“Surfing has a healthy side, a real connection with nature”: meeting with Jeremy Florès who looks back on the highlights of his career<

I started surfing on Reunion Island, I was lucky enough to live not far from the sea, and already very young I was playing on the edge of the waves on pieces of board , bodyboards. My dad was overdoing it, he put me on waves before I even knew how to swim. I started to really surf with armbands at the age of 3, on the beach of Boucan Canot in Reunion.

Surfing was represented for the first time at the Olympic Games, do you think this will contribute to its development?

Yes and no. Yes, because I was impressed by the scale and the enthusiasm that there was around the Olympic Games and the surfing event. But even if it was the Olympics, the surfing event itself was quite amateur, due to the waves and the poor conditions. It was a huge pride to be able to participate in the biggest sporting event in the world, but we already have a professional tour, the WSL (World Surf League), which has always been the priority. There are already millions of people who follow this pro tour, but because of the Olympics, many more people have discovered the discipline. Unfortunately, given the conditions and the waves, I'm not necessarily sure that it gave a very positive image of this sport! I still hope that it will make people want to discover it a little more.

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Were the Tsurigasaki waves at the Tokyo Olympics the worst conditions you have encountered in competition?

Among the most rotten yes! (laughs) It's a shame because the Japanese have created a huge and incredible structure, we were very well received, but the conditions and the waves were not there. It was the storm, the rain, the wind, the brown water… As surfers, it's not the first time to surf waves like these, but for someone who discovers the surfing on TV, it doesn't necessarily make you want to. But in 2024, it will be on the Teahupoo spot in Tahiti, and this time the spectators will be amazed!

What is your best surf spot?

There are so many in the world, if I had to choose one or three, I would say: