They are not the type to show off in front of the crowds on the mythical waves of Nazaré in Portugal. No,
the Bretons of Lost in the Swell are more of the type to venture into remote areas of the world to explore pristine waves or little-known spots. In January, they took their boards to Central America to continue their endless quest for the surf El Dorado.
For several years now, Aurélien Jacob, Ewen Le Goff and Ronan Gladu have been looking to buy land on which to build an autonomous habitat. Their condition? Let it be hot and be located right next to a crazy spot. “It’s the dream of all surfers but it’s even stronger for us, because we learned to surf in Brittany. With us, all the spots are different, there are tides, swells, wind. So when we go to famous spots where there are endless waves, we are like kids ”, summarizes Aurel Jacob.
To carry out their quest for the perfect spot, the three friends traveled on the sailboat of another Breton fan of adventures. Corentin De Chatelperon left Concarneau five years ago aboard the Sea nomad to go
discovering the “low-tech”. These little everyday tricks are the antechamber of “high-tech” culture but are capable of operating a sewing machine with a bicycle crankset, of baking bread in a makeshift solar oven or of growing basil. with urine. This “low-tech lab” is closely monitored by sailor Roland Jourdain, who is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of sailing racing. “Corentin and Caroline introduced us to their solutions, they trained us in low-tech, that was our goal. We will need it to build our future retirement home so that it is autonomous, ”adds Ewen Le Goff.
While waiting to find the ground to build their makeshift HQ, the three Bretons continue to survey the world. Filmed by Ronan Gladu, the latest adventures of the trio of surfers from Finistère have just been posted online in a video called Waterworld and available on their YouTube channel. Shot off the coast of Central America, the film is a far cry from the usual image of global surfing. “We don’t want the cliché of epilepsy video where guys send figures all over the place. What we prefer to approach is the approach to a spot, showing that surfing is sometimes complicated and that there are not always waves as we would like. It’s an extreme surf trip, ”continues Aurélien.
“We saw beaches littered with plastic”
Born eight years ago, the Lost in the Swell project has always been about respect for the environment, which convinced the Oxbow brand to follow them to the ends of the earth. Travel to remote lands allowed the trio to see the impact of man on nature. “We have seen beaches littered with plastic on the Solomon Islands or on the coast of Gabon when no one lives there”, regrets Ewen Le Goff.
Often associated with an image of protection of the oceans, professional surfing must also progress to limit its carbon footprint. “Most surf movies are made with pros, sleeping in hotels or on big boats, in comfort. We prefer to live independently, on the verge of survival, ”recalls Aurélien Jacob. The adventure, the real one.