Forum Canoe Kayak EVO

DAVID AURNAUD - “Fluidity, control, feeling…”

"If you've been reading whitewater mags at all in the last couple of years you've probably seen a picture of David Arnaud. Paddling his Riot Air and Turbo, David has graced the pages of many a paddling rag throwing monster aerials. David has quickly made a name for himself getting twisted and inverted all around Europe. Based out of France, and as one of the locals at Lyon's infamous Hawaii sur Rhone, David hit the competition scene hard ranking in the top 5 at the 2001 Worlds. Since that moment David has refocused on what he feels is the most important aspect of kayaking : having the most fun.Nowadays David spends more time traveling than following the competition circuit. He continues to enter the occasional festival or extreme race but his primary focus remains on pushing his personal boundaries and having a blast on the river."

Cool interview and great photos online at www.kayaksurf.net !

Direct link:

http://cosmos.oninetspeed.pt/lpabreu/Da ... rnaud.html

Next Interview: ERIC JACKSON - Eric just took his 3rd World Championship title and made it convincing, winning each of the 4 rounds of head-to-head finals competition in Australia this year.

Have a nice day!

luis pedro
www.kayaksurf.net

Cool ça doit etre interressant ce qu'il dit!

Quelqu'un peut traduire?

S'il vous plait!

Sur trois photos, c'est sylvain le petit frère ...

just a question :

In the picture number 4, with a green boat and in a upside-down position, isn't he Sylvain (the famous little Bro'ther) and not David ?:?::?:

I'm not really sure !:|:?

have fun...
ricou

si !

C'est qui Davis Arnaud
Jamais entendu parler...

quote: C'est qui Davis Arnaud
Jamais entendu parler...
tu m'étonnes Piep... c'est parceque tu as de l'eau dans les lentilles (qui effectivement se cuisinent à l'eau) !
Il s'agit de DaviD, pas DaviS :

C'est l'frère de l'autre;)

DaviS Arnaud, est beaucoup moins connu que son frèro : Miles Davis:D

Tel est pris qui etc...

ricou8)
(sniper à ses heures;))

Bon d'accord, je sors....

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

YYYYYYYYYYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyes !;)

(merci aux Modérateurs d'immortaliser un tel moment historique où Piep a été terrassé8), en n'effaçant ces quelques réponses limite Hors Sujet[:0])

pfff, je parle pas tellement portugais non plus, mais je peux retrouver la version originale, on a fait cet interview en anglais. Effectivement c'est Sylvain sur la plupart des photos, mais passé un point même moi j'ai parfois du mal à faire la différence, alors...

quote:Posté par David
mais passé un point même moi j'ai parfois du mal à faire la différence, alors...

Tu dis ça pour essayer de te rajeunir.

Si c'est vraiment un problème pour toi tu remarqueras qu'on a inventé l'ADN... reste à généraliser la méthode pour les images numériques !;)

Voilà la version en anglais pour ceux que ça intéresse :

> The questions are:
>
> Name: David Arnaud
> Age: 25
> Occupation: Pro kayaker / video producer / marketing consultant
> Address: at the moment, Reunion Island (Indian Ocean) ; usually near Lyon, France
>
> Brief résumé from your sportive CV (Titles, experiences, etc): french freestyle team for 4 years ; french champ several times ; 5th place at the 2001 Worlds Champs.

> How long do you do kayaking?

15 years

> And kayaksurf… when and where was it?

A few times in the south west of France (near Biarritz), and improving at the moment on the Reunion island !

> Now about you and your sponsors … how did you become a pro-kayaker?

I turned pro gradually. It's not something that you just have to decide to make it happen. Actually, I first thought it might be possible about 2 years ago. At that time, I was still studying in a graduate school of business in Grenoble, France. Then I began an internship at Salomon's headquarters in Annecy (northern alps) as part of my studies. There, working at the Sports Marketing division, I discovered the true meaning of becoming a professionnal athlete. At the same time, I was getting more and more exposure, nationally and internationally as well. When I finished my studies and my internship at the same time, I thought I had both the opportunity AND the knowledge, so I took my chance. The people at Salomon were very supportive for my projects. Today, my understanding of the "corporate" culture and of the sponsors' expectations is probably what helps me the most.

> How's life as a kayaking pro?

It's definitely a great experience. I'm not gonna say it's hard, but it's definately not as easy as it can look from outside. What people see of pro-kayakers is magazines, videos, and internet stuff. It's only the visible part of the iceberg ! Actually I've never spent so much time in front of my computer in my life, preparing projects, organizing things, proposing projects to sponsors, working on my videos... All in all, I paddle a bit more than before, but a lot of non-professional boaters paddle more than me, I think. I guess this is just a choice to do : I could have spent a year as a pro and go out everyday, but this is not something that would have last long - sponsors don't pay you just to go out and have fun, they expect more than that. So I prefer paddling maybe a bit less, and working more on my projects and for my sponsors ; if you make a sponsor happy, he's very likely to work with you on a longer period of time. To sum up, it's not the time you spend on the water that makes you a pro-paddler, but your attitude toward your partners.

> When did you start to work with Riot?

I was first approached in 1998. Riot was still a young and small company, but already very innovative and quite different from the pack. Their boats really helped me improve my skills over the years.

> What do you think about the way out of Corran Addison from Riot?

I guess that's the way Corran is. He needs to move all the time, either in his personal or professionnal life. I wish good luck to him. I'm really not worried concerning Riot and its designs - they have two designers who are not known by the public, but I saw them at work and I can tell you they are really good. For example they made most of the Turbo, and they have a couple of very exciting protos for next year.

> Which is for you the best kayak to surf? (Model and factory).

Rhaa, it's a tough one. My favourite boat of all time is maybe the glide/slice. This is the boat in which I learned the most. Today, I'm having a really good time in my turbo, it really excels on steep waves.

> I read in your web page that “Nowadays David spends more time travelling than following the competition circuit”. Don’t you feel the lack of the competition?

Not really. The international championships are becoming boring. This year I only entered 2 competitions that I particularly like, one on the Ubaye river and the Lyon Festival. Anyway, despite my pretty good competition achievements, I never considered myself as a true competitor. Probably because I always thought competitions can determine who is the best competitor, but not necessarily who is the best kayaker. I don't mind being the best competitor, knowing that I've been judged according to criterias and rules edited by an international federation or committee. I want to be good according to my own criterias : fluidity, control, feeling... and those criterias don't earn points in contests. I think that's what we call freeride !

> And about kayak surf… Do you usually participate in kayaksurf competitions?

No, not really. I live quite far from the coast, and my focus remains on the rivers for the moment. But I'll definitely spend more time on ocean waves as long as I stay here on the Reunion island ! The surf is really great and I'm enjoying it a lot. The sensations are different from river waves, and it's quite interesting to adapt my technique to the ocean waves.

> You reached the top 5 at 2001 Worlds. And after that incredible year… what happened more?

That was a big turn in my career. Actually, I got injured in the semi-finals where I placed 3rd. I was sure I could get a medail, but because of my injury, I couldn't compete in the finals and I ended in 5th place. Immediately after the worlds, I was really determined to come back, train more and get a podium at the next worlds. But my injury got me out of my kayak for almost 6 months ! That's when I realized that every minute I spent in my kayak was so precious. So I asked myself:" What do I want to do of this precious time ? What do I like most in kayaking ?". The answer was not competition, but going out on rivers and waves. So I re-set my priorities and went freeride. In a way, this injury was benefic because I'm having much more fun now.


> Can we say that you are a specialist in the “Lyon’s infamous Hawaii sur Rhone” (you are at home!)?

There are some local paddlers who are on the wave almost everyday, far more often than me. But I usually go there every time the levels are high, and then I can spend several days on it without problem ! So I'm probably not a true local and I don't know the wave perfectly at low levels, but I for sure I feel at home at high water levels !

> At the official page of Havaii sur Rhone, they say that “This is not a place for beginners. This is not a place for people who do not have confidence in their roll.” I think It’s easily understandable. Did you ever saw (or heard) any serious accident in those waves?

There have never been more serious accident than bruised egos. There's no real danger there at normal levels, except maybe hypotermia in winter, because the swims can be pretty long. Recently, a top french paddler and local of the wave, Mika Hyla, got the beating of his life at a special level we call "The Wall". It's a superb wave that only appears at very specific levels, but it's followed by a big trashy hole. He got recirculated for quite a long time and he had to swim out of his boat. Trust me, it takes a big hole to make him swim !

> What are your advices to those who want to try “Hawaii”?

Come there and look at the locals before going yourself, especially at high waterlevels. You'll feel more at ease when on the water. Oh yeah, and go out and enjoy the good food too. Lyon is the gastronomical capital of France, you know !

> Do you think that the river experience – not so hard as Rhone!! - is essential to the kayak surfer?

I think it is good for a wave surfer to practice on river waves. They are usually smaller and less retentive, and it forces the paddler to be very precise technically to pull his moves. I've learned a lot on smaller holes and waves. Mastering the small waves is essential to fully enjoy the big ones.

> And specifically about kayak surf… What do you think about the evolution of this sport in your country?

At the moment, kayak surf doesn't seem to evolve a lot. There is a small group of core paddlers who are always there, and who are performing very well in wave-ski competitions. We don't hear a lot about them, but for sure they are awesome paddlers, with great spirit and technique. I spend 95% of my time on rivers, but I think I have a lot to learn from kayak surf and kayak surfers.

> You’ve travelled a lot this year! - Corsica, Morocco, Siberia, Canada and the Reunion Island - Which was the best spot that you surfed in a kayak around the world?

I don't want to look too narrow minded or what, but I had most of my best surfs in Lyon. Yesterday I was surfing on one of the good spot of the island, with pretty good conditions. I had some very good rides, but still, I couldn't help thinking that Lyon is even better. At high levels, hawaii/rhone is hard to beat. Really. I also had some great sessions in Montreal, on the Lachine waves.
Apart from surfing, these trips were very different the ones from the others : creeking in Corsica, expedition in Siberia, pure surfing in Canada... I've really had a blast this year, and I've enjoyed the diversity of paddling to the maximum. I really encourage people to practive other disciplines of kayaking. I even did some slalom on a few occasions with my good friend Alex Dimitriou, who competed for Greece at the Olympic Games, and that was really fun too. Think different !

> And besides those places – all very far from France - Where do you usually surf in your country?

I usually patiently wait for the rhone floods, then I head to Lyon !

> Have you already surfed in Portugal?

Not yet ! This is where I should have gone beginning of the year, but it was already a bit late for creeking, so we went to Morocco instead. But soon you'll see me on your rivers and waves !

> How do you manage your training plan (others sports)?

I don't really like to plan things and especially training. Actually, I've always been quite lazy about physical training... but the good thing is that it certainly helped me improve my technique. Even today, when I feel that a move is hard to pull, I first try to improve my technique to make it easier. My physical strenght comes second to my technique. Anyway, I do enough kayaking to stay fit almost all year long. I do other sports when I can (skiing, and I've started windsurfing recently too), but I don't have a lot of time for these. Sport has to be fun and instinctive for me, so it's very unlikely that you'll see my do jogging...

> How do you describe de perfect wave to kayaksurf?

Glassy, with hard water (who needs bubbles ?), and maybe a little foampile to help stay retentive after the big moves. Oh, and it must be desert, and with no sharks around !

> What is your favourite move?

The big moves are definitely a lot of fun : airscrews, airblunts, panams, helixes... but sometimes, there's nothing as enjoyable as a good surf with hard carves. It really took me a lot of time and practice to really know how to carve. Sometimes, the speed and sensations I can get outstand even a big aerial move ! I really love it.

> Let us some suggestions to those who want to start kayak surfing.

You'll learn at least as much on the beach by looking and thinking than in your kayak !

> Let us a few words to all the kayakers that passes by here...

The advice I just gave concerns every boater, not just the beginners ! And remember everyday why you started kayaking : not for glory, not for being world champion, not because of someone else, but for the fun of it !

wow, un si long post, ça donne l'impression d'être bavard... mais les questions de Luis étaient intéressantes, alors...

putain je me suis surpris a tout lire ! la performance la !!!

Bravo !

ben oui think different, think liquid !

oh le slogan tout trouvé !!!

Merci David!

Combien aux photos, je demandent l'excuse! Si pour vouloir m'indiquer d'autres suffisamment, je suis trés heureux. J'emploie à l'avantage pour dire que kayaksurf.net doit développer une version en anglais.

Bonnes vagues pour tous!

luis pedro - www.kayaksurf.net

God damn it J'aurais du garder les traces de tes passages photographiques dans les mag ricains...pour les encadres , te les faires dedicacer et en faire dont aux dieux du soul kayak freestyle. yo brother.
Tout ca pour dire que c'est vrais que ca fait plaisir de voir la tete de frenchy dns les mag ricains...et ca arrive(je me rappel d'une photo de Micka en corse je crois avec un crane de chevre ou de mouton sur la tete parue dans paddler).
David ecrit un bouquin tu nous fais un essais literaire sur "how to feel the stream with your bottom"
cheers