The US’s Chris MacDonald won successive Surf-Freestyle world titles and grabbed the Big Air crown in the same year. At 18, MacDonald regards himself as a veteran with so many, ever-younger “groms” snapping at his heels. Ahead of the final Surf-Freestyle stop in Jericoacoara, Brazil, with the title in the bag on the back of three straight wins, he tells Ian MacKinnon and Diogo Cardoso of his first steps and hopes for the future.
Question: With a title guaranteed already, how does it feel?
Chis MacDonald: It’s an amazing feeling just being here. I mean Jeri, in Brazil, is an amazing spot. But it’s even better already winning the title. There’s no stress. I just get to have a really fun event with all my friends. So, looking forward to some good conditions in a good spot and having the best time I can.
Q: Can you look back at your season?
CM: We started in Leucate in 70 knots of just craziness. Sitting on the beach trying to huddle away from the sand and just doing anything you can. I got that win. I feel like that one was for me. It was super windy and that’s like [my home spot] Hood River, Oregon.
Then we moved on to Tarifa and it was a little bit lighter. But I had a few innovation tricks. That helped me get the win.
Then two months ago in Fuerteventura, I also got the win doing a lot of combos and some big 1080s. It’s been a fantastic year. Definitely the toughest one. I mean, everyone’s riding so good it’s like it’s basically like flipping a coin and seeing who comes out on top.
Q: Who do you see as your main contenders now?
CM: A few years ago, I was looking at one rider, Malo [Guénolé], and now it’s Malo plus five. I mean, we got Malo, we got Axel [Gerard], he’s super good. We got the Tom and Alex [Acherer] twins. I know I’m missing a few because there’s so many, but I mean, everyone’s riding good and no heat is easy.
‘More challenging than ever’
Q: Was it harder to get a second world championship in a row, than it was getting the first?
CM: Now, I feel like once you win an event, you kind of learn how to. So then when you’re training, you can kind of fix towards that and I’ll just strive for that. On the mental side, learning that definitely makes it a little bit easier. But with so many good riders it’s more challenging than ever.
Q: How did you start in wingfoiling?
CM: I learnt to wingfoil with my dad. Well, first I started kiting in Mexico and Hood River. We’d go down there for the winter and then, in the summer, in Hood River. We started kiting. I was doing a lot of kitefoiling and strapless. Not thinking of going pro at all, but just having fun. Then my dad started winging and he’s like, you should try this. I’m like, come on, that looks so lame. I’m never doing that. Then after the first time I tried it, I was straight-away hooked. Then I went to my first competition in Fortaleza three years ago.
Q: You’re also a world champion in Big Air. So that’s two world titles in one year, that’s quite something. How does that feel?
CM: It’s pretty special to get two in one year. Training a lot in Hood River, with the huge kickers and going super high. Pozo [in Gran Canaria] was pretty similar to [Hood River]. So I felt a little bit at home. It’s hard to focus on two [disciplines]. So you kind-of gotta do it right in the middle.
‘Feel like a veteran’
Q: The tour is a mix of older athletes from other watersports and very young riders. How do you and the young riders view the veterans?
CM: Regarding the age, I’m always looking up to the older riders. They are great role models. I learnt pretty much all my competition skills from Titouan Galea and my American friend Fred Hope. He was the kitefoil strapless champion. And honestly, at 18, I kind of feel like a veteran. There’s so many young kids. I still have so much to learn from the older riders and I think that’s really special to have them here.
Q: Why do you think wingfoil, in particular, attracts so many very young athletes, like 14 and 15 year olds?
CM: I think young people like wingfoiling so much [and advance quickly] because they’re so coordinated. I used to be on a trampoline a lot. I can do a lot of ski tricks or corks and doubles. I think honestly that’s why I’m here today. I know all the rotations. But also just experience, you have to learn that too.
Q: Where do you see the Surf-Freesyle and Big Air disciplines going? Are they still developing in the same crazy way?
CM: With Big Air and Freestyle I think they’re both going to develop a lot especially with the gear. Like, if you look at kiting–the first four years, OK, it was terrible. Now 30 or 20 years later it’s so much better. So I can’t imagine where we’re going in 10 years or even five years.
edit: Ian MacKinnon
images: Svetlana Romantsova
