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BIO
First name, surname, nickname: Pierre-Valentin Laborde, aka PV
DOB, POB: 30.08.1991, Dax (France)
Size, weight:1M65, 58kg
Home town: Seignosse
Home break: Seignosse les Bourdaines, les Estagnots
Main Shaper: Fifi Chevalier, HSA
First time ever on a surfboard: I can't remember but I guess it was with my father at Seignosse.
Stance: goofy
Sponsors: Rip Curl, Gorilla, FCS, Headhunter
Rip Curl rider since: 2000
Standard shortboard: 5'9 x 17'' 1/2 x 2'' 1/16
Best surftrip ever: Mentawai 2006 with the Rip Curl International crew; Mentawai and Bali with friends.
Honours: 3 times French champion (2004, 2006, 2007), European champion 2006, 5th world junior championship Narrabeen 2007, 7th world junior championship ISA 2009.
Hobbies: school, music, friends, tennis, golf, parties.
Fantasy: I keep it secret
Motto: What does not kill us make us stronger!
MySpace : myspace.com/pvlaborde
When your father is a lifeguard, when you spend your week-ends on the beach with him and when your older brother start surfing, it's hard not to find yourself involved in any kind of water sport... Pierre-Valentin chose surfing and built his experience in les Landes and their famous sand banks. He became a fierce competitor, winning three national championship . He was also European champion in 2006 and did good with french national team on world junior championships. His next goals: receive his Bachelor's degree and perform this summer on the Pro Junior Tour.
QUICK FACTS
If you were :an object: a bed
a place: desert island with turquoise water
a color: blue
a country: France
a meal: sushi
a game: Mario Kart
a fruit: strawberry
a sound: the wind blowing
a hobby: tennis
a vehicle: a car
a feeling: love
a season: spring
a song: Replay (Iyaz)
a movie: Never back down
a wetsuit: 2/2 mm short sleeves
an animal: a lion
a superhero: Clark Kent
a woman: Jessica Alba
not a surfer: a golfer
a virtue: respect
a vice: laziness
• Pick one...
Early or late-riser? It depends on waves
Friends or family ? Both
Blond or dark-haired ? Blond
Wanderer or homebody? Wanderer
Photos or videos ? Videos
TV or cinema ? Cinema
Beachbreak or reefbreak ? Beachbreaks
Thruster or quad ? Thruster
Small or big waves ? Both
Freesurf or contest ? Both
Tea or coffe ? Tea
Beer or whiskey ? Whiskey
Rock or techno music ? Techno
Recycling or wasting ? Recycling
Your…
5 favorites websites
windguru.cz
facebook.com
viewsurf.com
hotmail.com
surfline.com
5 favorites songs
Iyaz
Geto boys
Mattafix
Asa
5 favorites surfers
Mick Fanning
Dane Reynolds
Jordy Smith
Kelly Slater
Andy Irons
5 favorites waves
Les Bourdaines
Macaroni
Uluwatu
The hole
La Nord
5 favorites tricks
Tube
Air
Air reverse
INTERVIEW
How perfect is it to live and surf in les Landes?I love the waves here. Great sand banks offering all kind of waves: barrels, longs rippable walls... The average level is good and all my friends are surfing. Competitiveness is working good, we're all improving together.
You're studying and surfing at the sport-studies section, how does it work?
I'm part of this program for 4 years. It's the best deal to make surfing and studies compatible. We're working at school from 8am to 3pm them we all go surfing, whatever the waves look like... Being in a group gives me more will at work. I can push my limits further than if I had to work by myself.
You're working both technic and mental aspects?
Yes, we have very specifics periods. In winter, we're working on surfing bigger boards to learn how to drive big turns. We also devote whole weeks to aerials. And when summer come, we get onto the mental side. We work a lot our physical capacity. Ryhtm is really intense!
Travelling also make your surfing better?
Yeah, I had the opportunity to start travelling really young thanks to Rip Curl. It's perfect to put in practice what I learned. Freesurfing is about having good time with friends but I'm really into contests. I like to compare my level to others.
What are your key points in contests?
My mental is strong. I started so young that I'm used to face bigger and older guys. I've had anything to lose and I'm still in that state of mind even if I'm now sometimes the fancied.
Can you imagine your future?
Well, I don't know yet if I'll give my best try to the WQS and do nothing else or keep on doing contests and studies. I know I'll have to work really hard to succeed in surfing. WQS is a hard game, every single surfer want to make it. It's war!