French Ethan Capdeville is one of the many European young guns who are following their own path, showing results and, step by step, conquering their space in the world of bodyboarding. A talented, smart, polite and respectful 21 years old kid. The legacy left by his father is enormous, so are his dreams. Last season the IBC elected him Rookie of the Year on the world tour. Here’s what he told us.
First of all, your father Nicolas is a legend in the bodyboarding world, being 1x GOB QS champ, 2x ISA champ, 2x European champ and multiple French champ. What was it like to grow up with such an inspiration by your side?
Ethan Capdeville: I had the chance to grow up in the world of bodyboarding! I grew up in Mimizan, in Les Landes, spending all my Summers at my father’s surf school. At that time, all the best French bodyboarders, maybe except PLC and Moz, were working with my dad. I spent a lot of time surfing in front of all those guys who inspired me a lot, such as Cédric Dufaure, Julien Miremont, and Yoann Florentin. I had the chance to be coached, inspired at the same time, and share a lot of sessions with all of these legends and that helped me a lot in my progression and my motivation.
When I was a kid, my dad was literally my idol and he inspired me a lot. He is definitely the person who had the most impact on my career and on my riding! He never put pressure on me to do bodyboarding, competition or whatever and I think today he is very proud and happy for me.
“When I was a kid, my dad was literally my idol and he inspired me a lot. He is definitely the person who had the most impact on my career and on my riding!”
Also, you grow up side by side with your brother Noah who is a bodyboard shredder as well. That’s a home and family that breathes bodyboarding on a daily basis 24/7. How important was that for you to come this far?
EC: Yes, my brother Noah was also a very good bodyboarder. Easily one of the best young French athletes, he finished 3rd at the Pro Junior Viana World Championship in 2018. He still bodyboards very well but now only for fun. He decided to move to Paris to finish his studies. During our childhood, we surfed a lot together. We were always trying to be the best during our sessions, so we developed a healthy competition between us. I also spent a lot of time with my cousin, who is also a bodyboard lover. We formed a very close crew with my brother, my cousin Quentin, and another friend, Hugo. We spent all our Summers together, always in the water surfing, watching competitions, videos, or playing Youriding. Those were the good times! We always pushed each other to go for bigger waves, to try new tricks… and it was epic to share the passion with such close people.
“Me and my brother, were always trying to be the best during our free sessions, so we developed a healthy competition between us”
How’s bodyboarding in France these days? Still growing? How’s the industry and contest scene?
EC: Some guys say that bodyboarding is already dead, but what I see and what I experience doesn’t go that way. For sure, we are not at the prime of bodyboarding, but the sport is always present in our country. In the Southwest of France, there are always some guys in the water with bodyboards, and sometimes at specific spots, there are more bodyboarders than surfers.In france we have the chance to have some very good guys who are trying to develop the sport, guys like Nicolas Padois who has been creating a lot of very good bodyboarders for 20 years, Yoan Canevet “Txiken” who has created his 100% bodyboard school, Dereck Crater, Yvon Martinez. All of these guys do a lot for our sport and I’m very impressed and grateful for all they do!Regarding the industry, I am not an expert, but the industry looks good with big brands like Pride, Bodyboard Center, Nymph, and Sen No Sen who have been established in France for many years and are still here, doing a lot to develop our sport too.
Personally, I work as a surf instructor, and in our surf school, we offer bodyboard lessons, and I am very surprised by the demand during the Summer season. We easily have 1 or 2 full lessons per day. Of course, it’s not comparable to surfing, but the demand is here, and we need to acknowledge that.
As far as contests, there is a cool National Tour underway with some very good guys. I personally can’t attend all these events, but I know all the guys attending are ripping, and during the French Championship mixed with all the Reunion guys, Guadeloupeans… the level is crazy, trust me!
“In the Southwest, there are always some guys in the water with bodyboards, and sometimes at specific spots, there are more bodyboarders than surfers”
At the moment you seem to be totally focused on the comp side. After being ranked 4th in the world last year, with three semifinal appearances (Antofagasta, Itacoatiara and Maldives), what is the real goal for this new season?
EC: I am very focused on the IBC World Tour because for me it’s the organization with the best bodyboarders in the world, no matter what some people say. There is not any other organization with the same level of bodyboarding, and I just want to compete with the best guys to try to be better and to improve myself. This is, for me, the most important thing: trying to be
better every day.
I have wanted to be on the Tour since I was a child. I grew up watching all IBA/APB events, and I even participated in some APB Pro Junior events. My goal was to be in the top 16 with the best. Following the World Tour was literally one of my dreams when I was a kid, and I really want to thank everyone who helped me to achieve this goal. It took me two years to qualify.
In the first year on tour (2022), I participated in 5 out of 8 contests and finished 28th. Last year, I had the chance to follow all the events and finished 4th. I have done a lot of work since my first year. In the first 3 events of my life on the tour (Iquique, Antofagasta and Brazil) I was eliminated in the first round. That was very tough to accept, but I didn’t give up. I doubled down on my efforts, stayed very motivated and focused, and I was sure my turn would come. After that, I finished 9th at Sintra, which kept me motivated to keep working in that way. I continued to work hard and stay focused, and the next season I finished 4th. I didn’t really realize the ranking at the end of the year. Being in the top 5 with Tanner, PLC, Tristan, and Moz seemed unreal to me. I was in the top 5 with guys who have inspired me the most since I was a kid.
My ultimate goal is to be world champ, but I know there is a long way ahead. I know I need to achieve and learn a lot of things. I don’t want to go too fast, but I really want to win an event this year, and I am very focused on it.
“IBC it’s the organization with the best bodyboarders in the world, no matter what some people say. There is not any other organization with the same level of bodyboarding”
The French gang on tour is very tight and friendly. Having the companion of your friends when travelling and during the competitions makes all the difference for you?
EC: Yes, we have a very cool crew with the French guys. It’s very cool to travel with all the boys. We shared everything on tour: car, house, food, sessions. It’s more fun to be with the guys, and that helps us to stay motivated. We always surf together, and everybody wants to be the best. We have a very cool competitiveness between us. Being with this crew helped me a lot, especially in my first years. Being with guys like Max, PLC, and Moz was a unique chance. They always shared their plans, experiences, and knowledge about the cities, accommodations, waves, competitions, and people.
For the French Boogie Crew, Max created the Instagram page without a real idea of what we were going to do with it. Step by step, we developed the page and created some projects. Last year, we made a video with Yann, Yonn, and Max called the French Boogie Tape. Since then, we have been trying to create a clip for each event with some competition footage, but also showcasing all the free surfing and the behind the scenes that people don’t see. It seems to be appreciated in France, so it’s very motivating for the future. I really think that creating fun projects like that is very important for the sport of Bodyboarding. Everything we do is directly inspired by the OZ guys from back in the day.
“My ultimate goal is to be world champ, but I know there is a long way ahead. I know I need to achieve and learn a lot of things. I don’t want to go too fast”
Which wave/spot would you like to see on tour and compete on?
EC: I really want to have Pipeline on tour because it’s the most iconic wave in the world. Winning a world event at Pipe can be compared to winning a world title, I guess. Personally, if I could choose, I don’t know if I would prefer to win Pipeline with epic conditions like in 2012 or win a world title. I think it’s the only wave in the world that can create this kind of dilemma.
“Winning a world event at Pipe can be compared to winning a world title, I guess”
By the way, you just signed with Nymph Wetsuits. Congrats on that deal! Being an ambassador for a brand that cares about the environment is like a dream come true… right?
EC: Yes, I’m so happy to be a part of the brand. All the guys on the team are ripping, and that motivates me a lot. And most importantly, Nymph is a brand that cares about the environment. All the wetsuits are 100% made with Yulex. It’s very important as a surfer to be mindful of the environmental crisis. We need to respect nature and the ocean because it’s our playground. I know that with our lifestyle, we don’t have the best carbon footprint, but we need to be careful of things that we can control. And last but not least, the quality of these wetsuits and boardshorts is incredible. They are easily the best wetsuits that I’ve had. So, I encourage everyone to prioritize wetsuits made with Yulex, especially the ones from Nymph Wetsuits. I also have the chance to be supported by Autoconsomation, a business localised in Mimizan who sell solar panels. Being supported by French brands that share the same values as me is very important. So i’m very proud to represent these brands.
“It’s very important as a surfer to be mindful of the environmental crisis. We need to respect nature and the ocean because it’s our playground”
And what does it mean to also have the support of the Stealth Army and Bodyboard Center? More, what can you tell us about your new signature board model?
EC: Since this year, I have had the pleasure to also ride for Stealth and BC+. I have been in another brand for a long time, but I felt it was time for me to change and explore something new. Those brands have believed in me, and now we are on an adventure together. It’s very rewarding to be supported by these brands. Furthermore, I love the Stealth brand. Since I was a little boy, I have been a fan of guys like Jake Stone, Nick Gornall, George and Davis. I am very proud to be part of this brand, and I think my image aligns well with theirs.This season, Stealth decided to create my pro model. They gave me the chance to name my board, and we decided to call it New Blood. There are two reasons for this name: Firstly, because there are hardly any young riders who have their own pro model, so we think this board can bring some freshness. Secondly, the name of the board is also a reference to my father. The logo of the board is related to its significance; we want to show that I am very determined and motivated.
“(…) there are hardly any young riders who have their own pro model, so we think this board can bring some freshness”
One last question regarding the soon to be released clip New Blood, which has the same name as your board model. Interesting. What can you tell us? When will it be released?
EC: Can’t imagine a better question to finish with! So yes, we worked in collaboration with BC+, Nymph, and Stealth on a video project to announce my pro model. The video is 8 minutes long (teaser below), and it’s my first solo project. We’ve showcased different lifestyles from what’s typically seen in the world of bodyboarding and surfing. Drawing inspiration from Hip Hop/Rap and Rock, we aimed to create a unique image and style for the video. We’ve put serious work into this clip, and we hope it will appeal to everyone.
I will tease the clip, share some action shots, and we have organized some premieres. Everything will be posted on my Instagram in June, so stay tuned because something cool is coming and my pro model will also be available in June.
Thank you for these questions. It was an honor for me to answer them!
All photos from Ethan personal files
