6-year-old Baby Shredder

by Stéphane Arfi

photos by Jean-Marc Lecerf

PROUD MOM: The fact that Arnaud has always been hanging around windsurfers has caused him to flourish both physically and mentally. According to his mother Evelyn, his pediatrician is always amazed at his muscular strength. “Obviously we don’t want him to sail too much, so that he doesn’t develop back problems. The sail of the mini Bic is so light that for the present time there is no risk.”

A PROPER PERSPECTIVE: At the age of three, Arnaud climbed on a mini-Bic, thoroughly enjoyed himself and never quit. Instructors from a local shop taught him the basics of the sport and helped him progress.  Yet, Arnaud’s father Pierre remains vigilant about his son’s propensity toward windsurfing: “There are many parents who would like to make their child a world champion as soon as it becomes evident that their child is gifted. This is not our case. Arnaud windsurfs, but school will always come first. I will never push him, even if he insists.”

Arnaud Jacques is only 6 years old and already sails like a little pro. For having gotten into the world of windsurfing at an early age thanks to his dad, his level of expertise is astonishing. He sails at all speeds, holds his own in a strong wind and sharpens his jibes to the millimeter. But moreover, it is his passion and his knowledge of our sport which commands respect. Here is an interview, in his own words, with the child from Almanarre exiled to Martinique. A little windsurfer in the image of a very young generation.

Tell me Arnaud, do you remember when you started windsurfing?

Yes, I was three years old. I went to the lagoon at Vauclin. It was on a mini Bic.

Who did you sail with?

[happily] With Dad.

Did you like it right away?

[makes a face] No, I couldn’t use my rig and I didn’t know how to get back. But after that, I succeeded. And I liked it, you know. In Wind Magazine, I saw a little sail in the Wind Challenge race. It was me beside Antoine [Albeau, pro-sailor from France]. I had Dad’s F2 and the Mini Bic sail.

What were you doing beside Antoine?

I was waiting for Robert [Teriitehau] to arrive to the race.

Oh yes, and then?

When he [Robert] came, I did a jibe for him and threw him a kiss. He said to me “What’s your name?” and then he went to sign autographs. He sat down in a chair because he was tired. There were lots of people everywhere and he put me on his knees.

You did a jibe for him or a tack, when he arrived on his board?

No, a jibe! A tack, that goes less quickly and you don’t have to push with your foot on the side of the board.

Oh yes, well–I tell myself that too. Were you disappointed that Robert lost the race?

Yes, very disappointed. But Antoine, he is very strong. He is very nice. Say, he’s the champion of France, Antoine? At Almanarre, he was just behind Bringdal.

How do you know that?

My papa told me. You didn’t know that?

Uh, no… How do you sail, Arnaud?

[happily] Pretty well–but I need to train more and longer in order to make more progress. But you have seen me sail–I even passed you on your board, didn’t I? It’s true!

Yes! [laughter] Which champions do you know Arnaud?

[counts on his fingers] Well, I know Robert, Robby, Bjorn, Antoine, Anders.

Do you watch windsurfing videos?

All the time! But I don’t have very many. Not enough! One time I put in too many cassettes and broke Dad’s VCR. He was not happy.

What videos do you watch most?

[exclaims with joy] Tarifa! It’s in the Canaries. There was Bjorn, Roddy Lewis and what’s his name, uh, Thierry Bierak and Fred Beauchene, uh no–Fred Haywood.

What do you have for a board?

I have a mini-Bic, but I would like to have a sail with battens. I will pay for it myself if Papa wants. [speaks in a low voice, smiling] Can you buy one for me? If not, I have a Bercy custom that Gregory gave me [Gregory Vernant, organizer of the Wind Challenge] it’s a frog. He didn’t like it very much because his friend [Christophe Biannis] made it for him.

Do you put your feet in the straps?

Sometimes, yes.

A jibe, can you do it?

Yes, but it sinks a little.

And a waterstart?

No, I don’t have a big enough sail yet. But when I do, it will be easy for me.

Who is the greatest, for you, in Martinique?

Nicolas Duval, but I am the greatest–the world champion of Martinique. I sail with my friends: Arnaud… Margot, but she doesn’t know how to sail very well, and Alizé, and then with–after that I don’t know anymore!

Do you remember when you were living in Almanarre?

Yes, we ran on the beach with Salomé [Thiéme] Erik, he’s my buddy. We went to Drive [Driveurloc] with Papa. I really liked that beach.

Would you like to compete later on?

Yes I would. The French Olympic Cup.

How does your Dad sail?

Not very well. [father laughs]

And your Mom?

Not very well either. I go faster than she does.

Do you prefer to sail when the wind is light or strong?

[without hesitation] When it’s very strong! Force 6. Once there was a Force 7, but I wasn’t there. Say, do you think there will be another Force 7?

Oh, of course. Why do you like it when the wind is strong?

Because I feel like planing. One time, [a true story, the ashamed witnesses on the water are numerous] in the lagoon, there was a slight breeze which turned into a Force 6. All the other sails were glued to the water except mine!

Are you happy sailing?

[pretends not to understand] Yes–Yes, on a board, when I pull on the boom I am like a little crazy person. I stick out my tongue, I joke with everyone on the water. Windsurfing is a sport for little mad crazy people, eh?

Yes, that’s exactly it Arnaud–There are quite a lot of little crazies–then they grow up to become big crazies! [laughter] Who is your favorite champion?

Bjorn, because he is strong, Robert, because he is a little mad man. [he laughs, hiding his mouth]  And Anders also because he is strong. But Dunkerbeck because he is truly the strongest.

How many years has he been World Champion?

Eight years. [very happy that he could answer correctly, then silence, then he adds mischievously] I would like to be first in the world.

Why, according to you, is Bjorn the strongest?

You know, in the video on Robert, from Canal Plus, [ the pay channel in France] Robert says that Bjorn is programmed like a computer–tou-tou-tou-tou-tou, like that [he breaks out laughing]. In a slalom, Bjorn ran away with the race and Robert was last… uh no, he was second.

It makes you dream about Bjorn?

[astonished by such a question] I don’t know–but at Ho’okipa, in the waves, he was very strong. He did great loops, really super!

Where is Ho’okipa?

In Maui.

Have you been there yet?

No!

Arnaud, you told me that you want to be World Champion. At age six?

Well, no–[he looks at me, bending his head as if to say, these are stupid questions] When I am ten years old, I will go into competition, and then at 18, I will be World Champion.

Why?

Because I am stronger than Teriitehau!

Who do you think about when you sail?

[he raises his hand, as if to answer in school] About Robert. I want to do it like he does–the same position, leaning over the board. Sometimes, I tell myself that one day I am going to sail at Bercy [Paris indoor event] with the champions. But if you fall on the jump ramp you are eliminated aren’t you?

Almost, yes.

I am young to sail with a champion eh?

Yes, but you know, in Normandy there is a young man who sails well. His name is Nicholas Bretzel-–he is barely ten years old. And in Hawaii, there is a little guy, Levi Siver who is 13 years old and already does loops.

Wow! That’s great! Well, if I were to sail in a race with him, I would put all my force into beating him. But I have to learn to sail when the sea is grey and the weather is cold. The water here is warm and the weather is often good.

Have you been afraid on the water?

No. With my Dad and Christian [Chardon, Mr. FFV, who lives in Martinique where he is an air controller and neighbor of Arnaud], we crossed to the little islands. It was super. One time, when I was really little, I was on the F2 and Christian was pulling me. He had attached a rope to my board. We were going at the same speed and doing jibes at the same time. We jibed in front of the coral reef.

Who taught you to understand the wind Arnaud?

Christian. He explained to me how to pull on the edges to go straight ahead. I know how to go downwind and come back into the wind also. But I still have a centerboard–I would like a small board without a centerboard. Like the Bics and Tigas–that would be neat, eh?

Do you sail often?

When I’m on vacation, when I’m not in school. My Dad carries the board and I carry the sail and we walk down to the lagoon and Papa rigs the mini–Bic and I know how to de-rig.

Was it easy to take photos for the magazine?

Well, I really like to watch my wake when I sail and there, I was going very fast.  I was not looking in front of me. I hit a big buoy and I broke the custom. I was sad. But my friend Julien who works at Surf Paradise, he fixed it for me.

If you were not windsurfing, would you do another sport?

Surfing, then track. I like to run. But I will always prefer windsurfing.

Stéphane Arfi is an editor for Wind Magazine, in France. This interview was originally published in Wind in June of 1996.