The island paradise of Moorea is home to Swan Habelt, whose passion for foiling and surfing is only enhanced by his love for his sublime local surroundings, and only matched in his commitment to protecting it wherever he can. Here, he tells us about one particularly perfect day that’s not going to disappear from his memory any time soon…
I live on the island of Moorea, in French Polynesia. No matter how many pictures you look at of our beautiful island, you can’t truly get a sense of it unless you spend time here. This is where I grew up and where I’ve indulged my passion for water sports for the last 21 years.
Early on this particular Wednesday morning, I headed to my favorite secret spot to check the conditions, just as I always do. But things were weird… and contrary to what is normal and what had been forecast, the wind had changed. Usually at this time of the year, a northeasterly wind called the Toerau blows on the spot. But this day it blew from the southeast. The Maraamu wind was early, and although I didn’t know it yet, it was the harbinger of one of my most beautiful wing foil sessions ever.
đź’Ž Premium Content Ahead! đź’Ž
This is premium magazine content, usually only available to our subscribers, but you can access it for free when you join our mailing list! (Already subscribed? Simply enter your email to unlock all magazine features now)
*You will receive our weekly Friday Pump newsletter, plus the latest features, gear tests and giveaway announcements.
My sessions very often start around the breakfast table, with the family, just as it has since my first surf session at seven-years-old. Today was no different, but we decided to change our plans and head to the south of our beautiful island to follow the wind.Â
It was 9am when we got there and it was clear straight away that the conditions were optimal… 20 knots of wind, 1.5 meter waves, and I was ready to roll with my AFS WILF wind wing, riding the Flyer 1000 and T-bar 82cm. The most experienced riders on the island were already on the spot. My surfing experience instinctively tells me to be patient and to take my time in choosing the right wave. I remember having the feeling that I was going to have the most amazing session…
And suddenly there it was. The wave of the day. I launched myself into it, I take a deep breath and seize upon the rhythm, the intensity of the momentum under me, and I play with it. A pure sensation of happiness. I nail my first 360 of the day, under the gaze of the dolphins that enter the passes to rest during the day and continue their hunt at night.
The smile that remained on my face on the way back home that day was going nowhere. We wound our way back on the ski, darting peacefully between the coral heads. Experiencing such an extraordinary session in an environment such as Moorea, surrounded by all its mesmerizing flora and fauna never fails to remind me of the importance in protecting our natural world.
Home, and onto a beer and the fiery sunset that awaited me on the Captain Taina pontoon, celebrating this epic day with my friends, and my limitless love for foiling, for the ocean and for this place. Â
Now subscribe to the world's best foiling magazine!
To get the latest premium features, tests, gear releases and the best photojournalism in the world of foiling, get yourself a print subscription today!
When it comes to wetsuits, finding the sweet spot between warmth, flexibility and durability is no easy feat. With the latest evolution of the Majestic, MYSTIC has taken a closer look at how materials, construction and design can work together to get more out of a 5/3mm suit. We sat down with Timon from MYSTIC to talk about the thinking behind the new Majestic, the introduction of Yamamoto 40 neoprene, and why sometimes the smallest details make the biggest difference on the water.
Tracking a massive forecast for ten days paid off when Sydney delivered a rare, mega-period swell. Matt Davies and crew scored glassy, 700-meter-offshore bombs at North Narrabeen—trading epic lines until shark sightings, ski breakdowns, and engine trouble finally called the session.
The PWR-Foil crew turned a routine trip to the 2026 Palma Boat Show into an epic eFoil safari, riding everything from glassy high-altitude lakes to hidden Mallorcan coves.
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional
Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes.The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Rider & Words: Swan Habelt
