Pierre-Olivier Coutant, aka Pierro, always pushes his limits in the water and is known for making his handicap (born deaf) his power. He won 3 Surfing Adapted French Championships and titles in Hawaii and California last year. Pierro shares his time in between his surf school in the Bask Country, free surfing and competitions, which allows him to keep on improving his surfing and pass on his passion.
Altruist and optimistic, he trains surfers from different levels and handi surf as well. Pierro is on the search for adrenaline and shoots big waves during winter. He recently joined the Wvye surf Team as a team rider as he shares the same values.
We asked him some questions for you to know him better!
"Hi Pierro, how are you doing? Could you introduce yourself?
Hi Wyve Team, I am all good! Even better knowing I’ll surf for Wyve from now on! I’m Pierre-Olivier, you can call me Pierro. I am 33 years old and I was born deaf. I got my own surf school in the Bask Country : Pierro Surf School.
For how long have you been surfing?
I started when I was 10 years old, so it’s been 24 years of surfing. I grew up in Reunion Island and surfed there for the first time.
What’s your competition track record?
I am 3 times french champion in adapted surfing and won many titles in Hawaii and California : Champion duke contest in Hawaii and US Open Champion Huntington Beach and Ocean side in California
When was the first time you surfed a Wyve surfboard and what were your first feelings?
The first board I tried was super comfortable to paddle with, it was light and had a good buoyancy. I was very surprised how much release I got from my first bottom turn with it ! When you have the board under your arm, you could think it wouldn’t handle mushy waves, but it does it very well!
What’s your favorite board model / dims?
My favorite one is the HEXA Drop but I surf many types of boards as soon as it's between 6’0 and 6’4 with a volume around 37L.
What’s your next surf trip?
We planned to head to Morocco and then Portugal. Morocco will be the first time for me, I’m looking forward to discovering these long right hand point breaks. Regarding Portugal, it will be as usual : back to Peniche !
What does surfing bring to your daily life?
Surfing allows me to disconnect and share waves with my buddies. I love big winter solo sessions, when I push my limits to get an adrenaline shot!
What are you doing besides surfing?
Beside surfing, I am taking care of the garden where I grow veggies. I got inspiration from my dad and always look for tips on the internet. I like playing video games as well but don’t talk about that. ;-)
What would be your dream wave to surf, anywhere in the world?
My dream wave would be Saint Leu, without sharks ! Otherwise I’d love to surf Nias in Indonesia, a perfect barrely right hander.
