Youth World Champion

Onwards and upwards for the two time PWA Youth Slalom World Champion and rising star - Tristan Algret

Tristan Algret (Patrik / Loft Sails / Mystic) enjoyed his best year to date on the PWA World Tour in 2014 as he completed the season in 20th place overall. Last year Algret was crowned the PWA Youth Slalom World Champion and he can now celebrate again after being crowned the champion again for the second successive year. The twenty year old has made significant progress since 2013 and produced a standout performance in Alacati, Turkey, where he finished in the top ten for the first time in his career, eventually finishing the event in eighth place. Algret is definitely one of the most promising young slalom prospects in the world and seems to have the motivation to match the talent, which is required to make it to the very top of the sport. After winning the youth title again we caught up with Tristan for an interview, which you can read below:

PWA: “How does it feel to win back-to-back youth world champion titles? 

TA: “It was one of my goal for 2014… I’m really happy to show all the the work I did during the year to back on top after an ankle injury. This title gave me lot of motivation for next year to fight against the big boys and do something big like in Turkey!” 

PWA: You finished the year in 20th overall - a big improvement from 2013 where you finished 32nd - what do you think the main reasons for your improvement were? And does breaking into the top 20 give you more motivation to continue improving?

TA: “My real goal was the Top20, I did it to ! A big success! The beginning was really hard for me … I woke up before the event in Turkey where I took the 8th place. We went training before the event at the Lena Erdil Center in Bodrum and I found the good sail settings, good start preparation, improved my gybes and the most important - I became aggressive on the start and at the mark!”

“All the physical work with my coach Jean Jacques Rivet and the windsurf training in France helped me too. Yes I’m motivated and I will work all the winter to push hard and create my place on the big boys.”

PWA: Over the season what were your highlights and lowlights? 

TA: “The Highlight was my big result in Turkey… I made my first winner final of my life and after I qualified  four more times! Crazy feeling to be on the heat n°16 (ahahah)! It’s fun but when you stop every time before on the quarter you don’t know exactly how is it! Another one… To see a french man on the top of the world in Wave discipline! Congrats Thomas for all you did this year!”

“The lowlight… maybe my injury. At the end maybe it was a good thing because I met a really nice person, Mathias WILLAME, who helped me during two months to be back on competition quickly!” 

PWA: How will you be spending your winter? 

TA: “This winter will be different, for the moment I stay in France to train with the new gear and start my physical preparation with JJ Rivet. In January I go to Guadeloupe to spend time with my family and train in good weather with my friends. Few PWA french riders will come in Caraibes for the St Barth Fun Cup, I will go there too and spend one more week to train with the guys.”

PWA: Any specific aspects of your sailing you will be concentrating to improve? 

TA: “I will work hard on it this winter on different aspect and everybody will see next year the job I did!” 

PWA: Finally, aim(s) for 2015? 

TA: “Top 15!”

PWA: Thanks and congrats again, Tristan. Good luck over the winter. 

To stay up to date with all of Tristan Algret’s latest news be sure to ‘like’ his Facebook Fan page, which can be found here.