'A dream come true': Surfing Olympic Gold medalist Kauli Vaast speaks to FRANCE 24

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00:00It's more me, Celina Sykes, here in the studio.

00:04France bid a final farewell to the Olympics and the Paralympics

00:07with a parade of athletes and volunteers in Paris over the weekend.

00:10But many people want to prolong that Olympic spirit.

00:14Us in the studio very much included.

00:16Celina.

00:17That's right, Mark.

00:17Obviously, it was such an incredible summer, wasn't it, of amazing

00:20sporting moments and achievements and an incredible atmosphere

00:23that I think caught a lot of French people by surprise.

00:26And of course, it's understandable

00:27that a lot of people here in France want to hang on to that magic

00:30of the Olympic Games just a little bit longer.

00:33Well, we're doing exactly that, because I have the pleasure

00:36of being joined in the studio by French surfer and gold medalist

00:39Carly Vester to relive one of the highlight moments of the Olympics.

00:44The 22 year old surfed a near perfect wave to beat Australian

00:47Jack Robinson in the men's final in Tahiti in French Polynesia,

00:51the island where he also grew up.

00:53But Carly, thank you so much for joining us on France 24.

00:56Let's start with that moment.

00:58Actually, can we just see the gold medal?

00:59Because I think we can't quite see it on our screens.

01:01There it is shining in all its glory.

01:05And obviously a historic one,

01:07because it's the first surfing gold medal for France.

01:10And you did it on home turf.

01:12Does it mean that's that much more so much more to you

01:15because you managed to do it on your home break in front of your family

01:18and friends?

01:18Of course, this win means a lot more than just a win.

01:22More just than, yeah, just a winning contest.

01:24It's just insane to have, first of all, the Olympics.

01:26At home and also win at home this medal like the gold medal.

01:32It's the best I think for me I could do.

01:35And yeah, to do it at home with all the family or the friends

01:39was just insane.

01:40Something unreal that I can't really put any words

01:44on this and just wow, just insane.

01:46I'm sure you're still living on cloud nine.

01:49Quite literally, you obviously grew up surfing on the Taihupu wave.

01:53It's one of the most notorious waves in the world.

01:56It's also considered very dangerous, if I understand correctly.

01:59You surfed it for the first time at just eight years old.

02:02Yes, this is how this is.

02:04Well, eight years old, I surfed the first time in Taihupu.

02:07I always heard about Taihupu like a scariest wave,

02:10and I was really scared to go surf that wave.

02:13But the first day when I when I was eight, I went the first time

02:16and it was just like small, clean and perfect for for me.

02:20And I was like, OK, it can be not too scary.

02:23It can be perfect.

02:24And I loved it.

02:25And that's why I keep going it and doing it since I'm eight until now.

02:29And this is how I push the limit.

02:30Every time I went in the water, go, even if I didn't surf, didn't catch a wave,

02:34I was able to just like be in the water, be in the spot, learn how to surf this wave.

02:38And yeah, it's a scary wave, but it can show you the best wave.

02:42You can have the best of your life and also the best fear of your life, too.

02:46I can imagine.

02:46And obviously that local knowledge having paid off.

02:48Do you think that was a big advantage for you, surfing on your home wave?

02:52I think that was a big advantage, of course, to be local.

02:55First of all, just to be local in one spot, you just have extra confidence

03:01with the people.

03:02You know, the people are here.

03:03You know, your family's here.

03:05Everybody's here from your country.

03:07And and then, yeah, and the spot, I've surfed this spot so many times.

03:11I was really prepared and ready for this contest.

03:14And then it was just insane to be at home and local knowledge really helped me.

03:19I can imagine.

03:20And obviously, surfing was the only event not to take place in mainland France.

03:24It's nearly 16,000 kilometers away from mainland France, Tahiti.

03:28I can imagine it was a pretty unique atmosphere on the island,

03:32obviously with the locals, but also with all the surfers who were competing there.

03:35Exactly. It was pretty far.

03:36We like pretty much all the way from the France.

03:40And then but it was it was good at the same time because we were the first

03:44to surf, actually, to do the Olympics, the French, the French Olympic.

03:49And and then, yeah, we were the first to surf.

03:52So we were a little bit of a little bit close.

03:55Like we just we surfers pretty much sometimes during the spot and stuff.

03:58And then after, yeah, we we we kept the vibe going

04:02because watching the the the other athletes doing their performance here

04:07in France, and it was just insane.

04:09It gave us also extra power for extra energy.

04:13We could feel the energy from here to there.

04:15And it was just insane to have the possibility

04:18to see those results for, for example, Léon Marchand and stuff winning.

04:21And we're like, yeah, we can win, too.

04:23We have two more days, three more days.

04:24And then it was just insane.

04:26So you're obviously in your little bubble in Tahiti.

04:28But after your victory, you came to France to celebrate.

04:32That's more than a 21 hour flight across the other side of the world to Europe.

04:36And one of the first things you decided to do was surf the River Seine.

04:39Yeah, that was crazy.

04:40It was in one day decided in one day, 24 hours.

04:44They asked me with the help of my sponsor.

04:46They were like, oh, would you do it?

04:48And I know every single thing, new thing.

04:51I would love to do it.

04:53I love challenge and stuff.

04:54So I was just like, yeah, why not?

04:56It could be the only time I will surf the Seine in my life.

04:59So I was just like, yeah, let's go.

05:01And I had the medal.

05:02A little bit scared of losing the medal, but it was fun.

05:04It was insane.

05:06Good, good stuff.

05:07And also the background was insane.

05:09Yeah, I mean, can't get better than that, can you?

05:11It's literally surfing next to the Eiffel Tower.

05:14And it was just a magnificent Olympics all around us,

05:16seeing all those famous French landmarks.

05:19Other than obviously surfing the River Seine,

05:20you also came to Club France to celebrate with fans here.

05:24What did it mean for you to also be able to celebrate

05:26with French fans here in mainland France at Club France

05:30and obviously at the parade over the weekend?

05:31Yeah, it was the best thing.

05:33I had the chance already to live the best moment of my life

05:35and with the whole country, the whole Tahiti,

05:39all the islands, all Polynesia, and it was just insane.

05:43And then when I came back here, I took straight the first flight

05:46and then I came to Paris just to be able to see

05:51the rest of the Olympics sports.

05:55And then I had the chance to see the basketball finals.

05:58It was just insane.

05:59And then also I had the chance to be part of the Club France.

06:03And that was really amazing to see how many people from France

06:06watched actually and were so happy.

06:08And then to see those people, to see this happiness in their eyes

06:12is just something special because it means a lot.

06:14And then that's why it's just not a win.

06:16It's for everybody.

06:17And yeah, insane.

06:19And then also I had the chance to be to be to to to do

06:23the closing closing ceremony was just insane, too.

06:28I can imagine.

06:28And I have to quickly ask you, obviously, just 22 years old

06:31and you've already won Olympic gold medal.

06:33Your next hope, I would imagine, because you're currently a fixture

06:36in the World Surf League Challenger Series.

06:39Obviously, next goal would be to get into the league championship tour.

06:43Would that be any time soon?

06:44And obviously also, can I ask, are your sights set on L.A.

06:472028? Yes, for sure.

06:49That's the goal to be part of the 32 best surfer in the world, the elite.

06:53And and for that, I need to get good results for the moment.

06:57I don't really have good results for the qualifications, but we'll see.

07:02I that's the first and it was the first goal before the Olympics.

07:07Still the same.

07:08And yeah, I'm going to go 100 percent on it.

07:10And I have two big contests coming up next.

07:13And and yeah, and the Olympics came really fast in the middle of the year.

07:18And it was just insane.

07:19Now I won.

07:19So let's move on and let's focus for the next goals.

07:23I'm sure there's many bigger, better things ahead of you.

07:26Thank you so much for joining us here in France 24.

07:28And we're saying all the best of luck for the future.

07:30Thank you so much for having me.

07:31And that's it for sport, Mark.

07:33Doesn't get any better than that, does it?

07:34Bigger and better than that medal around his neck.

07:36Absolutely fantastic.

07:37Thank you for coming in. Thank you.

07:39Absolutely remarkable to have not just one star, but two stars in the studio.

07:43Face to face.

07:44Exchanging those words.

07:46Selena and Carly, great.

07:47Great to see you both. Thank you.

07:48And thank you very much for taking the time to join us here in France.

07:50We really appreciate it. Great to see you.

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