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By recently winning the Aloha Classic, Morgan Noireaux has returned to victory eight years after his last crown at Hookipa. A waverider who has reinvented himself and stepped out of his comfort zone in Maui, he talks to Windsurfjournal.com about this fantastic first place, which puts him on a par with Robby Naish in terms of the number of editions won!
Windsurfjournal.com: Morgan, congratulations on your fourth Aloha Classic title! After several years without a win at Hookipa, what does this first place mean to you?
Morgan Noireaux: Thank you very much. It has been several years now. The last time I won was in 2017, so it's been eight years now. And we've had five Aloha Classics in the meantime. For me, it represents a lot of time in the water, a lot of work and a lot of defeats too. Because in those eight years, I lost quite a few times. I struggled to reach the final. I made it to the quarter-finals and, in recent years, I made it to the semi-finals. And I think that's what really motivated me. I'm also quite proud of the fact that I had some pretty tough semi-finals and finals. I got off to a bad start in both heats. And the fact that I still managed to come back in the end, that's what makes me happiest, I think, that I managed to come back from the dead ends I found myself in. And yeah, I'm really happy.
WJ: We felt that you were particularly on form during the final, with powerful and very committed manoeuvres. Can you tell us about your technical and mental approach during that last heat?
MN: It's funny how things can be perceived differently from the beach compared to on the water. Because in the final, I really didn't feel like I had started well. In my head, I told myself before the final, Morgan, you're either going to win or you're going to come fourth, but you're going to give it your all. And in fact, at the start of the heat, I couldn't find any waves. Robby Swift and I were completely out of sync with the ocean. Meanwhile, I could see Marcilio Browne and especially Bernd Roediger catching all the good waves. After a while, I said to myself, Morgan, even if you're not catching the biggest waves, you're not going to win without surfing. And I managed to catch a wave with a turn and a big aerial. I wasn't sure how it would score, but I knew I had at least one decent wave. Then I started trying manoeuvres on slightly smaller waves. I fell several times. And then, at the end, I still managed to get that wave with a 360 and the aerial, which was enough for me. But for me, it was just a matter of telling myself, Morgan, you only need two waves. And you only need two waves to win the competition. And that's what I kept telling myself right up until the end. And it's true that in the end, that's what it took. I didn't know what the others had done. Even with the good wave at the end, I didn't think I had won. I thought to myself that I had come second or third. But I'm really happy that in the end, it was enough.
WJ: Your frontside 360 followed by an aerial marked a turning point in the final. Was that a manoeuvre you had planned or an instinctive reaction to the conditions at the time?
MN: Yes, that wave with the 360 and the aerial really came at the right time. I needed it. I knew I hadn't scored incredibly well up to that point. And I think I try to let the waves decide for me what I'm going to do. But it's true that in the back of my mind, I was thinking, I'd like to find a wave with a good section for a 360. And when I caught it, I saw that it had the potential for that. I was on a 5.0, though, and it's true that I was a bit overpowered on the wave. Normally, if I'd been on a 4.7, I think I would have done a slightly better 360. But anyway, I managed it, I landed right at the top of the wave. And in the end, it was good because it allowed me to get where I needed to be to do the aerial. And yes, I was really happy. I did a big claim and everything. It wasn't that I thought I had won, but it was just after a final that had been quite frustrating for me up to that point. I was just happy to have a wave where I thought, well, that's cool, I've got a good score, and at least I'm in the final. I'm in it and I'm giving myself a little chance.
WJ: After two frustrating semi-finals in 2023 and 2024, how did you manage to turn that disappointment into motivation to get back to the top?
MN: Yes, finishing fifth in the last two years was really frustrating for me. I was so close to making it to the final and I didn't make it. But I turned that frustration into motivation for this event. Once again, I found myself in the semi-finals and I was really struggling. I had spent three quarters of the heat without really catching a good wave. I knew I had a good chance, that I was last in the heat. And watching the live feed afterwards, sure enough, I was last. I remember being out on the water and saying to myself, Morgan, I refuse to lose and come fifth again. So find a solution, do something. And that's when I managed to catch two waves, in two minutes I think. And I got two big scores. And I think that was the heat where I got the highest score of the competition. And that was a really great moment for me. And I think it gave me a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence for the final. So yes, I was happy. It was a good moment.
WJ: By winning this title, you join a very exclusive club alongside legends such as Robby Naish, also a four-time winner of the Aloha Classic. What does this comparison mean to you?
MN: Yes, it's pretty crazy to find myself alongside Robby Naish as the only two people to have won four Aloha Classics. He has had such an exceptional career and is truly a legend of the sport. It's really incredible. But for me, it gives me a lot of motivation to try and win more than four. I'd love to be the only one with five or six. And I think that for the next few years, that's really my goal, to have more than four Aloha Classic wins. I'd really love to have five and eventually more. But getting a fifth is really one of my biggest goals right now. Knowing that I'm tied with Robby Naish, if I could beat him in at least one thing, it would be truly incredible.
WJ: The victory also had an impact on the world title, giving Marc Paré his first world championship crown. Were you aware of this at stake during the final?
MN: Yes, I was aware of what was happening with the world title. It's true that in the end, it was pretty straightforward. I think everyone knew that even before the competition. For Marcilio Browne, in fact, his only path to victory was to win the Aloha Classic. So I think because of that, I was more on Marc Paré's side. Because my goal was to win the competition too. And if I wanted to win it, I was going to have to beat Marcilio Browne. And that's what ended up happening. But hey, it was fun to play a small part in it. And I'm really happy for Marc. He really deserves it.
WJ: After more than ten years at the highest level, how do you see your evolution as a competitor and rider?
MN: I think clearly the biggest evolution I've had over the last ten years is my level in all conditions outside of Maui. When I was 19-20, the first two years I won the Aloha Classic, I only really knew how to sail well on starboard tack, which was side or side-off. And over the last ten years, I've spent a lot of time trying to improve on port tack onshore, port tack offshore, even starboard tack onshore. And I think I've succeeded. I think I've reached a pretty respectable level pretty much everywhere. Even in conditions where I still struggle a bit, like at Pozo Izquierdo, I can still do nice double loops now, I can do pretty much all the jumps. I'm not at Philip Köster's level, but that's what makes it really interesting for me, this progression. And always having things to learn and always trying to aim higher. And it's true that I hope to be able to continue doing this for as long as possible because that's what I really love.
Source: Morgan Noireaux
Photos: Fish Bowl Diaries
