Marie-Thérèse CASIMIRIUS

L
EDITORIA
Major
sporting events play an important part in the policies put in place in Martinique. They encourage our sportsmen to push hard
gaining the support of local people, as sport is good training for life, both in terms of individual attainment and team effort.
Thanks to its rules, the enjoyment and results, where you have to respect others, playing sports also offers us a way to stay in good health.
Sport brings together people from every generation in the area of tourism, which is positive for the local population and our visitors, but it
also strengthens our attachment to sport, as an economic asset, which involves many different sectors, including the hospitality and restaurant sectors, event organisers and the audiovisual sectors.
Martinique
will for the first time be hosting a professional leg in the world surf circuit in April. The event will be held in the town of
Basse-Pointe.
The only Caribbean
leg in this circuit, this event will be an opportunity to welcome to our country around a hundred top class competitors from
Car
around the w
world.
The regional
regiona authority, which aims to make the most of Martinique’s natural resources, is also committed to strengthening the marine sector to
encourage the island’s economic development and tourism.
Host to many
boating events and partner to many nautical activities, it is only natural that the Region joins in with Martinique Surfing and the local
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council in Basse-Pointe to organise the MARTINIQUE SURF PRO and therefore host the world surf championship.
We can be sure that this top class international sporting event will contribute to promoting Martinique throughout the Caribbean and indeed
around the world.
This year Basse-Pointe will be hosting for the first time in Martinique a leg of the international professional surf championship and working
alongside the Martinique Surfing association offering their support to this event, which helps strengthen the development of nautical activities.
This event also fits in with the desire of the regional authorities to promote nautical sports, and to promote the assets of Martinique.
The quality of the waves along our shore encourages young people to make the most of this environment which is so important for our future,
the ocean, as the author Aimé Césaire described it in his work, “Moi Laminaire.”
I would like a real nautical policy to be set up in order to plan and develop measures to make the most of these activities.
We have also established a policy to equip the sea centre, so that from their earliest childhood, our local youngsters fully understand the sea.
This solid, strong partnership built over the past few months with Martinique Surfing is a requirement in ensuring the success of our joint ambitions.
I would like to see this continue along the same lines with continuing enthusiasm and with such positive results, to allow as many amateurs as
possible from our town to become involved and in so doing open up a wide range of possibilities for our youngsters.
May the best man win!
Good luck to everyone. Martinique is pleased to see you here.
Serge LETCHIMY,
President of the Martinique Regional Council
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Marie-Thérèse CASIMIRIUS,
Mayor of the Town of Basse-Pointe
4th Vice President for the Region
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A new event in the Caribbean
In spite of offering such huge potential,
never before has Martinique hosted an
international, professional surf competition.
That is about to change as the MARTINIQUE
SURF PRO will take place from 21st to 26th
April 2015 in the Basse-Pointe spot, which
is well known for its very powerful and long
waves. This event, organised in partnership
with the WSL (World Surf League - ex.ASP),
will be the only Caribbean leg in the Qualification Series (QS), a circuit that enables
surfers to gain experience and points (3000
to be won in Martinique). The aim in the
end is to become one of the top ten in the
qualification series and therefore compete
in competitions involving the world’s top 34
competitors. With the goal of becoming a
regular event, the MARTINIQUE SURF PRO is
scheduled to take place every year for at
least the next four years.
A sporting event
Already in 2015, some of the best surfers
from Europe, the USA, the Caribbean, Asia,
Africa and the Pacific will be attending. The
event aims to be truly international and
the line-up reflects this idea. No fewer than
112 competitors will be competing for five
days, for the pleasure of all the spectators.
Out on the water, youngsters and the most
promising newcomers will be joining some
surfers who may well be joining the elite in
the Championship Tour at the end of the
season. So the standard is certainly going
to be very high on the waves around BassePointe.
A global event
To attract a wider public than just amateur
surfers, the organisers are setting up a special activity village with shops, restaurants
and access to various fun events. A music
stage will be set up at the heart of the event
offering free concerts to the public. The official opening night on 18th April looks like
being particularly festive. Throughout the
competition, a DJ will be accompanying
the competitors as they perform. The MARTINIQUE SURF PRO aims to be an eco-friendly
event and special events will be organised
to achieve that. Thanks to a lot of media
attention – regional, national and international – the event aims to contribute to the
development of Martinique (in terms of
its economy, tourism and community). In
particular, by showing that the
island is an ideal destination for
surfers but also for other people,
who enjoy competing in sea
sports and discovering nature.
A professionally run event
If Martinique is clearly able today to
host such a major event, it is thanks
to the enthusiasm and experience
of the organiser, Martinique Surfing
(ex MSS Team). Since it was created
in 2009, this association has had two
major goals: to develop the sport in
Martinique and to attract surfers to the
island. Martinique Surfing regularly organises surf competitions on the island. It
also sets up community projects. Since
the start of 2010, it has for example been
working alongside other associations in
the area of social inclusion by offering
surfing to youngsters of various ages and
backgrounds. All these experiences mean
that today Martinique Surfing is able to set
up an innovative and popular sporting
event, the MARTINIQUE SURF PRO.
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What are the main goals of Martinique Surfing?
“Developing surfing and making the most of the potential of the waves
around Martinique. Today, we have five full time staff in our team, but
also around fifty volunteers and supporters.”
What concrete measures have you put in place to attain
these goals?
“Martinique Surfing is a surf club, which works with those, who enjoy
the sport, newcomers and those, who wish to improve their skills, as
well as preparing competitors (mental coaching, physical and technical training). Since 2009, we have also set up “Surf Social”, a club,
which allows people (of all ages and in particular youngsters) to make
the most of what surfing can offer. We work in conjunction with major
bodies working on integration and reinsertion on Martinique, and today around 400 young people benefit from this activity each year.
Martinique Surfing has also set up a programme of sporting events
with the backing of the relevant authorities and this now includes an
international event, the MARTINIQUE SURF PRO. To conclude, digital
communication tools enable us to promote surfing in Martinique and
more generally around the Caribbean. So far, we have made around
thirty surfing videos concerning Martinique, and thousands of photos.
We are the leader in the digital sector in this region.”
What gave you the idea of organising the Martinique
Surf Pro, the first international event to take place on
the island?
“Since its launch in 2009, Martinique Surfing has been involved in developing surfing on Martinique thanks to many friendly competitions and
official events that we have set up. These have brought together the
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whole community of extreme sports fans. And
we have developed events which are popular
with the general public, as they include a nice
mixture of sport, culture, art and music, which
the locals and those from abroad appreciate.
In 2014, the World Surf League (WSL) contacted
us about an international competition, which is
an extension of our project. We were only too
happy to take up the challenge and defend
the colours of Martinique.”
landscape and you feel a certain amount of
energy here.”
How can people follow
this event?
Do you want the Martinique Surf
Pro to become a permanent event on
the calendar?
“There will be a lot of media coverage
of this event. A wide-ranging communication strategy has been set up. You
can see us on:
“Historically, Martinique is one of the rare locations along with Hawaii and Polynesia, where
surfing has been a traditional activity, Bwa Flo,
which was handed down through generations
of American Indians (from the first Century).
Basse-Pointe and Grand-Rivière have always
been known as places where this traditional
sport has taken place, but they are also famous
for their powerful breakers. The site at Chaudron
in Basse-pointe offers powerful right-handers,
which sometimes break up to 500 metres on
the best days. It is also very consistent and exposed to the prevailing easterly swell, while also
influenced by the accompanying northerly flow
that we often find in this region. Basse-Pointe
is an exceptional location with a magnificent
ternational surf competition, but also a musical,
artistic and cultural experience with a lot of special events taking place from 21st to 26th April.
We expect a lot of support from the local population, from the neighbouring islands, but from
beyond as well. We are regularly contacted
by people from a long way away (Canada,
USA, France…) who are planning on coming
here for the competition. That is a good thing,
as the Martinique Surf Pro aims to contribute to
the development of Martinique and the Caribbean (economic, tourism, social policy). We
are expecting to see growth in extreme sports
throughout the North Atlantic area, as there are
so many places offering a huge potential.”
“Yes. We have signed up for three years with the
World Surf League to host this competition with a
fourth year as an option.”
Why is it so important to put on an
Why did you choose the site at Basse- international event?
Pointe for this competition?
“The idea here is to offer the public, not just an in-
• TV thanks to live broadcasts on the SURF
+ channel run by the CANAL + Overseas
Group (official media partner) and shown
by the local partner ATV.
• Radio with Trace FM as our radio partner.
• On all the different digital networks, including the official Martinique Surf Pro facebook
page, Youtube and Twitter.
• MARTINIQUE SURF PRO is an event within the
World Surf League and benefits from all the media power of the group (120 million users, 530
media partners...).”
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ON THE INTERNATIONAL
LEVEL, THE WSL RUNS
FIVE PRO TOURS:
• QS 6000 : 6000 points (150 000$)
THE WSL,
THE INTERNATIONAL PRO
SURF LEAGUE
Professional surfing has only relatively recently set up a structure, as it
was in 1976 that a competitive circuit was established with the world
championship title awarded at the end of the season.
At that time the official governing body was the IPS (International Professional Surfers). In 1983, the IPS became the ASP (Association of
Surfing Professionals). It was only very recently in early 2015, that the
association once again changed its name to become the WSL (World Surf League).
The WSL has kept the geographical layout used by the ASP, with the
world divided into 7 regions: North America, South America, Europe,
Africa, Japan, Hawaii and Australasia. The international headquarters
of the WSL is located in Santa Monica in California, and there are
regional offices in each of the seven regions. For Europe, it is based in
Hossegor, in SW France.
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• QS 10 000 :
10 000 points (250 000$ of prize money)
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Championship Tour
(WCT)
This circuit brings together the cream of the crop,
in other words the top 34 surfers from around the
world and the top 17 female surfers. They compete in eleven events (9 for the women) spread
around the world (Australia, Fiji, South Africa, Polynesia, United States, France, Portugal, Hawaii).
The World Surf League
Qualification Series
(QS)
As we might have guessed, you have to work
hard to make it to the Championship Tour. If you
wish to join this elite group, competitors have to
take part in qualifying events in the Qualification
Series circuit. The MARTINIQUE SURF PRO is part
of this circuit. At the end of the season, the top
ten in the QS join the 34 top surfers from around
the world. Throughout the year, they compete
in qualifiers and attempt to gain a maximum
number of points. The QS events are ranked in
five categories, based on the number of points
awarded to the winner:
• QS 3000 : 3000 points (100 000$).
The MARTINIQUE SURF PRO
is a QS 3000 event.
• QS 1500 : 1500 points (50 000$)
• QS 1000 : 1000 points
(from 10,000 to 30,000$: the prize money
can vary from one region to another
in the QS 1000 events)
A QS 3000 event, the new date on the calendar
in Martinique is therefore at the middle level, in
the third most highly ranked category in the qualifying circuit after the QS 10000 and 6000, and
ahead of the QS 1500 and 1000. The event is
therefore relatively important. The winner will take
3000 points, which is far from being insignificant.
It could well make all the difference at the end
of the season for those wishing to enter the
Championship Tour…
The Junior Qualifying Series
(JQS)
Reserved for those under the age of
20, this circuit brings together the most
promising youngsters. Many events take
place throughout the year. At the end
of each season, the top six boys and
the top two girls from their region qualify
for the Juinor World Championship, a major event, which sees the world champion
crowned.
The Longboard Qualifying Series
(LQS)
This works along the same lies as the junior circuit
with a major world final at the end of the year.
The Big Wave World Tour
(BWWT)
The big wave world championship is divided into
two half-seasons: the first in the Southern Hemisphere with three events and the second in the
Northern Hemisphere with three other events.
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The Martinique Surf Pro is full up and brimming over... No fewer than 121 surfers from all four
corners of the Earth have confirmed that they intend to take part in this new event in Martinique.
The race organisers opted for a competition format with 112 entrants, so there will be a waiting list for
those wishing to compete in the only Caribbean leg of the Qualification Series in 2015. Bringing together such an
incredible line-up for a maiden edition is quite an achievement. In theory, any surfer with a membership card,
who pays the registration fee, can compete in a QS 3000 event like the Martinique Surf Pro. But in reality, all of
those registered are excellent surfers. Among those registered for this new event in Martinique, there are many
competitors from Europe, North America and South America, in addition to competitors from Asia, Africa and
from around the Pacific, making this a truly international line-up.
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CONFIRMED TALENT
AND FUTURE CHAMPIONS
From the Caribbean, we shall of course be
seeing some local surfers from Martinique (Jerry
Schaefer, Louca Jourdan, Adam Auffay) but
also some from Guadeloupe (Timothée Bisso,
Gatien Delahaye, Enzo Cavallini) as well as from
Barbados and St. Martin. The level promises to
be very high with top performers such as the
Brazilian, Ian Gouveia and the American, Evan
Geiselman, respectively sixth and tenth in the
QS at the moment, who are capable of making it to the Top Ten in the qualifying circuit by
the end of the season. Such a performance
would allow them to join the 2016 World Championship Tour (WCT), the premier division bringing together the top 34 from around the world. Other competitors, not yet ranked so highly
are indeed also capable of joining the elite
next year. They will be taking advantage of the
MARTINIQUE SURF PRO to bounce back to climb
to the top of the QS. The winner in Martinique
will be awarded 3000 points, a score, which
could make all the difference at the end of the
year… We shall be keeping a close eye on the
American, Michael Dunphy, 27th in the QS last
year, who almost made it to the WCT in 2015.
Among the other top names, we should mention the South African, Beyrick De Vries (42nd in
the QS in 2014), the Brazilian, Lucas Silveira, the
Americans, Luke Davis and Cory Arrambide, the
Australian, Cooper Chapman, from Hawaii Kiron
Jabour, from Tahiti Steven Pierson, from Japan
Hiroto Araiand and finally from Spain, Vicente
Romero... Some of the world’s leading youngsters are also attending, such as the American,
Kanoa Igarashi (18) and the Hawaiian, Joshua
Moniz (19). Some young European competitors
will also be present including the French surfer,
Tom Cloarec (20).
MANY POTENTIAL WINNERS
This list of names is far from complete and
there are no clear favourites for the MARTINIQUE
SURF PRO. Among those registered, 52 were
in the top 200 in the QS last year. They are all
excellent performers and many others are also
capable of getting a brilliant result. The fact that
each competitor is more or less at ease depending on the type of wave only adds to the
uncertainty concerning the name of the potential winner. So the suspense is guaranteed.
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THE EVENT SCHEDULE
In the competition format with 112 competitors,
32 will directly qualify for the third round: the top
28 in the Qualification Series, as well as four taking advantage of Wild Cards (invitations from
the organisers and the WSL). The first round brings
together 32 surfers, the second 64 and the third
also 64.
For this third round, which will see the top surfers
entering the ring, the competition is split into 16
pools each with 4 competitors. In each series, the
four will do battle against each other during a set
time. As soon as a competitor rides a wave, the
five judges award them a score on a scale of
one to ten (with ten being the perfect score).
To get a good score, a surfer has to show his
ability to succeed using the following criteria:
• Commitment and degree of difficulty,
• Innovative and progressive manoeuvres,
• Combination of major manoeuvres,
• Variety of manoeuvres,
• Speed, power and flow.
For every scoring ride, the highest and lowest
scores (of the five judges) are discounted and the
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surfer receives the average of the remaining three
scores. The two best scoring waves (each out of
a possible 10) are added together to become a
surfer’s heat total (out of a possible 20). In each
pool, the top two surfers with the highest scores
will qualify for the next round. From the quarter
finals onwards, it shifts to duels. One surfer will be
eliminated and the other qualifies, right up to the
overall final, which will determine the name of the
very first winner of the MARTINIQUE SURF PRO…
THE RULES THAT NEED
TO BE RESPECTED DURING
THE COMPETITION
In the pools of four surfers, the surfer with priority
has the right to catch any wave they choose.
In the duelling format, priority is decided by
the judges. When the surfer with priority has
paddled to a wave, priority then goes to the second surfer, until he does the same. While he is
waiting, a surfer without priority can nevertheless
continue to paddle and catch waves, as long
as he doesn’t interfere with the surfer with priority.
LIST OF
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COM
Al
Aliotti
William France
Anwar Oney Indonesia
An
Arai Hiroto Japan
Ar
Arrambide Cory USA
Ar
Ash Reubyn Great Britain
As
Auffay Adam France (Martinique)
Au
Ballerin Nanook France (Saint Barthélemy)
Ba
Barletta Caina Britto Brazil
Ba
Batista Halley Brazil
Ba
Bellorin Francisco Venezuela
Be
Bisso Timothee Groenland
Bi
Boyer Titouan Morocco
Bo
Burke Joshua Alan Barbados
Bu
Camarão Thiago Brazil
C
Cavallini Enzo Hugo France (Guadeloupe)
C
Cazimero Kekoa Hawaii
C
Chagas Phillippe Brazil
C
Chalonec Nicolas France (Martinique)
C
Chapman Cooper Australia
C
Clark Taylor USA
C
Cloarec Nelson France
C
Cloarec Tom France
C
Colapinto Griffin USA
C
Collazo Picabea Hodei Spain
C
Couzinet Jorgann Jorgann France (Réunion)
C
16
Crane Ian USA
Criere Andy France
Curran Nathaniel USA
Davis Jake USA
Davis Luke USA
De Almeida Weslley Everton Domingos Brazil
De Vries Beyrick Joop Thulani South Africa
Delahaye Gatien France (Guadeloupe)
Delgado Ricardo Porto Rico
Distinguin Paul Cesar France
Donato Alan Brazil
Dora Yago Abbas Brazil
Dorman Nate D USA
Dos Santos Victor Bernardo Francisco Brazil
Doumenjou Thomas France
Dunphy Michael USA
Egiguren Ethan Aizpurua Spain
Egiguren Julen Spain
Etienne Leo France (Guadeloupe)
February Michael South Africa
Felipe Luel Brazil
Fillingim Anthony Costa Rica
Foster Chris Hawaii
Frolich Christoffer Michael South Africa
Galvão Renato Brazil
Garland Kilian Gray USA
Geiselman Evan USA
Gentil Ian Hawaii
Giorgi Marco Uruguay
Goodale Dylan Hawaii
Gouveia Ian Brazil
Guilbaud Tristan France
Guimaraes Thiago Brazil
Halstead Jake USA
Hdez Nic USA
Herrera Alberto Muños Costa Rica
Hewitt Matt‐Lewis New Zealand
Hing Kai Alan Australia
Hynd Luke Australia
Igarashi Kanoa USA
Inaba Reo Japan
Jabour Kiron Hawaii
Jaquias Kaimana Hawaii
Jourdan Louca France (Martinique)
Kawamura Kaisa Japan
King Tomas Costa Rica
Kurtz Oliver USA
Laine‐Toner Myles Ingham USA
Lau Ezekiel Kekoa Hawaii
Leite Wesley Brazil
Lightfoot Dylan South Africa
Mackie Bruce USA
MacKie Dane Nicholas Barbados
Maffini Joao Marco Hawaii
Marshall Jake USA
McNamara Landon Hawaii
McNamara Makai Hawaii
Moniz Joshua Hawaii
Moura Paulo Brazil
Napeahi Ulualoha Jimmy Hawaii
Navarro Matheus Brazil
Noris Johnny Joseph USA
Oliveira Kona Cesar Hawaii
Passaquindici Matt Robert USA
Peters Derek USA
Pierson Steven France (Polynésie Française)
Prestwich Slade South Africa
Prunier Vehiatua France (Polynésie Française)
Quivront Charles Yannick France
Richards Cam Louis USA
Robinson Cody Tiger Australia
Rodrigues Tales Araujo Brazil
Romero Vicente Spain
Salazar Mitchell Mexico
Saldivar Alvarez‐Calderon Lucca Peru
Schaefer Jerry France (Martinique)
Schulz Kevin USA
Schweizer Noah USA
Selman Garcia Manuel P Chile
Shepardson Luke Hawaii
Silveira Lucas Brazil
Stack Balaram USA
Staples Dale South Africa
Stewart Eala Hawaii
Szekely Jacob Mario USA
Teixeira Rafael Brazil
Todd Brandon Olin USA
Toth Brian Porto Rico
Toyon Adrien France
Tudela Miguel Peru
Tudela Tomas Peru
Usuna Leandro Argentina
Vargas Jerônimo José Teixeira Brazil
Ward Colt USA
Wood Luan Brazil
Wright Michael James Australia
Yeregi Imanol Spain
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Basse
-Pointe, which is set to host the first edition of the MARTINIQUE SURF
PRO is not the only top class surfing spot in Martinique (see below). Far from it. There are many possibilities to enjoy the surf here and the season
stretches out from November to May. In plenty of sunshine, with the sea temperature varying from 23 to 29 °C, a wet suit is an option, as a bathing costume is
generally enough, with maybe some lycra, to protect you more from the sun than
the cold. As for the number of visitors, the sites in Martinique are still very quiet and
you don’t have to fight your way through to catch a wave. This is very different from
beaches in SW France… The most popular sites can be found on the Atlantic
coast, in particular on the Caravelle Peninsula (Pelle à Tarte, Anse Bonneville, Anse
l’étang, Entre Deux, Cocoa). Further North, you may wish to go for Sainte-Marie,
l’Anse-Charpentier, Basse-Pointe of course, but also Grand Rivière – among others,
while in the South, go for the area around Sainte-Anne (Les Salines, Anse Trabaud).
At sea, ashore and the great outdoors
Thanks to the wide range of surfing locations, Martinique offers all the different
associated sports such as longboard, Stand Up Paddle, bodyboard, skimboard
(which involves surfing after running from the beach with a small board). Those
who enjoy other extreme sports can find what they are looking for too. From November to March, the easterly trade winds are sufficiently strong to allow kitesurfers
and windsurfers to enjoy themselves. You can also discover much more of the
island of Martinique by hopping onto a yacht or onto one of the famous traditional
yoles. The island is also well known for its wide range of diving locations, and also
for the opportunity to go rafting. There are just so many outdoor sports to choose
from. There is a wide variety of landscapes. In the south, you can enjoy the long
sandy beaches, while in the north, with the mountains, you can go hiking or trekking to discover the dense, unspoilt tropical forests.
THE EVENT LOCATION: BASSE-POINTE
Basse-Pointe, one of the longest
waves in Martinique
The site at Basse-Pointe, exposed to the prevailing swell, was not chosen by chance. It offers
magnificent right-hander waves (waves breaking towards the right for the surfer), which can
be very powerful and are especially long. Breaking over a stretch sometimes in excess of 200
metres, these excellent surfing waves enable
the competitors to express their talent fully allowing the spectators to enjoy a fabulous sight.
Moreover, the setting itself is powerful and seems
to bathe in a unique form of energy.
Wild and natural, the site surrounded by cliffs
and rocks is very different from what you might
expect to find in the French West Indies, but that
is what gives it its special charm. Depending on
the height of the swell and the light, you can
enjoy all sorts of subtleties in an ever-changing
atmosphere. Basse-pointe is also one of the two
places in Martinique (along with Grand-rivière,
the most northerly town on the island) where you
can still find what the locals refer to as “Bwa flo”,
tree trunks that are hollowed out and used by
fishermen to surf the waves, which just goes to
show how far back the history of the
sport goes in this region. A very quiet
town, Basse-Pointe deserves to be better known. That is why the MARTINIQUE
SURF PRO will be based here from 21st to
26th April. At that time of year, the easterly
trade winds are less powerful and do not
disturb the waves, which become glassy
and perfectly smooth.
S
U
O
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20
Before
the surfers, make way for the singer. At the Domaine Saint Aubin, a
fine hotel in la Trinité on the way to St. Marie, that the first MARTINIQUE
SURF PRO will officially begin. For this opening gala, the organisers have called upon
the services of Eric Pédurand, a local artist from Guadeloupe, who at the age of 29
is already famous. This singer, who performs in the Urban World style, mixes ethnic
elements with soul muisic, Gwoka, jazz and reggae. “My music is universal, while
rooted in my origins,” explained Erik. “I enjoy using various influences, which comprise
the Creole identity, a special mixture of music that can be understood by everyone”.
His first album, Chayé Kow, released in 2008, was a precursor of what has become
known as the “new creole music”. He found success and the singer released his
second major work in 2013, Ecole Créole. Thanks to the popularity of his records in
the West Indies and beyond, Erik Pédurand has been on the most famous stages. In
Paris, he sold out the Cigale, the New Morning and the Scène Bastille. He also performed at the Lakasa concert in Guadeloupe and the Atrium in Martinique, as well as
at the Fort-de-France cultural festival in 2014. Among his other performances there
was an international tour (Europe, America, Africa) as the opener for the group from
Guadeloupe, Kassav. Today, Erik Pédurand lives in the United States in Washington,
where he explores other horizons and has composed a third album.
“Proud to be part of the Martinique Surf Pro.”
Erik Pédurand did not need to hesitate for a second, when he was invited to sing
with his musicians at the opening night of the MARTINIQUE SURF PRO. “I was keen to
accept, as this event matches my music. It is cosmopolitan and international,” he
stressed. “It will be an immense pleasure to play in front of spectators from so many
different countries. I am proud to be part of this event.” The festivities will continue
after Erik Pédurand has performed. During this opening night, the organisers have also
invited DJ Antoine Flecher (Electro/house) who will be accompanied for this event by
DJ DREAM, a young DJ influenced by the rhythms of the Caribbean.
E
RAMM
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PROG NING NIGH
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FOR T RTINIQUE S APRIL
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18TH
OF TH ATURDAY
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G
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COM
DIRECTORS
IN CHARGE
OF LOGISTICS
CTWO AGENCY
DIAGONAL AGENCY
NICOLAS CLEMENTE
NICOLAS URSULET
Event manager
Overall Management
MARKETING
COMMUNICATION
INTERNET DEVELOPMENT
LOU CHABAGNE
JOHANA MACABRE
MATHÉO VALERE
MAEVA TOLOME
LE FIL MARKETING AGENCY
22
PRESS RELATIONS
COMMUNICATIONS
MER ET MEDIA AGENCY
R
O
F
S
R
PARTNE
T
N
E
V
E
E
TH
Institutional partners
Private partners
Media partners
24
LES
S
E
R
I
A
N
E
PART
Private partners
Media partners
Institutional partners
«The Crédit Mutuel Antilles Guyane with the Martinique Surf Pro. A bank, which supports sport
and is committed to helping local initiatives. Around a hundred competitors are expected to
attend this sporting, cultural and musical event at a magical location on Martinique. Deeply
involved in community programmes, music and sport and sharing the same values (getting
together with people, being close to them, showing commitment and contributing to local
development) the Crédit Mutuel Antilles Guyane and the Martinique Surfing and Sailing Team
quite naturally have got together in this partnership, which is above all based on people.”
«The SNEMBG company in Martinique, with its brands, Coca Cola and Evian is pleased to have
been able to sign an agreement with the Martinique Surf Pro. For us, this event is the big sporting
event of 2015 and we wish to see our international brands involved in this huge international
competition. On Martinique, Coca Cola is the partner to many sports clubs in cycling and
football, while Evian is associated with golf and football. We are proud to be joining in with this
first edition of the Martinique Surf Pro and wish to be there in the long term. We are convinced
that this event will benefit from a lot of media coverage and will be an enormous popular
success, enabling the local people to discover or revisit the North Atlantic coast of our island.»
26
Surf + at the heart of the event
Available via Canal + and CanalSat, Surf + will be closely following the first edition of the MARTINIQUE SURF PRO, as well as everything going on in the wings of this major international
event. From 22nd to 26th April, three live broadcasts per day will come from the centre of the race village with programmes in the morning, afternoon and in the prime time programme
in the evening looking back at what has been happening during the day.
The expertise and technical means of Canal + to offer live coverage of the whole of the competition
Surf + will be making the most of its resources not to miss any of the excitement out on the water
- Cameras with telephoto lenses will be filming from ashore.
- A cameraman on a jet ski will be out there close to the waves and surfers.
- A cameraman and reporter will be on the beach to get up close to the surfers while they wait for their heat, as well as meeting the general public and organisers.
- A drone will be taking some incredibly spectacular shots.
But there will also be plenty of other things
Surf + won’t just be broadcasting the event. There will be portraits, interviews ashore and out on the water, entertaining excerpts from ashore and in the race village, with expert commentary from the wings. The presenters and reporters at Surf + will be coming up with lots of different features to enable the audience to get to know the surfers taking part and to allow
them to experience the event as if they were there.
Some top class journalists
To cover the MARTINIQUE SURF PRO, Surf + has called upon the services of people from various backgrounds. Presenter, actor and local singer, Ludivine Retory will be presenting the
evening broadcast. She will be accompanied by two experts: Archi Jaeckin, former Chief editor of the magazine Surf Europe, and Robert Teriitehau, a legendary name in windsurfing
in the eighties and nineties.
MEDIA
S
T
N
E
M
E
G
ARRAN
S
PRES
ICE
SERV
Head of communications / press:
Fabrice Thomazeau / Mer & Media
Tel : +33/(0)2 99 23 83 83 – Mob : +33/(0)6 86 00 06 73
Email : fabrice.thomazeau@mer-media.com
French press:
Paul Bessereau / Mer & Media
Tel : + 33/(0)2 99 23 83 83 - Mob : +33/(0)6 37 39 09 59
Email : paul.mer.media@orange.fr
International press:
ll be
team wi
s
s
e
r
p
l
event.
nationa
An inter throughout the
le:
present
s 4 peop
e
s
i
r
p
m
It co
Blanca Lopez Handrich / Mer & Media
Tel : +34 657 854 173
Email : blanca@seaclearcommunications.com
TV Contact:
Hervé Borde / Nefertiti Production
Tel. : +33/(0)6 09 67 85 52
Email : hborde@nefertiti-prod.com
28
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A LIT Y...
R
HISTO
Surfing
has its origins in the Pacific islands. The first Europeans
to discover surfing were the British explorers, Samuel
Wallis (in Tahiti) and James Cook. Cook who in 1778, dropped anchor
Wa
in tthe Sandwich Islands (Hawaii). He spotted people riding wooden
boards made of tree trunks on top of the waves. So already in the
bo
eighteenth Century surfing was a common activity for the people living
eig
in tthe Hawaiian Islands. More than just a sport, it was an important part
of ttheir culture, as it determined the respect shown by society to these
individuals. Tribal leaders used surfing to show off their skills.
ind
In the nineteenth Century, the colonisation of the Hawaiian Islands
began. Shocked on seeing the natives wearing hardly anything on
be
their boards, the American missionaries banned surfing, which they
the
saw as something depraved. However, the activity continued in the
background on Hawaii, as some people refused to accept the ban.
ba
30
However, we had to wait until the start of the twentieth Century for surfing to take off thanks to Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic swimming
champion (100m freestyle in 1912 and 1920) who took up surfing.
Duke Kahanamoku became an ambassador for the sport, particularly
in the United States and Australia, where he carried out demonstrations,
which attracted a lot of interest.
ING
SURF
S
TERM
there was still something holding back the development of the
sport: the equipment did not make things easy. The wooden
boards weighed around fifty kilos. From the thirties, the materials used to
manufacture them began to change. Boards became lighter, thinner
and easier to handle. Surfing became a popular sport and fans went
to Hawaii from the fifties. Surfing developed along the coast of France
from 1955/1956 thanks to the screenwriter, Peter Viertel. While filming in
Biarritz, he noticed the power of the waves and got a board sent over
from the States. Others would follow in his footsteps…
But
B
In
D
F
the sixties, new materials meant it was possible to make even
lighter boards offering much more freedom to surfers. The activity
really took off at that point with youngsters taking up all of the culture
surrounding the sport to make it a way of life. This surfing culture spread
through music, the cinema and magazines.... There were more and
more competitions. In 1970 the first World Championships were held.
Six years later, pro surfers were grouped together with the creation of
the IPS (International Professional Surfers), the body, which governed a
competitive circuit with a world title awarded at the end of each year.
The IPS became the ASP in 1983 and the WSL in 2015.
A
Aerial: A manoeuvre where the surfer and board
leave the surface of the wave before landing and
continuing to surf.
Backside: Surfing with your back towards the wave.
The opposite is frontside.
Bar: where waves break and you have to get to the
other side.
Beach break: beach where the waves break over the
sand.
Bottom turn: the turn at the bottom of the wave, before
you return to the top of the wave.
C
Curl: heart of the wave. This is where the power is
concentrated.
Cut back : A turn towards the breaking part of the wave.
Duck dive: Pushing the board underwater to dive
under a wave instead of riding it.
Floater: Riding on top of the wave.
Frontside: Surfing facing the wave. The opposite of
backside.
G
Glassy: perfectly smooth waves not disturbed by
the wind. Ideal surf conditions.
Goofie foot: position on the board with right foot forward.
The opposite of natural foot.
Gun: an extra long board using for surfing the biggest
waves.
L
Left-hander: A wave breaking towards the left, when
you are surfing it
Line up: the area where the waves start to break and
surfers wait to catch a wave. Is on the other side of the
sand bar.
M
N
O
P
Malibu: the name given to a medium sized board
between the shortboard and longboard.
ards the
Right-hander: wave breaking towards
right when you are surfing.
Roller: a turn at the top of the wave.
S
Set: a series of big waves.
Shaper: the name given to a board
rd designer
or maker.
Shore break: wave directly breaking on the shoreline.
Nose: forward tip of the board.
Off the lip: a manoeuvre carried out on the crest
of the wave.
Pad: A surface stuck to the back of the board to stop
you from slipping.
Peak: the point where the breaker begins.
Pearl: Accidentally driving the board underwater, generally ending the ride.
Point break : a wave created by a rocky point or harbour wall.
Q
R
Quiver: set of boards of different shapes and sizes
used according to the conditions.
Reefbreak: waves breaking over an area of rocks or
a coral reef.
Regular foot (or natural foot): position on the board with
the left foot forward. The opposite of goofy foot.
T
W
Tube: en haut de vague, action de se lever sur
la planche pour commencer à surfer.
rfer.
Wax: Special wax applied on the top of the
board to increase traction.
WCT (World Championship Tour): the professional
championship bringing together the top 34 surfers from
around the world.
Wildcards: invitations given to some
me surfers during a
competition.
Wipeout: Falling off a board when riding
ding a wave.
WSL (World Surf League): the new name
me for the world surf
governing body. Replaced the ASP.
WQS (World Qualification Series): International
nternational championship (equivalent to the second division, as it allows
ten sailors to qualify for the WCT in thee following year. The
Martinique Surf Pro is a WQS event.
Head of communications / press:
Fabrice Thomazeau / Mer & Media
Tel : +33/(0)2 99 23 83 83 - Mob : +33/(0)6 86 00 06 73 - Email : fabrice.thomazeau@mer-media.com
French press:
Paul Bessereau / Mer & Media
Tel : + 33/(0)2 99 23 83 83 - Mob : +33/(0)6 37 39 09 59 - Email : paul.mer.media@orange.fr
International press:
Blanca Lopez Handrich / Mer & Media
Tel : +34 657 854 173 - Email : blanca@seaclearcommunications.com
Conception-Réalisation : Mer & Media - Rennes 02 99 23 83 83
PRESS
TS
CONTAC