EUROSIMA SURF SUMMIT

Arthur discovered freediving during his childhood, where he was already very close to the aquatic element, which he encountered in his hometown, Nice, or in Corsica where he lived as a child. He started his freediving career in 2011 at the age of 26. Since then, he has accumulated 5 world championship titles, and 8 world records.

In 2016, he was the first to reach the symbolic 300m mark in dynamic freediving, the absolute world record for the discipline. In 2017, he set a first world record for freediving under ice, with his suit and single fin, at 175m.

In March 2020, Arthur starts the project of a double world record attempt in freediving under ice with breaststroke. In March 2021, he signed the new world record in this discipline, with his suit, at 120m. Then, on March 8, in the Morrison quarry in Quebec, he swam 105m, still breaststroke, but this time without a wetsuit, wearing a simple swimsuit.

This is an absolute record for the discipline. This performance was widely reported in the French and international media. He is now the most successful Frenchman in the history of freediving.

With his experience and stature, Arthur turns to sharing and seeks to make the public aware of the beauty and values of his discipline, in demanding and sensitive audio-visual productions, where human adventure is combined with sporting achievement.

At the same time, he is a regular speaker on topics such as self-improvement, stress management, risk-taking, self-confidence... He also offers practical workshops on relaxation through breathing, particularly for stress management, which are accessible to all and are directly derived from his own training methods, allowing him to surpass himself in his discipline and in his daily life.

In 2017, he released his first book Le Bien-Être Sous l'Eau, followed in 2018 by his first feature film Aquae Rex.

Maurice Cole was born on March 13, 1954 at Terang Hospital in Victoria, not far from the surf spots he would later frequent. Only this was not him (yet).

The boy born that day did not become Maurice Cole until he was adopted immediately after his birth by Frank and Mary Cole, a more rigid Anglican couple living almost 130km northeast of Terang. Maurice's parents would also later adopt a second child, Maree, and never hid the fact that they had adopted both of their children. But Maurice carried this label with difficulty. Perhaps that's why he had trouble containing his explosive energy growing up; it's certainly part of the story he tells himself about his own life. He remembers sitting in the car as a child, driving past the Ballarat Orphanage, a large, dark gray building, and being told that if he didn't keep his nose to the grindstone, that's where he'd end up. That's what I am, he thought, an orphan. Something had come loose from the harbor of his heart, it was like drifting.

Maurice only saw the ocean for the first time when the family moved south to the coast at Warrnambool in 1960. "At that time, we had to go to church," he says. "We had no choice, which became a problem when I started surfing.

Surfing came to him out of nowhere, one fine day in the middle of summer 1966 when he found himself at the beach with 5 shillings (the currency at the time) in his pocket. If he had saved up until February, he could have turned that into 60 cents, a nice sum. But instead, he spent his money on a surfboard rental. A big, white, pigmented thing over 9 feet long. Young Maurice carried the board over a gently sloping sandbar until he was waist-deep in water. He used all the strength in his skinny little 12-year-old body to turn the board around and head for the beach, caught a wave and stood up. Suddenly, my only goal was to buy a board. I did odd jobs like delivering newspapers. I saved up $36 and bought a used board from a guy named George Saffron in Ocean Grove. It was a 9'3 with a green GT stripe and a single large D-shaped fin. We didn't have bars on the top of the car or anything, but I had a bike. I'm not sure how, but I managed to get my board to the beach and my passion was challenged by the logistics." To go surfing, Maurice would drag his board to the water until, over time, the tail was completely eroded. Then he turned the board upside down and used it until he got the same result. According to him, this was the first pintail he ever made. He repaired it with Plati-Bond, a construction glue, then joined a nearby volunteer coastal lifeguard club so he could leave the board closer to the beach. But the discipline of the lifeguards, training and all, annoyed his rebellious instincts; when he found a way to avoid doing his duty, he was suspended from the team by the captain.

"But I had taken the opportunity to look around," he said 50 years later. "There was a little building in the dunes, a little shack of nothing. The Warrnambool Boardriders Club. There were cars, and what cars: a big Valiant V8 with dual exhaust and great rims. A custom FJ Holden. MG Sports, Mini Coopers... And when I saw these guys surfing for the first time, well, they really could surf. I went to tell the Captain that he could go to hell. The next day I was in the Warrnambool Boardriders.

Mike Stewart (born in 1963), nine times World Champion, is a bodyboarding legend, a pioneer in the discipline, especially in big towed surfing, as well as a champion in bodysurfing.

A lifelong bodyboarder, Stewart is currently the most experienced rider on the tour, but also arguably one of the most successful. The only bodyboarder to have competed in the famed annual Banzai Pipeline competition since 1982, he has taken first place a record 11 times, including nine world titles. Crowned Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic Champion 15 times, he has also received the title of Mister Pipeline for the best wave in all categories, a recognition he is the only non-standing surfer to hold.

A trailblazer in the 80's, along with his sidekick Ben Severson, Stewart was one of the first bodyboarders to surf Teahupo'o, a spot that would later become a WSL destination for big game surfing.

Finally, Stewart is also an accomplished bodysurfer, having won the Pipeline Bodysurfing Classic 14 times to date.

Throughout his impressive career, Stewart has been involved in the design and manufacture of bodyboards since his childhood, being close to the inventor of the modern bodyboard: Tom Morey. Since 1998, Stewart has offered his own line of boards under the Science Bodyboards label.

David Salas y Mélia is a research climatologist at the National Center for Meteorological Research (CNRM) and heads the Climate and Air Quality Research Department. The main missions of this structure are to better understand the mechanisms and impacts of climate change, to study air quality, to develop a seasonal climate forecasting system and to produce regular climate simulations in support of the IPCC reports. David Salas y Mélia's main interest is to better understand and estimate past and future climate change through the use of models. In particular, he is interested in the role and evolution of sea ice in the climate system. As such, he has created and developed a model representing the evolution of the Antarctic and Arctic sea ice.

About NRCM:

The CNRM is a joint research unit formed by the CNRS and Météo-France. Its research activities are mainly conducted at the Toulouse, Grenoble and Lannion sites of Météo-France. The CNRM's research and development activities are mainly focused on the predictability of atmospheric phenomena, especially extreme ones, on the study of climate and climate change, the water cycle, the interactions between the ocean, the atmosphere, the continents, the ice and snow, atmospheric chemistry and urban meteorology, on modelling for numerical weather prediction, and on the development of measuring instruments.

Fashion designer specialized in lingerie, bath and active wear, I have been a consultant & designer in the fashion and textile industry for over 8 years, I became a Cultural Broker when I understood the importance of the systemic approach in sustainable fashion! In 2014, then expatriate in Vietnam, I created the creative consulting and sustainable sourcing office ENTADA TEXTILE. Research and trends coexist with resource innovations that lead to product and manufacturing solutions. Caring and guiding designers, existing brands, future DNVBs, manufacturers, press and trade show organizers is my daily exercise.

I have a particular attraction for research work, from a style & sociological point of view, I develop trend presentations, market watch and brand DNA analysis (stylistic, fashion) and the resulting design and sourcing proposals. Pooling these skills, I create editorial content in the form of Masterclasses, articles and conferences for the press, trade shows or schools. Finally, in 2022 I become Bleaders of Bcorp™ because their tools offer a systemic, synthetic and operational vision that is for everyone.

Expatriation offered me the unique experience of adapting to new cultures and situations. It allowed me to become more intuitive, dynamic, cooperative and thus to evolve towards a service and cultural broker profile.  

Originally from Newcastle, UK, Gabe turned pro surfer at the age of seventeen, embarking on a career that would take him around the world, far from the North Sea. He won numerous awards and titles, even representing his country at the World Championships and the XXL Global Big Wave Awards. Far from being content with that, Gabe has also built up a solid professional background in audio-visual (film and television) and print media, working with various brands, including Quiksilver. Inspired by the radical marine conservation group Surfers Against Sewage, Gabe is now focused on environmental action with the goal of pushing the surf industry toward a more positive future. In his current position as Ocean Marketing Manager EMEA at Patagonia, a company whose sole purpose is to "Save our Planet," he can now combine his love of surfing with his passion for the environment. It's no surprise that Gabe is now leading this transition, looking for the best solutions for surfers, ocean enthusiasts and the surf industry as a whole to move forward and share a better future together.

Ludovic QUINAULT was Director of Operations for Rip Curl Europe, General Manager of Cube Bikes France

And General Manager of Skunkfunk / SKFK. Today he is an operational consultant at HI-EX CONSULTING.

"I prioritize human and environmental values and lead business transformation towards sustainable production, circular economy and fair trade."

He is also a member of the Board of UNU MONDO, a non-profit organization that conducts expeditions to the Arctic to study and raise awareness about global warming.

About HI-EX Consulting:

Hi-Ex is a consulting agency in Operational Organization and Sustainable Transformation founded in 2009, whose activities are the following:

• Management in transformation
• Sustainable and ethical management
• Optimization of cash flow
• Sales strategies / supply chain management

Richie has experienced both the brand side and the agency side. Having spent most of his career at the front of the wave, he has now found his niche. The launch of vvast has allowed him to merge his client experience and brand expertise to deliver innovative, low-impact market entry for brands, BUT, linking it to an ever-evolving, knowledge-based R&D roadmap.

He is passionate about the concept of creative destruction and sees it as a real privilege to have witnessed the inception and impact of the internet on society and brands over time. Richie builds teams that share a love of the brand, a fervor for surfing, biking, and music, and the motivation to produce work of epic quality.

About VVAST:

VVAST is emerging as the D2C e-commerce expert for brands looking to grow, while ensuring a strong brand position. Proud of an international portfolio of diverse partners, they have worked with VF (Jansport) $13 Billion in revenue as well as Stance, YETI ($1.5 Billion in revenue) and Troy Lee Designs.

Having obtained ISO certification in record time, their business model is based on customers selling in the US and looking to expand into Europe but also assisting brands already present in the territory. VVAST understands that D2C means more than just systems and processes. Thus, they have built a model based on collaboration and many years of commercial experience with more than 200 brands in the EMEA zone.

I grew up in the UK in the 90's working in surf shops and skate shops. After a few years in France as a wakeboard coach, I returned to the UK to join the Extreme Group who were buying and designing clothing for wholesale and ecommerce. Since 2005 I have been with O'Neill Wetsuits and specialize in wetsuit design and compliance in conjunction with the product development team based in Santa Cruz, California.

À About O'Neill:

O'Neill, California's premier surf, snow and lifestyle brand was founded in 1952, when a

young man named Jack O'Neill took his unstoppable passion for surfing and used it to beat Mother Nature at her own game. By inventing the first ever neoprene wetsuit, Jack had found a way to extend his surfing sessions in the often frigid waters of Northern California. Soon after, he opened the doors of his garage to start his first surf shop. While much has changed since those humble beginnings, Jack's original vision of producing functional and innovative products continues to inspire and enable enthusiasts to do what they love so much.

I am currently the European Sales Manager for Rip Curl. I've been with Rip Curl for over 20 years, starting in Sales Marketing and the Team/Events team before moving into Sales. I moved from Sales Manager UK & Eire to Sales Manager for Northern Europe before taking up my current position.

About Rip Curl, The Ultimate Surfing Company:

The Ultimate Surfing Company Rip Curl is a company that exists for and around the team, the crew that leads the search. The products we create, the events we host, the riders we support and the people we reach around the world are all part of the Rip Curl Search. 

Jenny is the true guarantor of the values that drive the company, she IS those values, those virtues... She is in charge of the Commercial Department, to make sure that our values drive every one of our commercial links.

About Atlantic Hemp:

The company was created in 2016, under the impetus of Vincent LARTIZIEN, former professional surfer, who after more than 20 years spent playing on the biggest waves of the great oceans of our planet, made the following observation: it is up to each of us to act to improve everything that goes wrong in our world. But to act, he needs a tool and hemp is an obvious one. The mission becomes clear: Nourish the health of all through Hemp / Cannabis.

The project is vast and the main ambitions are:

• The re-establishment of an organic agricultural sector of French hemp
• Marketing of processed products via our own brands in b2b and b2c
• The creation of a hemp mill with the capacity to transform locally all the parts of this plant
• Total autonomy from the seed to the final customer

Nin Castle is the co-founder of Reverse Resources, a SaaS platform designed for the fashion industry that offers to map, link and track textile waste from source to recycling, closing the material flow loop. With extensive experience working with pre-consumer and post-industrial textile waste, Nin manages international programs, collaborating with NGOs, brands, manufacturers and waste management and recycling companies throughout Europe, Asia and North Africa. Finally, Nin leads the Reverse Resources recycling network, which connects textile waste channels with the best possible recycling solutions.

I grew up surrounded by mountains, in Savoie. My parents were both ski instructors, so I inherited this passion for skiing. I made my first professional classes in the snowboard department of Rossignol, where I met Emmanuel Debrueres, current President of Oxbow. I then crossed France, to land on the Landes coast, and found Emmanuel at Billabong. I was product manager of the outerwear range for 6 years. I lived incredible years, having the chance to combine work and passion.

In 2014, I decided to embark on a new project on my own: Arcosse, a brand of eco-responsible technical clothing to equip mountain professionals. A three-year adventure, made of ups and downs, which will have taught me a lot. I then created a product development consulting agency, Peak2Sea, and supported several outdoor brands. In 2020, Emmanuel contacted me to talk about his project and his vision for Oxbow. I immediately agreed and joined the family. I'm in charge of the 85 and Collector ranges, whose objective is to reconnect with practitioners and the brand's roots. Produced in Europe and in France, with recycled, organic and local materials, these two ranges are totally in line with my values.

About Oxbow:

As individuals and companies we are all responsible for the planet we live on. It is up to us to contribute to protect our living spaces and pleasures in order to transmit them to future generations! This is the vision of the French brand Oxbow, its committed ambassadors, its employees and its governance but also its many consumers who are now demanding a change. Consumers who are in demand of transparency and in search of meaning in their daily acts and their way of consuming.

We do not claim to be exemplary today. The transformation process is long and it will take time. It is a mission that we have undertaken since the acquisition of the brand in 2020 and we are proud to see, day after day, our employees, our entourage and our consumers evolve in this direction. A change that we are also implementing with our suppliers and collaborators with whom we work hand in hand and in full confidence.

We can no longer close our eyes and put off the emergency until tomorrow. As users and enthusiasts of natural environments, it is our responsibility to systematically integrate solutions around the environmental issue, to propose a more thoughtful practice and to fulfill the educational role we have to play.

To live, to enjoy, to share, to have fun but in a more responsible way through our adventures and our messages, the projects of our ambassadors that we accompany and of course, through the products that we create and sell.

"Stay alive" by the way we understand and stay alert to the world around us. "Stay alive" by the durability we give to our products. "Stay alive" through the relationship with our employees, which we want to be long-lasting, close and constantly challenged for a more responsible present and future.

For more information on our CSR actions: https: //www.oxbowshop.com/fr/environnement  

Driven by his passion for surfing and people, Wilco came to our industry at a young age in the mid-90s. He started his career as an intern at Rip Curl, then moved into various management positions including product, marketing and sales to finally become the President CEO in 2013, at age 36. He was also the President of Eurosima from 2016 to 2019.

With Stephan Moretti, he created The Salts Only, which distributes different brands and holds the European license for T&C Surf Designs Hawaii, Rivvia Projects.

The Salts Only - Products for the Ocean

We are here to share the lifestyle we live. The Salts Only is for those who find inspiration and live near or around the ocean. Our primary goal is to generate smiles in the water! Our mission is to provide quality products, in a sustainable manner with excellent service, and fully tailored to the surfer's needs.

#createasmileinthewater

Frédéric Tain is a journalist, lecturer and business leader. He is interested in the evolution of consumption and its impact on the non-food business. He manages sport-guide.com and its magazine dedicated to the business sector. This independent cross-channel media, a reference for retailers and buyers, sifts through the good and not so good practices of companies and apprehends the future evolutions of the sector. Every day, a team of seasoned European journalists interviews the leading retailers, challengers and project leaders. Data on brands and retailers are at the heart of their analyses. Their credo is that of "useful value" information.

Dave Mailman was born in California. He grew up surfing, skating and snowboarding. He studied French at the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Bordeaux, then moved to France in 1994. Since then, he has been an editor at Onboard European Snowboard Magazine, Marketing Director at Quiksilver Europe, President of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) Europe, writer and presenter of the EpicTV Surf Report, and keynote speaker at the Freeride World Tour as well as a multitude of other international surf, skate and snowboard events. Currently, he works in audio-visual post-production writing scripts and doing voice-overs for the Freeride World Tour and the FIM EnduroGP World Championship.