The Youth Meeting

The first edition of the Indian Ocean and Francophonie Surfing Cup (November 16 to 24), which marks a new start for Reunion surfing, is much more than a sporting competition. After the French Open last March, the Federation is supporting the regional league for an event which brings together 7 delegations from four continents, in a framework of cooperation, friendship and fraternity.

“This is a very important moment for Reunion surfing and for French surfing! And I believe, without exaggerating, that we are living in a historic moment. » Whether on the sand of Brisants beach or in the hemicycle of the Hôtel de Région, the president of the Federation Jacques Lajuncomme is delighted with the organization of this event like no other. “This allows young people to compete on a sporting level but also to be able to share, he explains. This is rarely the case in the international competition circuit. There, there is no aggressiveness, there is no spirit of winning above all else. Above all, there are meetings. And we demonstrate that surfing is making a strong comeback in Reunion. »
The objective of this competition for young people is to develop a space of fraternity and peace, which we obtain through sport. “This is how our children will progress and become adults. They are going to go surfing of course but above all they are going to meet each other”adds President Lajuncomme. Which ensures that “It’s going to become the biggest youth surfing event in the world!” A way to allow young people not to compete against others but with others! » The French Surfing Federation, the State and the Réunion Region have made it possible to cover plane tickets for external delegations, as well as accommodation and travel on the island.

Equality, complementarity and fraternity
The Indian Ocean and Francophonie Surfing Cup is based on two main pillars: the Francophone Surfing Union (UFS) and the Union of Indian Ocean Surfing Federations (UFSOI). “The Francophonie is an enormous space for development with 700 million people by 2050, and whose motto is equality, complementarity and solidarity, explains Jacques Lajuncomme, also president of the Francophone Surfing Union. It seemed important to us that the Reunion League, which is one of the major leagues, could, on the occasion of its 40th anniversary, express itself in its natural geographical area. »
This event really wants to unite, not in a strict framework by imposing rules, but rather in a framework of welcome and recognition, by welcoming the different countries of the region. With 36 competitors, a quarter of whom are from Réunion, it marks the return of Réunion on the international scene. “The challenge is to ensure four days of competition out of the 10 days selected, which represents around 15 hours of events (three days have already been completed to date, editor’s note), explains Thierry Martineau, president of the Reunion surf league. We do not forget the shark risk, and are thus on our security format “Reinforced Shark Watch”, on the spots on the west coast. We are waiting for feedback after the event. In any case, if this is the first edition, it will not be the last. »
This Sunday, the Réunion Surf League will celebrate its 40th anniversary with many local surfing players from yesterday and today, and with its foreign guests during the closing ceremony of the first edition of the event.

I will speak

Danielle Powis, team manager South Africa
“A big thank you, it’s a great opportunity, thank you for bringing us here!” It's normally quite complex to come here. It takes us at least six months to find the money for this kind of trip. A member of our team flew for the first time. They were all eager to learn from others and appreciated these moments of sharing. We have a huge talent pool in South Africa. For ten years, we have been trying to offer more opportunities to those who have difficulty starting surfing. We have implemented quotas in each district for more inclusion. It's going to take a little more time, but I think we're in the right direction. »

Alexandre Alcantara, president of the Senegalese Surfing Federation and secretary of the Francophone Surfing Union
“We have made a long trip, and it is a great pleasure to be here for the second edition of the Coupe de la francophonie (after Capbreton in Landes last year). We want to bring these exchanges to life, and it is also a time for federation executives to meet and discuss. With young people under 21, we know that there are no barriers even if not everyone speaks the same language. We realize with surfing that there are shared values ​​on all continents. Of course, there are different levels of practice. For Senegal, we draw inspiration from strong countries like France. We have been silently following the Reunion with the Sharks issues and it has affected us. We are proud to have been invited to this event and we will be ambassadors of Reunion surfing. »

Nawas Jabar, treasurer of the Indian Surfing Federation
“We have been surfing for almost 30 years in India. We have only had public aid for two years. We have progressed enormously over the past ten years and it is a great opportunity for us to come and learn from nations that have a more developed surfing culture. In India, surfing brings together very different people. Three of our surfers come from fishing villages, they didn't speak English before they started surfing. Now, they travel all over the world and discover new countries like Reunion. There are no more differences in the water when you surf! We are a new surfing nation. We are all here for a better future of surfing. An article about this event appeared in the national newspaper in India. Many people now know where Reunion is located thanks to this surfing competition. We will do our best to promote this event because it is magnificent. »

Frédéric Aury, member of the Mauritian surf federation
“The Mauritian Federation is very young. Despite the proximity of the two islands, there was not much exchange between us. Our young people are very happy to be here. It is good news if this competition continues because we need these exchanges. There are few resources here, we are happy to contact all the federations here to grow. Our young people have made friends here. »

Pier Lousteau, president of the Nouvelle Aquitaine surf league
“We continue our exchanges, we had already been to Senegal and these exchanges are ideal for growing. It's time to say that surfing is back in Reunion and that we can come there in complete safety. »

Valérie Poppke, Tahitian surfing federation
“We have made a very long journey to come here and we are delighted to discover Reunion. Our young people are very good surfers who are happy to discover new surf spots and new people. »