, I find one of the difficult points as a rider. But of course I try to do my best and help them as much as I can.

to show my vision, to show what I think about the sport. I've been doing now wing -fly for quite a lot of time. I've been in a lot of different sports. I've seen a lot of people and talked with a lot of people. With all these feedbacks I had and all these experiences I made, I can now really explain to my team and to reading what will be the best things to...

maybe do and develop in the future to just have the most efficient gears and the better thing to sell to the most kind of people. But that's really tricky because you have a lot of subjectivity in this sport. People like swimming, people like racing, people like freestyle, people like just cruising. So you cannot, of course, please everybody. So that's the most difficult point, I think.

Luc Moore (28:46.4)

And especially with winging, like based on age and body size and athleticism, there's so many different factors that come into picking the foil for you as well. And there's a million brands and everybody seems to be working together though. And it seems to be going in a nice direction. Especially there's a lot of new, more beginner friendly things than there were three, four years ago. So that's exciting. And, okay.

Hugo (28:54.624)

Yeah.

Hugo (29:00.384)

Yes.

Luc Moore (29:12.96)

well, all right. All right. How do you like competing in DAKLA? That's supposed to be a pretty cool spot.

Hugo (29:18.4)

Yeah, Dala was really nice. I like this place a lot, obviously, because I won there my first World Cup competition in 2021. So that was a special place and special moment for me. It's a good spot. Dala is really known for the flat spot and the kiting spot where you can race or learn how to kite. But there is also the ocean part with...

much less known even then it's changing these past years and you have a lot of super amazing waves it's all around point breaks there you have beach waves sand waves sorry everywhere so they are mostly right foot forwards no sorry they are right foot backwards sorry it's

It's regular waves there. But it's really kind of point breaks you like to ride because it's small waves, not that powerful. But you can do a lot of maneuvers on them. You can, for 500 meters, do five carves, then two jumps, and then five carves again. And then you go again at the peak and you take another wave. And this is what's really nice there. And...

Luc Moore (30:16.703)

Okay, all right.

Hugo (30:44.672)

It's also less crowded than, for example, Amoritius because it's less known. So that is one of the points why I like Darla a lot. Yeah, I think that's the main point I like about Darla. Have you been to Darla already?

Luc Moore (30:49.919)

Hmm.

Luc Moore (30:58.654)

Okay.

Luc Moore (31:03.134)

Okay. No, I haven't been to any of those spots yet. I've been to Maui a couple of times and then a lot of, I'm heading back to Hood River in September or maybe a sooner actually. Gonna get some time there cause that spot down the river foiling is pretty insane. And what else? I don't know. We'll have to see probably back to Mexico this winter, I think.

Hugo (31:06.848)

No. Yeah.

Hugo (31:17.728)

Okay.

Hugo (31:22.976)

Mm -hmm.

Hugo (31:28.096)

Okay.

Luc Moore (31:28.638)

I spent four months there this year and had some five to six kilometer downwinders that were pretty epic, like head high swell and some good stuff at the beach and beach breaks. Overall, such a, such a different place to be in a complete desert, but the people are amazingly friendly. The food is good. Beers are good. Everything is good. So, it's a beautiful spot. I can't wait to go back. Yeah. I got some good friends there, so it'd be cool.

Hugo (31:39.456)

Yeah.

Hugo (31:44.8)

Yeah.

Hugo (31:49.992)

He he.

Hugo (31:58.784)

Yeah, I think I'm going to try to go to Wood River this year because I've seen a lot of content of downwinders and people who like it a lot on this lake. I don't know if it's a river. No, it's a river. It's not a lake. But it seems to be super nice to ride there and to do a lot of downwinders.

Luc Moore (32:13.213)

yeah. Yeah, yeah, it's yeah, it's a river.

Luc Moore (32:22.365)

It's insane when you got wind and current going in a different way. so yeah, we went to the hatchery last September and did event site, but didn't do a lot of other spots. I'd like to spend a bit more time because the downwinders there I think would be insane. yeah. It just feels like you're floating so much longer because the current is going the opposite way. So cause it was.

Hugo (32:38.912)

Okay. Yeah.

Hugo (32:45.856)

yeah.

Luc Moore (32:49.694)

When I was at AWSI, Muna White was off to the side. She was training with somebody and I was training in the center and it was just like you would just glide forever. And it wasn't anything big. Like it was shoulder to hip to waist kind of thing. It wasn't crazy. But just watch out for the boats because they do sneak up on you. Yes. It's crazy. You're like, that thing is far away. There's no problem. And then you're like, how the hell did it get here so fast?

Hugo (33:08.)

yeah. That's not nice.

You

Luc Moore (33:17.661)

So I'll say keep an eye on it. And then I am not one to go play anywhere close to those things. So just, yeah, come off to the side and. But beautiful place. Very nice. Good food. And it's beautiful little town as well.

Hugo (33:27.328)

I had.

Hugo (33:34.208)

Yeah, it looks super nice the landscape. There's a lot of mountains. I think you can do some hikes as well. That looks super nice.

Luc Moore (33:40.637)

Yes, good biking. Yeah, good mountain biking, definitely. So yeah, yeah, no, let us know, because we'll be there. We'll be there probably. We'll be there for AWSI in September, but I'm hoping to be able to go there sooner to spend a bit of time, because that's like one of the top spots. It's super easy to access when you're on the west coast of Canada.

Hugo (33:45.224)

Yeah, it's a mess. Okay.

Yeah. Okay.

Hugo (33:59.936)

Isn't there a lot of expensive stuff? Is it affordable from Europe to go there? Regarding accommodation and everything.

Luc Moore (34:11.709)

I think my friend, well, our Frank who is on the podcast team, he had found, I think I found.

Actually, Nadia, who was on the show, she was renting a room for 850 American. So it's rented, but just in general, there are some rooms that you could probably find if you're staying there a little bit longer. And there's a good network of people that I'm sure they'll be able to help you find something. Airbnb's are there as well. They weren't too crazy. Last time when I went, I just went camping. So I had it because the camp, Tucker's campground there in Hood is, if you're there for a week or so, it's 25 bucks a day.

Hugo (34:30.144)

Okay.

Hugo (34:39.552)

Okay.

Hugo (34:48.608)

Yeah.

Luc Moore (34:54.076)

And only because I was driving, I had all my stuff. But if you're flying in that they'll definitely be some rooms and some different Airbnb's that aren't crazy. Yeah. It's the Mecca of stuff down there. So there'll be a lot of people that could help out, but everything is pretty close as well. the spots are far spread out. Like you do need the car to drive to these different locations, wherever it's windy, but everything is there. Like the history of.

Hugo (34:54.176)

That's super cheap.

Hugo (35:02.496)

Okay. Wow. Okay, that's fine. Okay.

Luc Moore (35:23.484)

everything. It's crazy to think of like, yeah, because Steve Meyer, he's the creator of No Limits masks and the owner of No Limits and that started there and all that. It's just like so much history. Yeah.

Hugo (35:24.224)

Yeah.

Hugo (35:36.8)

Okay, it's a must for me then. It's my next trip, it's there. Okay, yeah, I thought it was really expensive, but it depends, I think, on what's your living style. And yeah, definitely if you go with a camper or if you go camping, it's really nice. Okay, I keep this in mind for next time.

Luc Moore (35:41.084)

Yes. Yes.

Luc Moore (35:46.556)

Yeah.

Luc Moore (35:57.948)

Yeah, yeah. There's always, I think even Hawaii, they said was extremely expensive, but when I went, I was able to get connected to the right person and I was able to find a room and a house and rent a vehicle. And like, I think everything's doable. And like there I set up my tent, but sometimes I'll just sleep in my Subaru. So I have like a nice comfortable kind of little camping set up in there. And.

And it all depends what you're looking for. If you're going for a month, yes, a nice room would be awesome. But if you're going for a couple of weeks, there's nothing wrong with finding some cool spots in nature to enjoy that too. So that's what we did. Yeah. Yeah. And then you got good greasy American food that you don't get in France. You got good burgers and all that stuff.

Hugo (36:34.752)

Yeah, sure. Okay.

You

That's true, that's true. Now there is a lot of fruits there I think as well in Hawaii. This we don't have that much.

Luc Moore (36:50.428)

Yes, there's, yeah. No, that's true. And I don't remember Alaska last time. If you had poutine and all that stuff from Quebec yet.

Hugo (36:57.824)

Yeah, you asked me last time, I don't think we have. At least in the south of France, I never heard about it in restaurants. But could be that it exists in Paris or other big cities like this. I think it must exist in Paris, for sure. But yeah, if you go to special restaurants who are orientated in this kind of food, I think we have it.

Luc Moore (37:17.819)

It has to.

Hugo (37:26.815)

But I never tried to eat poutine. I don't know what's the taste of it, what's made for, what it's made with.

Luc Moore (37:33.275)

Well, it's just fries and cheese curds and different kinds of gravy. So the gravy makes it. It'll be dependent on the flavor of the gravy. If it's a beef gravy or if it's a mushroom gravy. my goodness. It's heart attack, you know, whatever, but it's good stuff.

Hugo (37:39.008)

yeah.

Hugo (37:46.24)

Okay.

It's the kind of melting pot of all the food you have in your fridge. No, I don't know.

Luc Moore (37:56.923)

Pretty much. And then you wonder why there's an obesity problem in Canada and the US. But anyways, not in France. Yes, I think you definitely have to try that. How do you like living in the South of France? There's so many, it's a beautiful place as well.

Hugo (38:00.64)

That's also a must to try.

Hugo (38:14.912)

Yeah, I really can't complain about where I live. I mean, I've been to Belgium a lot this year and I've seen what's really living under the clouds. So this we are lucky about in South of France that we have a lot of sunny weather. We have a lot of wind. Also, the landscape is quite nice. We have a lot of mountains to hike and definitely some good...

good spots and sometimes good waves but obviously it's not on the level of Hawaii or other islands like this but it's really I can't complain it's super nice.

Luc Moore (38:53.338)

That's true. Yeah. And it's warm, like it stays warm most of the year, right?

Hugo (39:01.216)

During winter it's really cold. The temperature can decrease until minus 10, I think. So it can be quite cold. But most of the time from April it's already around 18 degrees and super nice weather with wind. So that's a good place, I think. Yeah.

Luc Moore (39:04.058)

Okay.

Luc Moore (39:09.146)

Okay. All right.

Luc Moore (39:22.426)

and a lot of tourists. A lot of people come down from North and like in the summertime, it's a good spot, eh? Yeah, I guess so. I guess so. Huh, okay.

Hugo (39:27.136)

We just miss a lot of waves. Yeah.

We miss waves, but if we drive four hours, we have the West Coast. So that's super nice as well. It's a good location. You are really nearby Italy, nearby Barcelona, and nearby Biarritz, which is at the West Coast. So that's really a good location, I think.

Luc Moore (39:51.386)

Have you done Germany, Switzerland, any of those kind of countries yet with balls and some of the other guys up there?

Hugo (39:54.824)

I've been to Switzerland, I've been to Sivaplana and Samoritz three years ago for a competition on a lake and I have to say it's really beautiful. The landscape is super nice, it's really... I think it's part of the Alps, so it's in the mountains, it's a big lake where you can ride.

The water is super cold but the landscape makes it different so I really liked it. Germany I've never been. I've heard a lot about Zilt. I don't know if it's German on Denmark. Do you know about it? No. But no, I've never been in Germany to ride.

Luc Moore (40:33.593)

yeah. Okay, I don't know.

Luc Moore (40:43.161)

The guys, both Frank and Matt are from Germany. So we'll share it to those guys on our team. And I just want to go to Oktoberfest and then catch some wind after. I think that would be pretty fun. It'd be quite the cultural experience over there. So I'll have to go visit the guys. They've been asking me to come over. But it's a nice thing about Europe is you do have quite a variety of different places and they're not that far away, right?

Hugo (40:47.931)

yeah.

Hugo (41:04.736)

Mm -hmm.

Yeah, we have a lot of different kind of spots. As you can see, we have the Mediterranean Sea, which is mostly flat but strong winds. We have West Coast, which is mostly bad waves. And then if you go to Portugal, you have one of the biggest waves in the world. So it's indeed a lot of location within a small area. You also can go to Canary Islands.

Luc Moore (41:27.385)

Yes.

Hugo (41:36.32)

It's not that far and it's a good island with pretty good waves and a lot of wind. So that's right that we have good location but I think it's the same all around the planet. We just all have our little spots and we like our home.

Luc Moore (41:38.009)

Yeah, I've heard.

Luc Moore (41:48.057)

Yeah.

Very true.

That's very true. Yeah, we all have. And that's the nice thing about foiling is it's opening up little playgrounds close to home and you develop that connection with them. And did you ever have time to think back a little bit of kind of how cool this time period is in your life that you get to do all this stuff and see all these places and, and how different it is for other people, maybe in your friend circle that are just school and work and...

Hugo (42:13.376)

-huh. That's...

Yeah.

I have to say I'm really realizing it more and more through the years. Because you face more the reality of life when you grow up and you face more what's the problem in life and when you see all these wars in the world and everything, you really tend to compare your life with all these lives and then you are like, okay, I have nothing to complain and I must not complain.

Luc Moore (42:26.105)

Hmm.

Luc Moore (42:48.493)

Yeah.

Hugo (42:50.016)

No, but it's really true. I'm really lucky and I'm so grateful for all what I have. And it's mostly thanks to my parents and where I grew up, which is obviously kind of a bit of luck. But I'm really grateful to have all what I have and to be able to experience all what I did at my age. When I was after high school, I had the choice to...

Luc Moore (43:04.825)

Mm -hmm.

Hugo (43:19.36)

all go in a deep down steady and stop winging and kiting at this stage. But I don't know, I had an opportunity and I just choose to keep going. And now I maybe don't have a good degree or a strong degree, but I have five years of amazing memories I'm gonna remember forever. And this was the choice I made back in the time and I don't regret at all. And now I'm...

I'm just grateful with all what I experienced and I hope it's gonna keep going the most long it can be and I wish everybody on this planet to experience the same. It's really, I think any kind of people in this environment who experience the same as me are gonna say the same. It's just a big luck and yeah, we realize, I realize more and more every day. So.

If this answers your question.

Luc Moore (44:18.776)

Well, Sarah, Sarah Kido, a friend of what's like, she's 32 or 33 now and she's still like dreading top of the list. So there's, you got quite a bit of time to enjoy and to still, and do you like the competitive aspect, the content aspect, the lifestyle? Like, is there an area that you'd like to focus on more?

Hugo (44:42.464)

I like more the lifestyle and the competitive aspect. I've been doing a lot of competitions these past years. I've been doing, I think, too many competitions. And I've never been that much competitive in my life. I didn't really like to be competitive and to show my level to the people. I'm more like, we go in the water, we enjoy together, and everybody is happy.

It seems a bit childish like this, but I don't know, I always prefer this mindset than just going to be like, okay, I'm going to beat you and I'm going to kick your ass. But I've done this because you need to do this to be kind of respected and to be kind of more known in the water spot industry and then to have your first sponsors and everything. You need to compete, you need to show who you are.

Luc Moore (45:20.279)

Hehe, yup.

Hugo (45:39.84)

and this was a must. But now that I already did this, I would like to go more into the lifestyle part, more into the company parts, working more for the company which sponsorize me, helping them to grow, helping us to do better images, better contents, better products for everybody. This is what I prefer now. It's more on what I'm focused.

Of course, I'm again focused on competition, but it's less important for me now. It's more in the background of my head. But I like it. I still like it. It permits to travel a lot. When you are on the spot doing your hits, you are only two people on the amazing wave. So that's super nice. But the really deep down competition with all this stress, I think it's...

a bit the past for me and now I'm more focused on all the rest.

Luc Moore (46:41.719)

Well, that's what Marcella Witt did, right? She was competing and then kind of switched more into content lifestyle. And, so there's definitely, definitely that space. And I think it does reach a lot of people and it helps a lot of people to just to kind of follow that same or take a few minutes and try something new. And, yeah, definitely.

Hugo (46:45.376)

Yep.

Hugo (46:55.68)

Mm -hmm.

Hugo (47:00.8)

Yeah, it's what I prefer. As I said, I never quite, I never was into the competition mode, but I don't know if it's unfortunately or fortunately, you need to push your limits and to show who you are to people to get your first sponsors and get your work rewarded, I have to say, which is logic in a way.

Luc Moore (47:28.567)

Yeah, I think it's the way the engine has been built. Definitely. But I think it, yeah. And once you're there and once you've kind of stamped your place, then doing the other things to help in other ways. Cause I know the tour really does try to help give back to kids and they do community events at every tour stop. And like when I was talking to Tom, they're always, especially every little place, they'll do little presentations or things to help some of the local kids, especially in some of the poorer areas.

find something for them to focus on. So there is a lot of, I guess we're all trying to push the sport to help people wherever they are. So there's a lot of worse things you can be doing than going wing foiling in the afternoon. Can't start a war if you're winging.

Hugo (48:08.576)

Yep.

Hugo (48:14.112)

Yeah, definitely.

Hugo (48:19.78)

And you don't know if you're on the wrong spot at the wrong moment. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. No, but you're right. But I think it's also one of our goals. Like, we are kind of enjoying life and we I think we kind of found the trick to avoid the annoying part of life. So we need to...

Luc Moore (48:23.511)

Yeah. Yeah, maybe, maybe get off my wave, bro. Maybe.

Hugo (48:47.904)

give a bit to other people. I mean, it's also a sport which is quite expensive. So you need a lot of money to buy your first gears and your first material to do it. So it's obviously one of our goals to when we go abroad in Cape Verde, for example, to let some of our guests to the young kids there who obviously can't afford any of the material. So yeah, I find it's just.

part of our job to do this. We go down their place to do our sports, but then they welcome us, then it's our goal to also give what we have to them and not just come take what they have and then leave.

Luc Moore (49:33.399)

That's very true. Yeah. Yeah. Cause they'll, they'll never potentially get that opportunity otherwise. So yeah. Okay. All right, my friend. Well, so what are you studying next today? You've had a nice little one hour break.

Hugo (49:47.136)

So now I was studying all the parts of an airplane, all the motors, all the kind of parts who made the plane fly and why. And it's quite interesting that it's really also hurting my brain. So that was nice talking.

Luc Moore (50:09.975)

you

Hugo (50:15.552)

Yeah these days I'm really autistic. Like you go deep in a subject and then you realize you're just in your room studying and you think like this for five minutes looking down at another thing and you're like, okay. I feel so much autistic. Don't know if you know this feeling it's...

Luc Moore (50:18.487)

Yeah.

Luc Moore (50:30.583)

Yes. Yes. Yeah. When I went to, yeah, I took a four year university degree and what I found, green tea and bananas helped. I had to stay off of everything else. That helped green tea, bananas. And then every hour to an hour and a half, I would go run or go exercise or go break the cycle for 15, 20 minutes and then come back.

Hugo (50:45.6)

Yes.

Hugo (50:55.552)

Yeah.

Luc Moore (50:57.719)

Some of my friends would study straight and it was just, I would get too jittery into, and my brain wouldn't focus. so yeah, I don't know. Green tea and bananas, man, they keep you going. If you have to do all night. Nope. Nope.

Hugo (51:03.712)

Hmm.

Yeah.

I can't study straight for 8 hours, it's impossible. I've done this 6 hours last time and my brain was cooking, I was just reading information and I was not remembering anything. It's definitely the good solution to go for a run or to go for a fast quick session if there is wind. Maybe I'm gonna do that, I don't know. Because now I'm cooking in my room. I just want to run everywhere. Yeah.

Luc Moore (51:21.175)

Mm -hmm.

Luc Moore (51:28.567)

Yes, that's true. Okay. Well, thanks for taking the time and I appreciate this. Yeah.

Hugo (51:40.96)

Yeah, Noura is mate, with pleasure. It was super nice talking with you again and I hope people will listen and enjoy our discussion.

Luc Moore (51:52.279)

yeah, for sure. And we're looking forward to hearing from how Chikama in Peru trip goes, because I think that's going to be epic. Yeah.

Hugo (51:56.768)

Yeah, sure. I will not forget informing you. Yeah, I think it's gonna be epic. I hope. I have a lot of pressure on this trip because I want to do some good images but as the water is not deep blue and it's not an island water I'm like okay then I need a lot of good waves and proper content but I think it's gonna be fine. It's different but it's fine.

Luc Moore (52:03.191)

Yeah.

Luc Moore (52:20.183)

Okay, yeah, I'll connect you with that meet there. I'll send him a message and he's normally really responsive and yeah, amazing guy. Okay, cool. Well, thanks everybody for joining us on this one and we'll catch you on the next one.

Hugo (52:27.968)

Yeah, thanks. Appreciate. Yeah. Good. Thank you.

Luc Moore (52:38.551)

Alright, perfect. Now, let's film. Yo, wait, yo, wait. Let's press, let's not go away.

Hugo (52:40.192)

Thanks. Yeah, I wait, I wait. Let's not destroy the fear.