I was born and raised in Dijon, the city in France farthest from any sea or ocean. Yet, sports have always been my passion. I was pretty good at football, but especially in athletics, and I’ve always had a competitive mindset.

Every summer, we would go on vacation to the Basque Country, where I spent my time trying to stand up on a shortboard that was way too small for me—often ending up with scraped knees! But leaving the ocean at the end of each summer was heartbreaking, both for my parents and for me. So, in 1999, we packed our bags and moved to the Basque Country. I was 14 years old, and my little sister Élise had just turned one.

From that moment on, I dedicated myself entirely to surfing. I admired the boys my age who already surfed with ease, while I was just starting out. So, I surfed, surfed, and surfed some more, determined to catch up and reach their level.

At 18, I became a lifeguard, and while having fun on those big rescue boards, I discovered my love for longboarding. The following year, in 2005, I earned my surf instructor certification and began sharing my passion with those who, like me a few years earlier, were discovering the sport during their vacations.

But my competitive spirit never faded. I started entering my first competitions—without much success at first—but I never gave up. Persistence paid off: I became French Champion, then European Champion, and I had the privilege of competing on the World Longboard Tour, which brings together the top 36 longboarders in the world, for five consecutive years. Surfing took me all over the globe—from Australia to California, Indonesia, Mentawai, South America, Hawaii, Asia, and even Papua New Guinea.

But it was in Central America that I found my true paradise. Today, we live in Nicaragua, a country that fulfills all my expectations—not only for its world-class waves but also for its warm and vibrant culture and its breathtaking natural beauty.