The 2005 Catalunya Costa Brava PWA Super X World Cup - Interview Moussilmani Bro

“Being brothers is like being a natural team, sponsors love that.”

The French Moussilmani brothers explain the ins and outs of building a corporate windsurfing empire, as Catalunyan winds are not yet strong enough for Super X competition.

 

<PHOTO1>“Being brothers is like being a natural team, sponsors love that.”

The French Moussilmani brothers explain the ins and outs of building a corporate windsurfing empire, as Catalunyan winds are not yet strong enough for Super X competition.

 

Three brothers on the PWA tour together. Does that spell trouble?

Actually there’s almost only positive sides to it. We train together, compare tuning and equipment together, you are never alone and can learn from each other. When we’re on the water, it can almost be like competing in a heat. If one of us does a move, the others will try to do better. The only negative point if you could call it that, is the rivalry between brothers, but that could also be explained as a good thing.

 

You seem to be exploiting the Moussilmani brand pretty successfully. What’s your secret?

Being brothers is like being a natural team, sponsors love that. For them it’s like signing up one guy while getting the exposure of three. All our non-windsurfing sponsors have signed us up as a team, which gives them an attractive spread both in competition and geographically. At any given moment, there can be a Moussilmani on three different locations. It’s pretty difficult to get corporate sponsoring though. It took us two years to get a deal with Land Rover for example.

 

How come all three of you are doing so well in Super X?<PHOTO2>

It’s an exciting discipline! Before this, we did a lot of racing. Then we got into freestyle and wavesailing and Super X combines everything in one in a perfect mix. Plus our hometown Marseille is a perfect training location, with consistent conditions. We participate in all disciplines though, which is very convenient for training. If it’s light we go Formula racing, in stronger winds we go for freestyle or wavesailing, so you never have to wait to get out on the water.

 

You are also travelling a lot besides the PWA tour. Where have you been to this year?

Last week we were in California and before that in Cabo Verde. We try to do two trips each year to promote windsurfing around the world. If there’s no wind where we are, we go mountain biking or surfing. After the PWA Canaries events we’re going to have another go at a crossing from Marseille to Corsica. Last year we didn’t get the right conditions for it, so hopefully it looks better this year.

 

Is that the future for the Moussilmani brothers? Allround extreme sports professionals?

We’ll see! For now our main professional focus is windsurfing. The surfing, snowboarding and mountain biking is just for fun on the side.

 

For more information on Cyril (F-71, Fanatic), Benoit (F-72, Tabou/ Gaastra) and Sylvain (F-73, Fanatic), check out www.moussilmani.com.

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