Pierre Rollet.

BIG-WAVE SURFER

Big-wave surfing is a whole thing. To catch a big wave – especially if we’re talking about paddling into one – you need to develop your boards. You also have to refine your approach because you don’t just head into the water like that. You study the environment. You have to develop a sense of the ocean, and that’s what I love about it.

I don’t want to sound arrogant and say I have that skill, but I know that when things start getting really, really challenging — when it’s windy, when everything is moving around — I often manage to find my way, to pick out a wave. That’s part of developing that ocean sense, of becoming one with the sea. Maybe it just comes from spending so much time in the water. You know, “Respect the ocean, and the ocean will respect you.”

Then there’s the next level: surfing truly massive waves, where you need a jet ski. That’s what I love most — the whole package. Building a team, because big-wave surfing isn’t something you do alone.

Big-wave surfing led me to cycling because my trainer is a triathlete. We realised that if I do a massive gym session, I’m not ready to jump straight into big-wave surfing the next day. Big-wave surfing is unpredictable. So I might see that in two days a huge swell is coming. But then, damn, I just did an intense leg session yesterday, my muscles are sore, and I won’t be at my best. No way I can surf properly like that.

That’s what led me to cycling. I realised that I could push myself through huge sessions, and my legs would feel heavy but I wouldn’t necessarily have that deep muscle soreness. And little by little, I got into it.

You discover yourself through long rides and find incredible places, often not even that far from home.