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On the podium at the Pascuales Pro Junior bodyboarding competition, the Ajoe Reefer Surf Club member secured his spot in the finals of the Under-18 World Championships.
Instinctively, Athanäé Blanchard senses that a great wave is coming his way. So the young member of the Ajoe Reefer Surf Club takes off. He glides down the wall of water as its crest closes in on him. Swallowed up by the tube, the teenager and his bodyboard are no longer visible to spectators on Pascuales Beach in Mexico. When he emerges from the tube, Athanäé Blanchard receives a standing ovation. He probably can’t hear it. However, the score awarded by the judges at the Mexican leg of the Pro Junior Tour is indisputable: 9.5 out of 10—the highest score achieved by any competitor throughout the under-18 competition. But the young bodyboarding champion wasn’t content to just “put on a show.”
A Return to Confidence
In fact, between July 3 and 9 in Mexico, Athanäé Blanchard managed to climb to the third step of the podium. “This is my best performance yet,” says the teenager, who finished behind Mexico’s Ilan Chouard and the Italian-Canarian Damiano Bonazzi. “There were big waves (3.5 m/10 ft) that let me really show what I can do out there,” Athanäé explains. “I’m very happy with my performance for my first time in Mexico. It’s also restored my confidence in my season so far and means I don’t have to go to Morocco to try to qualify in small waves, which are harder to ride well in.” ” By securing a spot on the podium, the Ajoe Reefer Surf Club member achieved more than just an excellent result.
In fact, he also secured automatic qualification for the grand final of the Junior World Championships. This final event will take place in October at El Fronton in the Canary Islands, featuring the world’s top thirty junior surfers—a group Athanäé is now a part of.
The young man hasn’t forgotten those who support him throughout the year. “I want to thank Jonsen Island, my sponsor, for making it possible for me to travel to this event,” he says. “But also my club, Ajoe, the ANS (National Sports Agency—ed.), and the Territorial Collectivity, which have supported me since my first achievements.”
Recharging in Saint Barth
In Mexico, Athanäé is also competing in the Open division, alongside the “big names.” It’s a different story there. “It’s proving to be more difficult because the level of competition is very high, especially with Pierre-Louis Coste and Amory Laverne, who are among the world’s best,” he notes. A good learning experience, in any case.
After his Mexican adventure, Athanäé will “finally”—he says happily—return to Saint Barthélemy. “To recharge,” he adds. After that, he’ll resume training for other competitions. Notably, events on the European circuit scheduled for September and October, including one in Anglet and two others in the Canary Islands. “They’ll prepare me for the grand finale,” explains Athanäé, who hasn’t lost sight of his goals.
