Mathieu Fouliard joined the GONG Team as a PRO rider. A complete waterman who spends most of his time on the water, riding on all types of supports, Wing, surf, SUP, kite, and shares his passion for board sports and the ocean daily on social networks.
Hello Mathieu, can you introduce yourself please?
Mathieu aka Mataio my tahitian first name.
I live on the west coast of Tahiti, a village called Papara. I can’t remember my age, I got stuck in teen mode. I ride anything that glides on the ocean.
At what age did you start water sports? ?
I started by Optimist boat when I was 5 years old, then windsurf, bodyboard, skimboard and then anything that could glide on the water.
How did your passion for board sports come about?
My father is a pure waterman. This came naturally to me.
You have made your passion your profession. How did it all start?
It hasn’t been easy, I don’t have a prize list and I live at the end of the world.
But in addition to gliding I have a passion for image and it all started with GoPro’s hanging on the paddles, in the mast of the windsurfing board and then I started getting covers in magazines without sponsors and then drawing attention to myself.
You live today at Papara, in French Polynesian. How is your life there?
It’s a pretty simple life with my daughter, I’m a single dad. I organize my days according to the weather of the day and the availability of my photographers, or my team mate Manéa.
Living close to several World Class spots allowed you to share several sessions with famous riders like Kai Lenny. How was the meeting?
I’ve known Kai since he was a kid when he used to come here to shoot for a French surfwear brand. And we’ve always kept in touch.
The foil brought us closer and so every year he comes to share a week at my place, he fell in love with the spot I have in front of the house and that Malo knows well.
You were born in Saint Nazaire, in Loire-Atlantique in the region where GONG has been developing for 15 years now. Is it a return to the roots to become PRO rider for GONG?
This story is crazy, that’s what I like: Karma, meeting young people, passionate people …….. and yes really happy to be able to come one day to the headquarters of GONG, at home.
Did you compete?
I hate competition, I lose all my strength in the face of the testosterone that surrounds me. Lol. I’m a loner.
How many sessions per year?
Lol. Every day and it’s not a joke. Even more with GONG when you have all the toys for all conditions.
On a daily basis, how do you train to maintain your physique?
First, I have never drunk a single drop of alcohol and I don’t smoke. I eat a lot of fish and vegetables.
I ride every day, which is worth a workout, and take a cardio, mountain, river break once a month to get rid of the salt from the ocean.
We can see on your Instagram page that you spend a lot of time on the water with your 3 year old daughter Malia. Is she already addicted to board sports?
Yes, she’s already at full throttle and it’s done naturally, so as I hate competition, I don’t put pressure on her. And then you have a lot more like on Insta when you ride with your daughter. Lol
You are very often well surrounded on your sessions, we feel that there is a real collective that surrounds you. So you wouldn’t be a solitary waterman 😉 ?
Well done my friend. I like this interview. Listen, I have the mother of my daughter who has been my photographer for 8 years now, the parents of Manea, GONG ambassador who flies the jet ski or the drone. My room mate Pauline who is in charge of rides, photography and jet piloting… in short a family and passionate people.
We would do the sessions anyway, just for the fun of being together.
You’ve been discovering your new GONG quiver for a few weeks now, what do you think of your new toys?
I am simply in another galaxy, the quality is there, the innovation, I like the colors, the design very very “sport”.
Foil is a key element in our sports nowadays, even in Tahiti it seems to be a support that allows you to gorge yourself. Are you a foil addict too?
Yes for 15 years now when Laird Hamilton left a foil that weighed three tons and you needed a jet ski and huge waves to glide.
An idea, an upcoming project that we might see appearing soon?
I am unpredictable, I like to surprise and mix the supports and especially to stay as close as possible to the GONG customer through my projects. I don’t want to make water sports too elitist. The practitioner must be able to identify himself in my adventures.
A Couine Marie, a deserted island and the desire to offer oneself the combo to flee the city.
Social media:
Instagram: @matfouliard
Facebook: Mataio Tahiti
