Français
French Champion! On Thursday, October 22, Noé Lédée won the French Shortboard Open title. At the Santocha surf spot in Capbreton, the member of the Reefer Surf Club de l’Ajoe dominated the competition to claim his first national title. Reached by phone, the 23-year-old champion is overjoyed.
“I was in Spain, then in Hossegor, and I decided to compete in the French Championships even though it wasn’t part of my plan. It’s a real morale booster!” The young champion added: “ I kind of treated the French championships as a training session, and it turned out to be a great title! Especially in the Open division. Until now, I’d come in second in the under-18 division four years ago. So this is my first French championship title—I’m super happy! ” Of course, his home island of Saint-Barth is never far from his thoughts. “I mainly competed in the championships to represent Saint-Barth. I wanted to take the island as far as possible. I did it, and I’m proud of myself.”
“Connected to the Ocean”
This Thursday, from his first heat all the way to the final, Noé won every single heat. A flawless performance that wasn’t exactly a walk in the park, despite “magnificent waves,” he says. “It was tough because I had five heats in one day. It was a long day of competition. I was in my wetsuit from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.! That wasn’t the plan because we were supposed to do just two or three heats, but they asked us if we wanted to finish the competition, and everyone was up for it. So we said, ‘Go!’ In the end, it brought me luck. I believed in myself, I was confident, and I kept up a good rhythm right until the end. I felt really connected to the ocean. I scored well in all my heats. It’s great for my confidence because I have a very important competition in a month in Taiwan!” But for now (it’s past 10 p.m. in France), the 2026 French champion is savoring his victory. Before surfing off toward new adventures.
