The French windsurfer Jean-Mat de Ridder sent us a nice video from a winter trip to Fuerteventura’s North Shore. The 30 year-old windsurfer, who just won the French wave event “Wave Challenge”, actually started with freestyle windsurfing. He learnt windsurfing on a lake in south western France and did freestyle windsurfing for almost 15 years. In 2010 he decided to move from Fécamp in the Normandy to Ile d’Oleron together with his girlfriend because of the nice windsurfing conditions and the chance to windsurf more in waves. “The island is a very versatile place. Perhaps not the best one, but if you don’t care about driving around a bit you will often make it on the water. I actually compete at National events and just won the Wave Challenge at Ragounite nearby Jard-sur-Mer in France in front of Yann Sorlut and Benoit Devinat. I sometimes sailed there in free sessions and that helped me during the competition,” Jean-Mat de Ridder told us.

Jean-Mat de Ridder is a good example, that it’s possible to transform freestyle skills into the waves. Someone, who knows how to do a Flaka has an advantage sliding through Takas for instance. Last December he decided to leave his island to ride some waves at Fuerteventura’s North Shore. 

 

Jean-Mat de Ridder at Majanicho, Fuerteventura

 

“I spent a great time on Fuerteventura with my girlfriend Carole and my brother Emilien de Ridder at Majanicho and we were lucky with the wind conditions. The south easterly wind was there for almost a week and the swell, too. The wind wasn’t stronger than 15 knots, but I enjoyed the conditions on my Quad 76 and a 4,5m. I don’t need to be a performer to have a lot of pleasure. Surfing is fun whatever the level of the surfer or the size of the wave!” Jean-Mat de Ridder

 

Jean-Mat de Ridder winning the Wave Challenge 2015

filmed by: Stephane Debuire (stefvideo.com)

 

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