3 questions to Morgan Noireaux

16/04/2024

Second in the Surazo Infernal Chile World Cup in Matanzas, Morgan Noireaux is the winner of this event and takes the lead in the provisional PWA IWT Wave Tour rankings. For Windsurfjournal.com, he talks about the event, and in particular his famous 360 in the wave, which sent the social networks into a frenzy!

Windsurfjournal.com: How did the Chile event go for you, with a fine 2nd place?
Morgan Noireaux: The event went really well. I've been to Chile 5 or 6 times now, the last time was in 2020 and then there was the Covid. It's a place I love, I find the people really endearing, and the conditions are exceptional. Around Matanzas, there are lots of spots with varied conditions. And it's great for surfing, which I also love. As for the competition, it's been a long time since I took part in an event with such positive energy! The riders, the locals and the community around the event were all really happy. It was also a very well-organised team. The local organiser, Felipe Wedeles, and his team at the Surazo hotel did a fantastic job. As far as I'm concerned, it went pretty well. I got off to a slow start in my 1st heat, finishing 2nd behind Jules Denel. I'm not too bothered about that as long as I keep going like that all the way through to the final. As the heats went on, I started to gain confidence. Matanzas is a very special and difficult place. You often see photos and videos of it, but you don't realise how complicated it is. You get the impression that the wave is perfect, that the wind is side offshore, but in reality it's a place that changes a lot with the tides. As for the wind, there are places on the wave where there isn't any, and it also changes direction quite a lot... I've already done a few competitions there, I came here a few days early, and I've got some experience, so all that counts in the end. In the 3rd round, against Robby Swift and Federico Morisio, it wasn't an easy heat, but I found my rhythm and caught some nice waves. That was the heat that gave me a lot of confidence! In the next heat, I met up with Jules Denel again, and I soon had some of the best waves of the series. It wasn't an easy heat either, but it went the way I wanted it to. The next day, for the semi-finals, the waves were much bigger. I went surfing in the morning, and it didn't look like a great day. 2 hours later, we had a mast size and the wind was starting to come in. With those conditions, I told myself that Camille Juban was going to be the man to beat, especially as I was up against him and Marcilio Browne in the semi-final. I knew I needed a good heat to get through. To beat these guys, it has to be clear-cut. I managed to do that, and I also had this really nice 360 in the wave. In the final, I refocused, and I think I sailed well even though I missed the first waves at the start. Camille Juban deserved to win, he had an impeccable choice of waves and sailed them really well, even if I wasn't too far behind!

WJ: And then there's the famous 360 which has been the talk of the town... Can you tell us about it?
MN: I can count 360s on the port side like that on the fingers of one hand! I'd done a similar one in Matanzas a week before. It wasn't as high, but it had the same rotation. I've kept that image in my head and, if I had the chance, I'd have loved to do it again in a heat. That opportunity presented itself in the semi-final, during my 1st wave. I found myself with a bowl of the same shape, and instinct took over. For a 360, timing is the most important thing and as soon as I sent it in, I felt I was going to land it well. I was really surprised and on landing I made a big claim when I should have just kept riding the wave. But I was really happy, and it gave me a lot of confidence for the rest of my heat and even for the final. I've never had a manoeuvre that generated so much buzz! It was really funny and a lot of people sent me messages to congratulate me on it. I got more reactions for that 360 than for my final result!

WJ: 4th in Japan,2nd in Chile, you're now leader of the provisional rankings! Does that put any pressure on you ahead of the next event at Pozo Izquierdo in July?
MN: It's the 1st time I've been in this position. To be world champion this year is my goal and to be in this position is what I wanted, so I'm very happy! I have the feeling that something clicked for me after the double elimination at the Aloha Classic last year. I managed to find a routine before my heats and since then I've been trying to stick to it, just like my way of thinking. I'm sticking to that approach, which helped me a lot for Japan and Chile. For Pozo, I have no pressure, even less pressure than in other years. I know that the spot is difficult and that the best there are a level above me. In lighter conditions, I could have a good chance of going further. But if it comes down to 3.3 or 3.7 with 50 knots and push loops forwards to get to the final, I think it's going to be very complicated for me. I'm going there to progress, and I have my own goals. But to win or to be in the final and remain number 1 in the world, that's not very realistic. After Pozo, there are events that I'm very confident about. There will be 4 events at the end of the year, and I've already got 2 great results and 2 or 3 stages where I can get a good result. Pozo will be about training, doing my best and learning new things. No stress, I'm going to enjoy myself and, who knows, surprise myself!