Snowboard Pro Mathieu Crepel Talks To Us About His Surf & Snow Film Shaka
Source talks with Quiksilver athlete Mathieu Crepel about the making and tour of his latest movie Shaka which combines his lifelong passion for the mountains and the surf.
For those who haven’t seen the film. Please explain the premise of Shaka.
Well, I wanted to challenge myself in an element that I didn’t know as well as the mountain. Even though you never know the mountain well enough!
I’ve been fascinated by the ocean and surfing since I was a kid but it was just a hobby. Then I started surfing big waves with a couple of friends and I got hooked. So at one point, I wanted to make a movie reuniting both my passion for snow and surf, but with a story behind it.
The movie tells the story of trying to fulfill that challenge by meeting people along the way that have a special connection to my quest and that can help me achieve it.
How was the film received by media, peers and the wider boardsports audience?
I guess I’m not the right person to answer that, but it seems like people really liked it. We did over 20 stops across Europe during the tour and all of them were sold out, with good reviews too. So I guess it was well received. This project and film are quite unique in a way, so we didn’t really know how people would react, it was stressful, but then the stress dissipated as soon as the tour started.
I guess I’m not the right person to answer that, but it seems like people really liked it. We did over 20 stops across Europe during the tour and all of them were sold out, with good reviews too. So I guess it was well received. This project and film are quite unique in a way, so we didn’t really know how people would react, it was stressful, but then the stress dissipated as soon as the tour started.
How was the movie tour?
Pretty intense. It was the first time I’ve done a tour with a movie focusing mainly on me. It’s amazing, but also really intimidating. Even though it’s part of my job, I don’t think I like having too much attention on me! The good thing is that you feel it when people like the film and get to feel a connection with the story.
There were some really emotional moments for sure.
Could you talk to us about the making of the film?
There’s always a few people behind a project like this, but not as many as you’d think! The whole project is unique because it’s also a special connection between Morgan Le Faucheur who directed the movie and is one of my best friends. We both gave so much for the project and it wouldn’t have been the same without him for sure! There’s, of course, the whole Almo crew, all the characters in the movie and a bunch of other people that I would love to thank but that could take a while.
There’s always a few people behind a project like this, but not as many as you’d think! The whole project is unique because it’s also a special connection between Morgan Le Faucheur who directed the movie and is one of my best friends. We both gave so much for the project and it wouldn’t have been the same without him for sure! There’s, of course, the whole Almo crew, all the characters in the movie and a bunch of other people that I would love to thank but that could take a while.
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You must be a dream athlete for Quiksilver, being able to hold your own on the mountain and also gnarly surf spot likes Jaws…
What’s next for you as an athlete and as a businessman?
I guess I grew up with the mountains and the wave so yes the connection with Quiksilver is amazing. It was my first sponsor and I’m proud to still be part of the family. As far as the future, I definitely want to keep doing what I love, push a bit more on the adventure side more than the performance side. I have a lot of projects in mind, I just need a bit of time to work on them to make it happen. SHAKA was a big one, that took almost 3 years so I need a bit of time before starting the next one… but I can\t stand still for very long.
