In the latest episode of her series, the French surfer shows us all the beauty of Tahiti during the World Surfing Championship stopover on the archipelago.
At the end of August, Johanne Defay was in Tahiti for the penultimate leg of the 2023 Championship Tour season, the Shiseido Tahiti Pro. The Private Sport Shop ambassador arrived on the archipelago in tenth place in the world rankings. Although her position was not what she had hoped for at the start, Johanne Defay is still paying for the injury she sustained at the start of the season, which caused her to miss the first three races of the world championship. And it wasn't easy to get back into the rhythm as the stages progressed.
However, the Frenchwoman took advantage of this Tahitian event to get to know better the spot on which the next Paris Olympic Games events will be held in July 2024. "For this episode on Tahiti, I was alone without any family members to help me film and I didn't want to bother all the people at the federation to film me on a daily basis so I managed," Johanne explains. "I hope you like it anyway! There's a lot to say about Teahupoo! It's the surfing spot for the Paris 2024 Olympic events, so it's my next really big goal! But surfing isn't a sport like any other. I can't practice at home, out of season, with my family. You have to spend time on this spot, and get to know it in all its forms. That was the aim of a month's training here. Thanks to all the locals for their friendliness, thanks Teahupoo for always challenging me, thanks to all of you for following my adventures."
Finally eliminated in the second round by one of the circuit's big names (Australian Tyler Wright), Johanne Defay ended the season in eleventh place worldwide. A year marked by the triumph of young Carolina Marks, crowned world champion at the Trestles finals when the American was just 21. A rival Johanne hopes to face in the final rounds of the 2023 World Championship, on which we'll of course be following her. The first stage is scheduled for Pipeline, Hawaii, on January 29.
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