DUOTONE YOUNG GUNS: A MEDITERRANEAN STORM CHASE
John Carter joins a crew of Duotone young guns as they chase an epic forecast in the south of France, where the infamous mistral wind was whipping up a storm.
Words: John Carter, Carlos Kiefer Quintana, Alexia Kiefer Quintana, Tobias Bjørnaa, Cesar Filippe // Photos: John Carter
PRELUDE
After a hectic late season in 2023, I finally made it home, ready to start gearing up for some well-deserved seasonal celebrations. Surely there was no space left to squeeze in any more trips with only a few days remaining until Christmas? But just when I least expected it, the phone pinged: “JC are you available to go to Denmark or France? Leaving tomorrow and returning on Christmas Eve.”. The message was from Alex Hasch, Duotone’s Marketing Manager, who was checking to see if I was keen to join a crew of young guns on a last-minute storm chase. They were still deciding the exact location and I was told the decision would be made by the end of the day. Hmmm, I was not sure if this news was going to go down too well with my wife, but with Christmas looming, I decided I could do with extra pennies, plus it sounded fun to hang out with some up-and-coming young guns, so I volunteered for the mission, if they still wanted me and the last-minute logistics all worked out. Within twenty-four hours a decision had been made to pull the trigger and Marseille would be the chosen location. After some frantic organisation, I booked an early flight from Gatwick, which involved travelling through the night for a 7am check in, en route to France.
As far as I was aware, we had booked apartments from Cesar’s dad, on the beachfront at Carro, just outside of Marseille and the crew was set to be; Alexia and Carlos Kiefer Quintana from Gran Canaria, Tobias Bjørnaa from Denmark and local rider Cesar Filippe, as well as Marco Lang from Duotone, who would act as the father figure and would be responsible for looking after everyone. Cesar’s dad had hyped up the forecast and was promising sick conditions with much warmer weather than Denmark, which was supposed to be a bone chilling 5ºC without wind chill factored in, 60 knots and an eight-metre swell. Looking at the forecast we were sets for three days of strong Mistral winds, so surely we would score some solid windsurfing. Our only slight issue was that all of the young guns in questions normally sail port tack, while Marseille is predominantly a starboard tack location. Oh well, nothing like throwing them in at the deep end.
By the time I made it from the airport to Carro, all the other crew were already settled in, and Carlos and Tobias had even cooked us up some pasta for lunch, which was waiting on the table as we stepped foot in the apartment. I was immediately impressed! After lunch, the plan was to sail outside the apartment, but unfortunately the conditions at Carro were flat and gusty.
A LESS THAN IDEAL START
After precariously navigating our way through the Marseille traffic, we eventually arrived at Prado Beach in the midst of the city! It looked epic upon arrival, but the wind suddenly swung offshore while we were trying to get organised. Somehow Carlos had failed to pack two quite vital pieces of equipment, harnesses and deck plates, for himself and his sister, but the less said about that the better! It was a lesson learned and that was all part of the concept behind the trip i.e. to give the young sailors a chance to learn, bond and share their experiences together. We would have to re-group and be better prepared for the following morning. We spent the evening shopping for food and then set about our plan of attack for the next day. Apparently a slight change in the wind direction could send solid waves into Carro, otherwise we would be looking at an hour-long drive towards La Coudou, which was predicted to be 50 knots by the evening!
LA COUDOU: THE MISTRAL STRIKES
The swell still hadn’t materialised in Carro by the next morning, so we packed the van, which was double checked by Marco to make sure we had everything we needed, and hit the road early. Upon arrival, the wind was patchy and I must say it didn’t look particularly epic, but this was our only option and with the likes of Antony Ruenes and Cyril Moussilmani both on the beach, we figured that we must be in the right place I have been to this beach several times over the years and knew that there was a great vantage point on the headland, which is located on the right-hand side of the beach. After a quick investigation, it quickly became apparent that that whole area had been cordoned off as there was some major building work taking place… bugger… I would either have to sneak in or find another place to shoot. By midday the wind was already up to 30 knots and our young gun crew hit the water ready to shred. I managed to clamber under some metal fencing, while sneaking past the builders into my lookout on the cliffs, where I would be out of sight. The weather was a bit overcast, but that didn’t deter the action as the likes of Alexia, Carlos, Tobias and Cesar egged each other on into bigger and more radical moves.
It did not take long for the guys to tune into the spot and I was pretty impressed with the way they were all attacking the waves. After a few hours the crew came in for a break and we decided that we would wait for the last hour of the day before sailing again. By 4pm the wind was really cranking with gusts well over 40 knots being recorded. This time round, when I tried to sneak through the building zone, I was caught by one of the French workers, who was shouting: “Vous devez partir… maintenant!”. I am not sure what he meant, but he looked furious, so I scuttled back under the fencing, much like a dog with its tail between its legs. I then proceeded to wait a little while for the builders to resume work and then stealthily made my way back in, literally crawling behind the bushes by the edge of the building site… luckily I made it back in this time without being caught.
By the end of the day, it was blowing 50 knots or more, and when the sun burst through it looked pretty epic. To sail in those conditions was another matter and most of the crew were blown off the water. Carlos had a few monster bail outs, while the rest of the team were struggling to hang on to their bottom turns in the wild gusts. It ended up as a survival session and not quite the type of sailing, or photos, we were originally looking for. On the way home we stopped by a local shop, where Marco explained to the groms the importance of checking in with any retailers who are connected to their brand. By the time we were back at our apartment it was pretty late and I was hoping that Carro would finally deliver for our final full day of action. Otherwise we would be driving across the city once again.
CARRO LIGHTS UP
Marco made the call that breakfast would be bright and early at 7.30am, so we would all be raring to go for an early session. Croissants and coffee were just what the doctor ordered as we looked out to the sight of logo high waves breaking outside the window. Finally it looked like Carro was going to be cooking. I remember being here with the PWA for a very frustrating event where the conditions were pretty much glassy for the whole ten days of the event. Today we got to see the best of Carro with logo to mast high clean waves and solid 20-30 knot side-offshore winds. Apparently down the coast at La Coudou it was gusting over 60 knots! This was classic mistral winds, which are quite a regular occurrence in this part of France, hence the reason why so many pros live and train in this area.
Obviously local rider, Cesar Filippe, immediately felt at home in these conditions as he has been sailing this spot all of his life. He reckoned it was pretty epic for Carro, so we wasted no time hitting the water. Right off the bat the conditions were pretty intense with big sets breaking out the back and detonating on the reef on the inside. There was an area slightly further downwind, which was pretty chaotic and even a few local sailors were struggling with the conditions, which culminated with them ending up on the rocks. As the session evolved, I was pleasantly surprised to see just how hard our young gun crew were ripping and approaching the waves with no remorse. After two and a half hours, we decided to take a well-earned break, and hold off for the evening session once again. We had already scored with plenty of big hits, aerials and critical bottom turns, so the last session was going to be a pure bonus.
By late afternoon, the wind weirdly backed off, which wasn’t forecast, while just down the coast they were now reporting gusts over 70 knots. However, instead of those crazy conditions, we scored some epic float and ride conditions with the waves being perfectly groomed by the side-off winds. We were joined by another Duotone young gun hot shot, who was also very impressive and scored some beautiful hits in the translucent waves. By the end of the day we were all pretty stoked to have scored Carro firing on all cylinders, and we devoured a well-deserved final meal in a lovely local restaurant, just outside of town. Of course, I managed to sneak in a couple of icy cold beers, as the mission almost complete and Christmas was looming, so I felt the urge for a small celebration.
FINAL SWANSONG
The next morning it was cold and relatively flat again, but we had a few hours to kill before my flight at midday. Alexia came up with the bright idea that the crew should all score some bump and jump shots for a bit of a fun bonus session, so we hit the water once again at first light. This time round I took to the water, and despite the cold, we scored a few cool shots before I had to rush off to the airport and deal with the Christmas travel chaos.
I must say that trip was a lot of fun and it was also really cool to hang out and get to know some of new up and coming talents in the sport. Marco Lang was a legend, and passed on a tonne of useful knowledge to the crew, and I hope they all learned something positive to take away from this experience. We all made it home in time for Christmas having scored some epic conditions, so I think it’s safe to say that it was mission accomplished!
CARLOS KIEFER QUINTANA
AGE: 16 | WEIGHT: 70kg | HEIGHT: 176cm
FAVOURITE BOARD: 69L DUOTONE SLS
I loved the idea of this trip to France. Duotone are pushing the young generation, so we learn more and we gain more experience. We had a lot of fun and I hope there will be some more trips like this again in the future. The first days were a little tricky, but at Carro we had epic conditions with mast high waves and good wind. I was sailing on a 3.4m Duotone and I had a lot of fun. It was difficult as most of us normally sail port tack, so it took a while to get comfortable in these conditions. But I would say that next time I go windsurfing in starboard tack, it will be a lot easier for me. I have already learned a lot. It was nice to be able to talk in French to the locals and try all the new food. Toby helped me improve my aerials on starboard tack. I tried quite a few and managed to land one. I had a few mast high waves and I was screaming because it was huge. I surfed it and when I went for the bottom turn, I saw it was going to break on me… but I just managed to bail out. It was a crazy session. It was one of my most memorable sessions I have ever experienced. The other place we sailed was super nice as well. It was completely different as it was cross onshore. Both places were so different to Gran Canaria and it was a lot colder too. The waves were better than what we get in Pozo as well. These differences made it challenging, but so much fun to learn. I was super excited when I was sailing and we all enjoyed the great experience sailing together.
My ambition is to keep sailing and try to enjoy my windsurfing. Let’s see what comes out of it. I obviously want to be world champion in the future, but right now I am only focusing on having fun, training and being able to sail with my friends and enjoying the sport. We are pushing each other to get better.
ALEXIA KIEFER QUINTANA
AGE: 18 | WEIGHT: 64kg | HEIGHT: 168cm
FAVOURITE BOARD: GRIP SLS FROM DUOTONE 69L
I tried the Duotone 68L SLS for the first time at Carro and wow, it is an amazing board and I really liked it for surfing the waves. I loved the whole concept of the young guns trip. I really enjoyed the whole time we spent together both on and off the water with my friends. We all pushed each other a lot. It is amazing that Duotone are focusing on the young riders and it makes me a lot more motivated to improve. Even when I go back home, I will windsurf more now. I hope Duotone does another trip for the young riders as this was an amazing experience. I am not used to starboard tack, but the waves at Carro were fun and pretty big. It was very cold compared to Gran Canaria – we are not so used to sailing when it is that cold. The waves were much more powerful than at home.
In the future I would like to become windsurfing world champion at least once, that is for sure. I want to achieve it soon as well. I will train a lot for the next competitions and next year I think I will be travelling a lot. All the other brands should do the same with their young riders. We are really motivated to windsurf a lot and we want to improve.
TOBIAS BJØRNAA
AGE: 17 | WEIGHT: 72KG | HEIGHT: 190cm
FAVOURITE BOARD: DUOTONE GRIP SLS 69L
I think this trip was epic. I got to sail and travel with my friends who are also my teammates. We also got to go and sail in a new place in the south of France which was really cool. We had a bit of a French storm and the wind and waves were really decent at Carro. It was mast high in the sets, with side-offshore wind and down-the-line conditions. It was nice to sail starboard tack as it is mostly port tack at home in Denmark. I ride my skateboard the same side as starboard tack, so that helped a lot. It felt like the natural tack for me to ride waves. I landed a few big aerials at Carro which felt nice.
The second day we sailed it was dead at the beginning, but by the evening it picked up like crazy, so much so that I was fully overpowered on my 4m, but I think even on a 3m I could’ve been powered. That session was also fun. In Carro I didn’t think about being scared by the waves. I was trying to ride the biggest waves possible and then go for some big moves. It was so much fun, hanging with the crew. We always have a lot of fun at competitions or on trips. Marco was our dad on the trip, driving us around, giving us tips and helping us being prepared. We all bought our food together and ate at restaurants together, so it was fun both on and off of the water.
CESAR FILIPPE
AGE: 17 | WEIGHT:62kg | HEIGHT: 175cm
FAVOURITE BOARD: GRIP SLS 60L
I ride a 60L board and I really love it. It is great for wave riding and jumping. It is the smallest they do. The idea of this trip was awesome. We had the chance to get to know each other, which was great as there aren’t a lot of young riders these days, so hopefully this trip can inspire some other young riders to do the same. We can show that the young generation is coming. Windsurfing is not all about the older professional riders. We are the future, someday. We had a lot of luck to have all of these different conditions in the Mediterranean Sea. The second day was over 50 knots by the end and I was overpowered on my 3m. At the end it was almost impossible to sail, but at the beginning we had a solid onshore session. We could surf the waves and do some nice tricks. Even for jumping it was nice and it wasn’t crowded. Carro was insane. That was almost as good as it gets. We only get these days in the winter. All the waves were coming in lines and in the afternoon it was glassy. All of our crew were ripping. I had a few amazing waves. I rode one wave with three big turns and I also landed a small pushloop. It was a tough day for jumping. I didn’t know any of the other sailors that well, so it has been nice to spend these days with them.
My ambition, in the future is to drop some dope videos! I want to also compete at a lot of PWA competitions. Being world champion is not my main focus, I just want to be a good rider and also be an all-round waterman. I also do wing-foiling, surf-foiling and surfing, a bit like Kai Lenny, I hope!
TOM PANSARD
AGE: 15 | WEIGHT: 50kg | HEIGHT: 168cm
FAVOURITE BOARD: DUOTONE GRIP 4 60L
It was a great surprise that Duotone organised a shoot at my home spot in Carro. I wasn’t able to be there at first because of school, but from Friday afternoon I was able to come and ride with the team. It was good timing because a big west swell was forecast.
It was really cool to be able to share these sessions with young top riders, who I’ve heard about for a long time, both for their results in competition and being on the Duotone team. I was also impressed to know that John Carter was doing the photos and everything at Carro.
The conditions were really top, big waves with a good side side-off wind direction. The good thing about Carro is that I’ve always been used to riding both sides and here I was pretty comfortable. It was technical, but I gave it my all for the photos.
I was on Duotone Now 3.2m and Grip 4 60 litres, which is my favourite combo.
The timing couldn’t have been any better because these conditions only occur four or five times a year.
For the time being, I’m continuing to ride at Carro, which works in different conditions, and I’m doing summer trips to Portugal and Spain. I ride as many different types of board as possible: windsurfing, wingfoil wave, freestyle and race, surfoil, wave supfoil and downwind. They all complement each other depending on the conditions. What you learn in one discipline is useful for the others, but the sensations in wave windsurfing are incomparable.
In the future, I want to continue to enjoy riding, which doesn’t mean I can’t perform. For example, this year I’m world champion in Freefly Slalom in the U19 GWA wing-foil discipline, which feels great. In the future I would consider attending some windsurfing wave events – particularly those more geared towards surfing rather than jumping. However, those conditions are often found in remote destinations, which requires a decent budget. Thanks to Duotone for taking an interest in young people and helping them to progress.
