Mô Chauvin foils in her idyllic home of New Caledonia, French Polynesia. Jack Galloway interviews Mô to find out more…

Mô Chauvin was lucky enough to grow up in New Caledonia, French Polynesia. She’s recently gone from strength to strength on her Takuma foiling gear and captured some spectacular photos in the process. Read on to find out more about our latest waterwoman.

Hey Mô, thanks so much for joining us, it’s super exciting to have another waterwoman of the world grace our pages.

First up, we’ve just got to ask you what it was like growing up in New Caledonia? Did watersports start for you at a young age?

Hey! Thanks to you for the invite! I feel so lucky to have grown up in New Caledonia, I was raised following the island life, surrounded by caring people and good vibes, I’m so thankful for that. Also for riding, the spot is amazing, clear blue water, warm temperatures and it’s windy almost every day! That’s what led me to navigate first on a sailing boat with my dad and later I started windsurfing at 13 years old, it was my first real watersport with a board, then I learned to surf and kitesurf.

When did you first get into foiling? Did you find your surfing skills translated well or did it feel like starting from scratch?

My first foiling ride was a year ago. Foiling is nothing like I used to know before, we must add the dimensions of the height of the flight to the balance between the weight of the toes and heels. The feeling of foiling is incredible! You feel weightless and complete freedom. Such a smooth ride!

How was your recent trip to Tahiti? Were the conditions as good as they look in the photos?

My recent trip to Tahiti was amazing! French Polynesia is a real paradise, probably one of the most beautiful spots I have ever ridden, everywhere you go you don’t believe what you see. The particularity of Tahiti is the diversity of conditions, you can find wind in the North, waves in the South, both in the West, and calm in the East. This, associated with magnificent landscapes, clear blue water, and very kind Tahitian people explains the global enthusiasm for this island.

Tell us about your ‘go to’ equipment, does the Takuma Kajira live up to the hype? What size wing & board do you ride?

My favourite board is the 4.4 TK Takuma board. I’m 50 kg and the board is 40 L so it fits me for all conditions. I love going foiling with the 980 Kujira foil most of the time. My smallest wing is 2.6m for when it’s 30 knots plus outside. My biggest one is the 4.5m for when the wind is light, I use the 1200 cm2 foil in these conditions & for small waves or downwind.

The Takuma Kujira foil really does live up to the hype. This foil is very lively and fast which allows you to have more freedom and less limited in movement. Fun fact is that I always warn the people who try my gear that if you test it, you’ll buy it!!

Fred Morin has taken some incredible photos of you shredding. What goes into planning a photoshoot like the ones on these pages?

Thanks! This day we didn’t plan anything for the photoshoot, it was the day after I arrived in French Polynesia so we just followed the conditions, my desire to go to the water was bigger than my jet lag. In the morning we went e-foiling and when the wind came up we enjoyed it wingfoiling. Thankfully it was a sunny day, we went with the flow.

We’ve seen incredible progress in both male & female wing foiling since its creation two years ago. Where do you find your inspiration? What are you working on in foiling at the moment?

It’s amazing to see that more and more people are into wingfoiling! It's inspiring to see many girls as well. I love to share sessions with friends, it’s pushing me to try something new every time and they always give me some good feedback. Instagram is a good opportunity to see high-level wingfoilers. I’m working on jumping higher and improving my technical skills but honestly, I don’t have a big goal. I don’t put pressure on myself, I prefer to stay focused on having fun and that’s what makes me so happy every time I land an expected trick!

Do you have a local crew you foil within New Caledonia? How often do you all get on the water and what are the conditions like?

What is nice in New Caledonia is that we all meet at the beach, we all know each other and that’s what makes us one big great team including all generations. Almost every day, and especially in summer, trade winds are blowing between 15 and 25 knots, which is perfect! The best sessions are after work, meeting everyone at the beach.

Is your watersports career a full-time endeavour or do you work/study alongside it?

I’m currently studying engineering at school. After 5 years in France, I see the end of it this year, I can’t wait to graduate!! When school is done, I'll be able to focus on my passion especially watersports, and be able to go in the water every day. Let’s see where the wind takes me.

Finally, do you have any big adventures planned in the near future?

I have several projects for the future, but my biggest dream would be to discover the world by crossing the seas on my sailboat with my wing, my foil, and all of my toys to ride the best spots all around!

By Jack Galloway

Comments