Maud Le Car
« « My dream is to surf the tube of my life. A big deep frontside barrel. Preferably paddling out, but not necessarily ».
Today, aged 31, Maud Le Car continues to push her limits and learn everything there is to learn about her sport. There's not one type of surfing she prefers. Whether she’s on a performance shortboard, getting barreled in the Mentawaii islands, surfing a small retro twin in summer, a gun at La Nord spot, or step-off or tow-in on really big days... Maud's keen to explore everything, to learn everything, to (re)discover new surfing sensations, whatever the conditions. « I've always loved the feeling of challenging myself, even when it's stormy here in the Landes region. I'm a bit of a surf freak. I want to surf whatever the conditions !»
No doubt this constant motivation and enthusiasm comes from her native island Saint-Martin in the Caribbean, where she learned to surf « shit and small windy waves. I'm in no danger of getting fed up of surfing, » she laughs.
She started surfing with her brother at the age of 12 at their Galion home spot on « her 7km by 14km rock ». « Right from my very first wave, I knew I wanted to do nothing else for the rest of my life. I went home that night and told my mom I wanted to be a professional surfer ». Most parents would probably have replied that « she'd be better off doing well at school and getting a real job », but Maud Le Car grew up in an open-minded family, with an « artistic and island-cool » mom who always encouraged her to achieve her goals.
Maud and her brother soon became resourceful and self-reliant. Freedom that enabled them at a very young age to surf offshore reef spots that were only accessible after a 20-minute paddle out with rocks and sharks... Or putting on hiking boots and walking 30 minutes up the mountain between the cacti to get to her favorite spot, Wilderness.
Young Maud’s independence grew rapidly.
Six months after her surfing debut, she won her first competition against boys who had already been surfing for 6 years. She was spotted by the surf teacher at her club and went on to win championships in the Caribbean islands. At the age of 15, she decided to move to France on her own, to fulfill her dream of becoming a pro surfer. With her resourcefulness, she found her own accommodation and a few sponsors to earn a bit of money. She joined the Pôle France in Bayonne, where she shared a room with her idols Justine Dupont and Pauline Ado. After that, things went very fast for Maud Le Car. She was selected for the French team, traveled to Indonesia and Australia for the Pro Juniors, became European Champion at 18, and several times French Champion. She then obtained her French baccalaureate with a math option, because « that was the deal with Mom if I wanted to carry on with surfing! » Her fondest memory will undoubtedly be beating Stephanie Gilmore in the ¼ final of the US Open after winning her wildcard to take part in the CT event.
As the years go by, Maud loses interest in competing.
She discovers free surfing and it’s a new revelation. She feels like she’s rediscovering surfing. The waves are bigger and better. She’s having more fun, exploring new sensations. « With free surfing, I'm rediscovering the spirit of surfing. You take your time and that changes your trip and your perception of surfing. You meet people, you share, you discover new cultures ».
Learn, share and pass on. These seem to be Maud Le Car's leitmotivs. With big-wave surfing, she feels she has to relearn everything. At the peak, she's often the only woman, and it's not easy to find your place in the water. She still hears remarks like « it's too big for girls »... The guys don't do her any favors « and I prefer it that way. It motivates me! ».
When she hears a little girl on the beach say « that means I could do it too », that's her greatest reward. Maud's aim is to inspire the next generation of surfers, encouraging them to make their dreams come true. « A lot of girls need support, if there's another girl in the water, that encourages them ».
In fact, she sponsors several young surfers through her ‘Save the Mermaid’ association.
A structure she created to raise children's ocean pollution awareness. Maud takes part in educational and fun workshops in schools. In the mornings, they collect garbage on the beach, and in the afternoons, they create artistic works using the plastic they collected. These shared moments show that « ecology can be cool, fun and accessible ». With these actions and her association, Maud is doing her bit to protect the planet. « Nobody's perfect, we have to live with the times, but we can all do better. It's a simple way of showing that with small actions, there can be change ». Maud knows that by passing on the message to children, in addition to raising the new generation’s awareness, she ensures that they themselves become influencers for their parents…“I've been enjoying the ocean every day since I was born, so I see it as a duty. I want to give back to the ocean what it gives me by doing specific things in my own small and unpretentious way. I want to be remembered not just as a surfer, but as a woman who did something good ».
