MELVYN MOURET - 425PRO FRENCH AMBASSADOR
1. When did you start SUP?
I started Stand Up Paddleboarding in college in 2017, I was 18 years old. My current teacher, Cyrille Curtit, believing in my potential, motivated me to participate in a few races in Guadeloupe with Touring boards from college, then I got quickly caught up in the game after winning the 5km college race. Since then, I haven't let go of my paddle. Then, the Sunset Paddling club, in Gosier in Guadeloupe, began sponsoring me. Sunset Paddling was fully equipped with 425pro material (SUP Race, inflatable SUPs, paddles, etc.) and OC1 and OC2 ALLWAVE canoes, I was able to take advantage of all. I remember starting with an Ouatlaw SUP in 14 ’ by 26 that I found already efficient. Now I ride on an Outlaw 14'x23 and a Pincode 14x24.
2. What was your first experience of 425pro?
The 425pro boards were my first real racing boards, where I had my first sensations of sliding and downwind. I then discovered what SUP race really was. I was immediately plunged into the deep end because from my first outing with the board, I had the chance to be accompanied by Romuald Mamadou and Stéphane Bodet, two mentors of the discipline in Guadeloupe. Having been able to work with the best brought me a lot, and still brings me a lot today since I continue to paddle alongside Romuald.
3. What would you say was your best race performance?
Regarding my best performance in racing, I would mention some two: my overall victory in Huahine, Tahiti during Watermana 2019 (equipped with 425pro), and my victory last year at Ze Race 2020 (on a PinCode 425pro) in front of my mentor Romu.
4. What advice would you give to someone starting SUP?
In the practice of SUP, the first objective is to achieve pleasure, relax, and connect with the ocean, feel the glide and do not be afraid to get wet. The downwind is for me the ultimate branch of SUP. A feeling of freedom and continuous glide, mingling with effort and concentration. It takes work to make the most of it, but once you understand how your board works on the ocean, we progress quickly and discover new realms of pleasure.
5. What are you working on right now? What are your plans for the future?
2021 is for me the start of a new adventure in my life. With my best friend Corentin we bought the club of Paddle at sunset. It is a great pride to take over this club which is well equipped in 425pro and ideally placed on a superb beach at Gosier in Guadeloupe. And this is the club that sponsored me since my beginnings in SUP, then it is sentimental. So it's a whole new departure, a new puff oxygen and a lot of projects which is set up as and measured. We are in full development and our motto is to make happy all people who come to Sunset Paddling. We offer group and private lessons, rentals and excursions, all in SUP, canoes (V6, V4, OC1, OC2), Kayak. We work a lot with middle and high school students in Guadeloupe.We also offer birthday parties on our database with the theme "WATERMAN".
I look forward to developing myself on a personal level in my sporting goals. Guadeloupe is the ideal playground for board sports. My goal is to take advantage of the different conditions with different support, especially with foil in all its forms (sup, surf, wing). And when the right swell is announced, it's time for me to go surfing and sup surfing. I train in parallel in sup race, this is what allows me to stay in condition and it is also the support that we can practice in all weather conditions and those at any time of the day. which is an advantage for programming. As soon as I get the chance, I would like to align myself with future national and international competitions. I touch a little in all disciplines, I really like this diversity of physical effort and sensations, that's what makes me vibrate. I am always on the lookout for how I can push my potential to its limits.
