With over 1600km of outer reefs circling New Caledonia, this stunning French island in the South Pacific is surrounded by the largest lagoon in the world. With this huge coral boundary protecting the shallow waters within from the ocean swell, this dazzling expanse of azure is possibly the ultimate freeride windsurfing playground! Keen to test the waters, John Carter assembled a selection of lucky pros to blast around this dream location whilst he shot from the air and water. Read on as the crew recount a classic session where windsurfing proved to be the ultimate island hopping craft.
JOHN CARTER
When I first received an email from Remi Villa at Starboard asking me to stay two days after last year’s PWA event in Noumea, New Caledonia for a photo shoot, my first thought was ‘Oh no, two more days away from home right at the end of the season.’ I assumed we would be shooting at the same location as the PWA event and I was keen to head home and spend time with my family, but since I was at the event already, I had no real excuse to turn down the assignment!
By the time Noumea came round I had almost forgotten about the extra days. As it turned out there were no flights available to leave straight away after the event anyways and myself and PWA event manager Jamie Gibbs were forced to take a flight two days later regardless. As for the event itself, the trades blew every day, with wall to wall sunshine and the PWA elite went to battle with Antoine Albeau and Sarah-Quita Offringa both being crowned men’s and women’s slalom world champions.
THE PLAN
The following morning, after all the final photo editing and finishing all the necessary work associated with the event, I met with Remi to discuss the plan. First up, he wanted to spend a day testing, so I was released for the afternoon, but he then revealed a much more elaborate plan for the actual shoot on my final day in Noumea and it sounded totally amazing!
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