3 questions to Esteban de Cruz

08/12/2023

At nearly 19 years of age, young French waverider Esteban de Cruz has just achieved the dream that many would like to fulfil one day, spending several months on the island of Maui in Hawaii and living his passion for windsurfing to the full. He's only been back a few days, and talks to Windsurfjournal.com about this unique and memorable experience!

Windsurfjournal.com : You've just returned from a long stay on the island of Maui... What was the aim of this trip and how would you sum up the 3 months you spent there?
Esteban de Cruz : I arrived on 14 September in the windsurfers' paradise of Hawaii, on the island of Maui. The conditions were ideal, with waves getting bigger every day and sessions in lycra boardshorts, because with the water at 27°C, it's hard to put on a wetsuit! Hookipa brings together a community of enthusiasts, surfers, windsurfers and also the lifeguards who look after the safety of the spot on a daily basis - these guys are great! Monk seals and sea turtles are everywhere on the spot, while on land it's the hens and their roosters who collect the rest of your lunch every day. Welcome to Hookipa! I had some great encounters with locals who have been on the spot every day for 40 years, like Rob Funk, who helped me understand what I needed to do to avoid the dangers of this spot when I first arrived. He's the same guy who gets really angry if you get too close to the surfers in the water or the seals on the beach! Sessions follow one another every day on this legendary spot, often with the first surfer in the water. This gave me the opportunity to share sessions with some of the sport's biggest stars, such as Robby Naish, Jason Polakow and Kai Lenny, who are still sending out the big waves. They were very approachable and gave me a few tips on how to improve. Even though my main objective was to train as much as possible and spend as much time as possible on the water, as I sailed more and more, my confidence grew. I still decided to take part in the Aloha Classic in the youth category. I finished on the second step of the podium. Once the competition was over, I sailed every day with very light winds and mast-sized waves of up to 6 metres on the biggest days. I took the opportunity to fill up my stock of photos and get my adrenaline flowing. I'm back from this trip with stars in my eyes and just one desire: to get back there as soon as possible to tackle Jaws!

WJ: To make us dream, what was Esteban de Cruz's typical day in Maui over the last few weeks?
EDC: For me, 2023/2024 marks a year completely dedicated to windsurfing. Strictly speaking, I've never had the chance to sail in this type of big wave/low wind condition. For me, Maui is a sign of intense training, and I'll be resting later when I get back to France. Every morning, I get up at 8am to surf before the wind picks up. It's forbidden to windsurf before 11am in Maui. At 11am, I'm ready to hit the water as soon as my friends the lifeguards give me the go-ahead, after a little slalom between the seals and the turtles on the beach. I hit the water for the whole afternoon, doing 1-hour sessions with a 20-minute break in between. At lunchtime, I quickly go and get a poke bowl with rice and raw tuna, a real treat! Every day was different, so I tried to vary my workouts as much as possible depending on the conditions to improve. At around 4pm, the wind died down so it was time for me to go home and make myself a big plate of pasta before going to bed, so I'd be in good shape the next day. Not much time for partying and going out, that's the price...

WJ: You've done a lot of sailing here, what lessons have you learnt from your sessions, but also from the unique windsurfing atmosphere you've been immersed in?
EDC : Riding Hookipa well can't be improvised. My many hours on the water have shown me just how much you need to be comfortable on both sides, whether on the starboard side at Hookipa or the port side at Lanes, to get the best out of the spot. You also need to sail intelligently to get out of the wave at the right time and not get the whole set smacked in the face, ending up in the blocks with a broken mast. Sailing in these conditions is very demanding. You have to be concentrated in the choices you make, without being too tense to sail in a relaxed and creative way! It's quite an art... The atmosphere is really good between the riders, who often come from all over the world. The locals are pretty friendly, as long as you respect the rules. I personally made friends and spent over 2 weeks with a rider from Israel. Windsurfing erases differences... Be careful, Hookipa remains a spot reserved for experienced riders. On the water, everyone takes advantage according to their level and commitment, and it's great! I can't wait to get back out there.