Tristan Algret, the interview

10/04/2025

The PWA World Tour Foil Slalom season kicks off in Guadeloupe from 22 to 26 April with the Riviera Guadeloupe Windsurf World Cup. Behind this new event is Tristan Algret, who has long competed on the world circuit. Speaking to Windsurfjournal.com, he talks about the event and what's at stake...

Windsurfjournal.com: First of all, can you tell us a bit about yourself? You've obviously stopped competing at the highest level to devote yourself to other activities in Guadeloupe...?
Tristan Algret: Yes, I've decided to stop at the end of the 2021 season after 10 years on the PWA World Tour, to concentrate on my family (I've got two children now) and follow the great project to take over the Sainte-Anne water sports centre by ANASA (Aventure Nautique de Sainte-Anne) in Guadeloupe. Our paths crossed in 2020 and, for the first time, there was a project that made sense in social, cultural, economic and sporting terms. It was a large-scale project with a team that was fully committed to the values and vision that I wanted to develop in Guadeloupe. As someone who was born in Guadeloupe, grew up on the island and has seen the yachting industry evolve over the past 30 years, I felt it was time to get more involved and try to rebuild something strong on the island.

WJ: So now you're on the other side as organiser of the Riviera Guadeloupe Windsurf World Cup. How did this project come about?
TA: It's quite nice to be on the other side because there's this feeling of being useful by helping to build something both for the pro riders and for Guadeloupe. The idea has been there since I started the World Cup in 2011, when I said to myself that it would be cool to have all my friends in Guadeloupe so that they could discover the beauty of the place and make it one of the world's must-see spots. The ANASA team and especially its president Carl Chipotel (a former windsurfer) had faith in me and shared the same vision of developing the region around water sports activities. So as part of a global strategy, we needed to position a strong event to promote Guadeloupe, and we decided on the PWA for the international aspect.

WJ: 37 years later, Guadeloupe is once again hosting a major windsurfing event. Why the Gosier venue when the last PWA event took place in St-François?
TA: Unfortunately I didn't live through that period, but the story is quite funny because it was there that Björn Dunkerbeck beat Robby Naish for the first time... Börn reminds me of that quite often when we meet! We all know the rest of the story of this legend, and it started here! Over time, the places have changed and, for logistical reasons, the idea was to have all the organisation in one place, in a hotel and preferably in a central location on the island. So we decided to hold the event in Gosier in partnership with the Zenitude Salako hotel, which was introduced by Roger De Lacase (also a well-known former windsurfer), who is also contributing to the event.

WJ: Organising a PWA World Tour event is no mean feat... What are the main difficulties you have to deal with before the event is officially on the calendar?
TA: To be honest, we're lucky to have partners who quickly believed in the project and share the same vision of development. The work and credibility built up by the ANASA club over the last few years, particularly around traditional sailing, means that we are much more audible and convincing with public and private partners. The project took just 5–6 months to complete, which is relatively short, as we had to get the budget together quickly and deal with a tense economic climate. As for the rest, we're lucky to have partners and service providers who are really on board.

WJ: It's a spot you know well, what are its special features and what kind of spectacle can you expect?
TA: It's a very easy spot, the conditions are very often mild, with mainly big equipment sailing, so we find ourselves in dream conditions, sailing in swimming shorts under the sun. The advantage of the spot is that it's so close to the public, so the spectacle will be extra special. The buoys can be moored 15 metres from the shore and give the impression of being right in the middle of the race. I think it will look great from the beach and on the livestream.

WJ: Behind the purely sporting aspect, what are the stakes for Guadeloupe, which is hosting this event?
TA: The stakes are high. We're trying to position Guadeloupe as a surfing destination that's accessible to everyone. We want to create an appeal for the region around water sports, so as to develop a medium- and long-term tourist economy. Obviously, a lot of work has already been done and still needs to be done by the clubs in Guadeloupe to develop their offers, but we can already welcome people. The idea is to go further and really develop in order to create jobs and training by creating a viable and sustainable economic and social model. Guadeloupe has assets that others don't have in terms of culture, gastronomy, diversity of landscapes... We're going to be looking to capitalise on all that too.