3 questions to Antoine Martin

13/11/2023

Winner of the Aloha Classic for the 2nd time in his career, French waverider Antoine Martin rounds off his 2023 season with a world 3rd place, his best performance to date. With him, we look back at the Hookipa event, the PWA IWT Unified Wave Tour and the world title now in sight.

Windsurfjournal.com: This victory in the Aloha Classic is your 2nd after the one in 2019. What's your overall feeling, is it even better?
Antoine Martin: My feeling is that my 1st victory is undeniable! Nothing can top this feeling of achievement, especially after such long years. It's a dream and I didn't believe in it so much that when I won, I had this kind of ball in my stomach, joy and stress. All my emotions came out at that moment. But that doesn't mean that this 2nd victory wasn't just as good, because, in a way, it's proof that I could do it again and that it wasn't just a fluke. As I said on the podium at the prize-giving ceremony, I could win this Aloha Classic 10 times in a row, and I'd still be just as happy, because it's an exceptional competition. It's our flagship event of the year, like the French Open in tennis or the Pipe Masters in surfing.

WJ: How would you sum up the PWA IWT Unified Wave Tour after a 1st year of experimentation? What do you think needs to be improved?
AM: I think it's the best thing that could have happened on the world tour. It's allowed us to experiment, to try out events that would never have existed if we'd stayed with the PWA or IWT format. And experimentation means ups and downs. Highs and lows... It was a pivotal year because it was the 1st time and it enabled us to learn a bit more about competition in general and what we waveriders wanted. This will enable us to improve the concept in the years to come, and ensure that things go in a positive direction. What we'd like to see is harmonization of standards between the PWA and the IWT, because from one event to the next, it was difficult to stick to the same format. That's something we'd like to sort out with more precise judging and professional people. There are also standards to help us, because as it's a more comprehensive tour, it requires more money to travel. We'd also like the events to be more visible to spectators and more understandable. I hope that this year of experimentation will enable us to improve all this for the future.

WJ: You're on the 3rd step of the annual podium. Is the world title within your grasp, and do you dream of winning it one day?
AM : The closer you get to the world title, the more you realize it's possible. With this 3rd place, I've come very close to the title, especially this year. It's true that there was a lot of talk about Marcilio Browne and Ricardo Campello during this Aloha Classic, but, in terms of points, I was one of those few who could have become world champion, and it came down to very little... I've had my difficulties this year, beyond the physical and technical side, and I can see myself getting there one day in the future. It's all the more motivating because this year I really discovered that I had the competitive ability to compete with the top 3. At the same time, it's become a more achievable goal than before, and that makes me even more keen to train and prepare for next year! After that, I don't want it to become an ultimate goal. Around that, there's a lot of pressure, it's a very long year, but I want to do everything I love in windsurfing, not just competing, but also traveling, inspiring people, making images and discovering new spots. All in all, it's been a busy year. I want to see where the 1st stage takes me next year and follow my instincts. And if I see that it's going well, I'll try to play for the title. But obviously, as a competitor, it's a goal to be achieved, but I don't want to put any pressure on myself and continue my dream of making a living from my passion.