With the face of an angel, eyes the color of a lagoon, surfer Kauli Vaast will compete in the Olympic Games in Tahiti on the formidable Teahupoo wave that he has been trying to tame since childhood. It was in the bustle of Paris that he stopped for a few hours to answer us before flying to Polynesia.
GALA: Do you remember your beginnings in surfing?
KAULI VAAST : Yes of course, I was just a kid, I didn’t know how to swim yet, I had armbands to float and my father took me on his board after school. I was hooked straight away, it was magical. Then, I set out on my own and took part in my first competition at 8 years old, I remember winning it. It was on small waves because at the time I was scared of the Teahupoo monster. It was that day that I understood that surfing would be my life. In my childhood memories, I also remember this impromptu meeting with the legend of the discipline, Kelly Slater, eleven times world champion. I was 12 years old and I threw myself into big waves to shake his hand. I was left with quite a scare, because I thought I would drown. When I think that years later, I beat him, the boss, during the Tahiti Pro in 2022…
GALA: You were born in Tahiti and yet you are not of Polynesian origin.
K.V. : No, my father comes from the north of France, from Berck-sur-Mer precisely, and my mother is from New Caledonia. They met in Hawaii before leaving for Tahiti where my mother arrived as a sailing instructor. But I consider myself Polynesian.
GALA: What does your first name mean in Hawaiian?
K.V. : Kauli means “the one who goes into the ocean”, almost a predestined first name.
GALA: Do you realize how lucky you are to compete in the Olympic Games at home?
K.V. : It’s incredible, I live three minutes by jet-ski from the Olympic site, it’s two small bays from the house. The whole family surfs, my parents, my sister, my brother… It’s paradise there, I’m aware that I’m currently experiencing the best time of my life. I practice the Teahupoo wave every day, I like to challenge it in all conditions, in competition or not. It’s my favorite playground. And what’s nice is that before the tests, I will come home and give my loved ones a kiss. Who is so lucky? Very few athletes. It’s up to me to take advantage of knowing the places well and proving that my habits will give me an advantage when surfing at home. It is also a fantastic opportunity, a real advertisement for Polynesia which will be seen throughout the world.
GALA: Do you dream of the Olympic title?
K.V. : This is my ultimate goal, the chance of my life. So obviously, it causes excess stress for me, but it’s what I call positive stress which motivates and not which paralyzes. I try to continue to have fun in training, that’s how I feel like I’m progressing. And I know that I can win the first Olympic gold medal in the history of the Games for Polynesia.
GALA: Are you sensitive to ecology?
K.V. : Yes of course, even if my carbon footprint is not good because I travel a lot to go to the sites of the different competitions. But I have no choice. However, at home in Tahiti, I campaign for the preservation of corals and I very regularly participate in collecting waste at sea. I am a witness to global warming and pollution. We notice in particular the rise in water levels, the sea being at the bottom of my garden!
GALA: How do you manage living with the many sharks when you surf?
K.V. : I fear them because their reactions are often unpredictable. I sometimes see them when I’m on my board. But I also admire them. Sharks fascinate me. These are magnificent species that I encounter a lot more when I go underwater fishing. It is not uncommon to see them rushing towards the fish that I have just shot with my harpoon gun. It adds adrenaline!
“I live three minutes by jet-ski from the Olympic site. The whole family surfs, my parents, my sister, my brother”
GALA: Why did you sign a two-year contract with the national police?
K.V. : Because we share and embody the same values: respect, work and discipline. I have friends who are police officers in Tahiti and as soon as I can, I will go for four weeks to train to become a reservist police officer. I am very proud that the police support me in my career and also offer me, perhaps for later, opportunities for retraining.
GALA: Since the beginning of the year, you have also been an ambassador for the haute couture house Dior, you have become the face of Dior Men. Is it a source of pride?
K.V. : It’s more than that, it’s a dream come true for someone like me who comes from a niche sport where the big luxury houses generally don’t venture. But having thought about it, I find that the house of Dior and surfing have several points in common: creativity, commitment and style in particular. So I feel at home, especially since I was very well received by the label’s teams who made me feel like I was legitimate. This is what I am most proud of.
This article could be found in Gala N°1608, available on newsstands on April 4. To follow the news live, you can join Gala’s WhatsApp thread. The new issue of Gala comes out this Thursday, April 11, 2024. Happy reading.
Photo credits: PHOTOS UGO RICHARD