TEAM NEWS: A COUPLE IN SEARCH OF THE WORLD’S MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOTS!

Meet Clémence Derrien and Anaël Beauchesne, the newest GONG team riders.

Hello Clémence and Anaël, you’re a couple passionate about board sports, especially kitesurfing. Could you introduce yourselves?

Clémence: We’re both from Finistère, Brittany. Passionate about wave and strapless freestyle kitesurfing, we’ve always balanced our lives between the sea and our careers, as a doctor and an engineer. We’ve always been driven to align our professional paths with our love for the ocean.

Today, we live our passion fully as a couple, sharing emotions, adventures, and mutual progress that constantly push and inspire us.

Kitesurfer: Clémence, GONG team rider, rides the Fatal FSP 2X with the Elips kite and FeelX bar.

What’s your background in board sports?

Clémence : I discovered board sports before meeting Anaël, first through windsurfing in the Brest bay, then surfing the Breton beaches with my family. Sea and boardsports have always been part of my world. Kitesurfing naturally became my favorite discipline. After starting with twintip, the Breton waves quickly led me to strapless.

My years abroad, between Uruguay and the Middle East, deepened this passion, especially after discovering the southern coast of Oman with its steady side-shore winds and consistent waves. It was a real turning point for me.

Used to the sometimes harsh but always stimulating conditions of Brittany, I share with Anaël a love for challenge and progression. It was actually during a kite session on the Crozon Peninsula that our paths crossed, quite naturally.

Anaël : I started surfing at a very young age. Kiting came later, as the perfect way to take full advantage of Brittany’s diverse conditions. Strapless wave kiting quickly became the perfect blend of surf and kite, letting me spend as much time as possible on the water, even during my medical studies. When I met Clémence, surf kiting became my main focus, though I still never miss a chance for a windsurf slalom session or a sailboat outing.

How do you approach competition?

Clémence : I started competing on the GKA Tour in 2020 in Cape Verde. Over the years I’ve taken part in several events, juggling competitions with my engineering career.

Anaël : I often joined Clémence on the GKA stages to help and support her. I was selected for the first time on the GKA Tour for the Sylt event in 2025, but I remain a freerider at heart.

Kitesurfer: Anaël, GONG team rider, rides the Ayto Aramid DP kite and Catch HDCC board.

You’ve both decided to take a break from your professional careers to focus on kitesurfing. What’s your project?

Clémence : We’d both dreamed for a long time of taking a break from our careers to dedicate time to our passion. When everything aligned (Anaël had just completed his medical thesis and I had finished a work mission) we took the leap. Three weeks later, we were off on our world kitesurfing adventure!

Anaël : Our goal is to ride the best spots in the world, in the best wave and wind seasons, to keep progressing, push our limits, and live our passion to the fullest, even in extreme conditions.

We love going off the beaten path, favoring remote, authentic, and lesser-known spots, where adventure and discovery truly come alive.

What motivated you to join the GONG team?

Clémence : What motivated us most was GONG’s philosophy: offering a wide and diverse range of gear at accessible prices, allowing everyone to fully live their passion on the water, whatever their level or the conditions.

Of course, the team spirit, the quality and innovation of the equipment, and the brand’s bold approach to breaking market codes really appealed to us too.

Our goals are to test as much gear as possible, contribute to product development, exchange feedback with an attentive team, and share our experiences with other team riders.

We also love the idea of creating powerful, authentic visual content that reflects our emotions and passion for gliding, working closely with a team of professionals.

What’s in your quiver for this sabbatical year?

Anaël : Our freestyle strapless setup will be Catch HDCC 5’0 with Ayto DP kites (6m & 8m). For waves we’ll share the Elips kites from 5m to 10m, Fatal FSP 2X 5’0, Alu FSP 2X 5’6, and Chemical HDCC 5’6.

We’d have loved to bring even more GONG gear, but space is limited! We can’t wait to discover the latest products and test lowkiting.

Kitesurfer: Clémence, GONG team rider, rides the Fatal FSP 2X with the Elips kite and FeelX bar. Photo: GKA.

You’re currently in Morocco, where Clémence took 5th place in her first competition with GONG. What’s next?

Anaël : Our next stop is Brazil, starting in the north with Prea, Paracuru, and the final GKA event in Taiba, before heading south to the Florianopolis peninsula and Ibiraquera in search of bigger waves.

Bon voyage !