Antoine Auriol epitomizes Manera’s slogan ‘Stay Salty’. Here, Antoine tells us why the slogan rings so true to him…
Photos: Rocío Hernández
What does the phrase Stay Salty mean to you?
Stay Salty is an amazing feeling, because it means that I’m connected to the ocean. This connection is very deep because it also means that I’m connected to the elements. It’s powerful. When I’m in the ocean I’m lucky to play with the winds and the waves. I feel very blessed to be able to stay salty for a while almost every day.
Describe your feeling before, during and after a session.
Before a session I’m excited, because I know that I’m going to enjoy a nice session kitesurfing or foiling… I know I will be outside, and I know that it’s going to be an adventure. There is never a bad session because there is always a way to have fun with all the gear we have thanks to F-One and Manera. Our playground has no limits!
During a session I feel wild and free. I don’t think to much, my mind gets into a flow of feelings, and sometimes even into a state of grace… That’s what I love during a session, this feeling of being totally connected to nature and to myself at the same time.
After a session I love the feeling of being relaxed, and everything I do is more intense… The food I’m eating is tasty, the juice I’m drinking is refreshing, the music I listen vibrates deep inside my body, and I have a huge smile that doesn’t get away of my face. In a few words : I’m feeling connected to the moment.
Why is salt water always the best therapy?
Because salty water is really healthy. We all need a dose of salt in our organisms everyday. Iode combined with sun is the best therapy to stay fit and happy! The perfect equation is: Salt + wind + sun = JOY.
Best salty experience?
I have many beautiful salty experiences and everyone of them is great – like the last adventure I did on a trimaran from Saint-Malo to La Grande-Motte – but if I have to choose my best salty experience I would say one of my full salty menu day: surf foiling in the morning on glassy water, then kite foiling with a soft breeze, then enjoying a strong wind afternoon wingfoiling and to finish enjoying an amazing sunset doing some freestyle on a twintip… This is the kind of perfect salty day to me, being more than 8 hours in the ocean.
Worst salty experience?
During a stormy day I got smashed and almost drawn by a huge wave, because I got rolled in my lines without being able to move and to breathe for a while… that was a bit tough but then I felt really alive.
Tell us why Manera is such a good fit for you…
Manera is my best mate before, during and after my sessions because I feel always warm and secure thanks to all the products that Manera offers. I start and finish a session by using a poncho, then the perfect wetsuit and harness for each day, depending on the conditions. The weather is always evolving, and it’s good to be able to ride with the perfect gear and a second skin that makes you feel just like if you would be naked, free to move… In these days we got hit by a cold wave in Spain so I was lucky to use my 5/4/3 hooded Magma wetsuit. I stayed 3 hours in the cold water and I was feeling warm and flexible!
What is the most essential gear for you?
I would say the wetsuit because I remember that when I was at the beginning of my career, I was using old wetsuits and I wasn’t feeling very comfortable. Since many years I’m feeling super happy with my Manera wetsuits, knowing that I will be able to fully enjoy the ocean even if the water gets cold. Being warm and able to stretch on all my moves allows me to focus on my riding, and to continue to improve my gliding and fluidity.
As a kitefoil transplant who’s steadily working his way up the wingfoiling competitive ladder, Lucas Matthes is representative of several European young guns who are looking to move out of the national pro scene and into the international realms. Photos: Andreas Diekötter RIDER STATS Age: 20 Height: 179cm Weight: 73kg Sponsors: CORE Wingfoil, Soöruz Competitive
READ MORE
Any “new” form of wave riding that shows up in the line-up is bound to raise a few eyebrows – and, I’d argue more often than not, meet a fair bit of skepticism or even outright disdain from whoever the mainstream crowd happens to be out there. On occasion that reaction might be justified. More often though, it’s not. But as Noé Cantaloube argues in this piece, when it comes to surf foiling, it’s worth looking a little deeper – and maybe even giving it a go – before jumping to conclusions.
READ MORE
Artist Phil Lewis’s journey to the foil was much like many others – via other board/wind sports, earning his stripes on lakes in California and Colorado. But it was a trip to Nicaragua in 2023 that cemented Phil’s love affair with foiling… which has also now found its way into his art in quite interesting ways.
READ MORE
