Photo Damien Poullenot
GREG PUGET
From Dawn To Dusk
How to live your passion for surfing from dawn to dusk?
Living close to the waves is already a solution.
Becoming a pro is another one, but it can be complex!
Working in the surfing world is still possible: teacher, shaper, photographer, journalist, artist, graphic designer, salesman...
The world of surfing and its industry are still a dream...
Greg Puget started working for the WSL (ASP at the time) in 2005 and is now the Brand Marketing Director at Boardriders for Billabong.
His interest in surfing and its culture, his studies and his many professional and personal experiences have allowed him to have a passion job.
One of the first times we met Greg was at the European premiere of the movie SNAPT 3.
The screening was held at the Coolin in Hossegor in 2017, during the Quik Pro France.
Greg was working for RVCA at the time, he totally trusted us and it was one of our best nights!
Some great collaborations are to come with him and Billabong as soon as the theaters reopen.
We can't wait!
Photo Bastien Bonnarme
- Where are you from and how were your 1st waves ?
"I was born in Pessac, Gironde in France.
I was raised in Ghana, South Korea, then in Pakistan until I was 15 years old.
Then high school and a Law License in Bordeaux.
At the same time, all my vacations were spent in Lacanau Océan.
It was first on bodyboards, then on the surfboards that I had this love for it all."
Photo Bastien Bonnarme
Photo DR
- What has been your career in the surfing world and what is your job today ?
"An obsession...
I was a volunteer on the Lacanau Pro during my teenage years, seeing the caravan of the tour go by and especially continue its route without me...
The desire to follow it pushed me to "fight" to find a way in.
By going to the WSL (the ASP at the time), I managed to do an internship with them during my Master's degree.
Then, when I finished it, I was lucky.
My internship supervisor left his job.
I was put in the process and got the job.
I finished my Master on June 1st, 2005, I started to work on the European tour on July 1st.
Then, "long story short": Nike 6.0, Nike SB, Nike Running, Ocean Climax Edition #1 in Bordeaux, RVCA, Billabong...
Reading again, I say to myself: what a chance!
And above all, what an opportunity to accompany newcomers in this complex world of work.
All the more in this highly attractive and difficult universe to access that is Action Sports."
- What is your home spot and how was your best wave ?
"I've been living in Les Landes for 10 years.
I would say that my "home spot" (even if I am deeply anti-localism or appropriation of spot) is in Seignosse, in l'Agréou.
Friends are on the fingers of one hand.
But a lot of nice acquaintances, faces that you meet over the years.
Even if in the area, before being a 'Local'...it must take 60 years of presence, it seems...ahaha...
Most beautiful wave ?
I've been so lucky to travel and discover...
The most beautiful is the next one...ahah.
We always come back to it !
A memory anyway: Backyards in Oahu, or the Pass in Byron Bay, or Les Estagnots in Seignosse, etc...
It's so good all that !"
An obsession...
I was a volunteer on the Lacanau Pro during my teenage years, seeing the caravan of the tour go by and especially continue its route without me...
The desire to follow it pushed me to "fight" to find a way in.
Photo DR
- What is your quiver ?
"So as you get older you start to accumulate.
But I'm focusing on a HyptoKrypto in 5'6,
a 5'7 Tyler Warren performance twin,
the so fun CatchSurf of the surf school of my darling Jess Bouvier (@la_cote__ ),
a 7'2 Fernand single fin...
The important thing is to have fun!"
Photo DR
- What have been your best encounters in your professional and personal career ?
"Professionally, it's hard to talk about just a few.
It's a really rich journey of encounters.
Bruno Débauché, founder of Beach Brother and unfortunately disappeared.
A lot of great people on the WSL tour like Iain 'Ratso' Buchanan, Philippe Malvaux, Perry Hatchet, Clyde Martin, Renato Hickel, Allan Hunt...
There are so many people who trusted me.
Like Jan Holzer (ex RVCA General Manager), Barbara Guinet (Senior Nike Executive), JL Rodriguez (ex Boardriders GM), Scott Hargreaves (ex Billabong Global VP), Steve Lesnard (ex Nike Global GM Running)...
So many people.
More personally, it's personal.
Ahaha"
- What are your top 3 surf movies ?
"SEPTEMBER SESSIONS" by Jack Johnson (2002),
VIEW FROM A BLUE MOON on John John Florence (2015) and
MOMENTUM GENERATION by Taylor Steele (2018).
- What are your best songs to go surfing ?
More like artists...
Arctic Monkeys, Maccabees, Foals, Dr Dre, Tribe Called Quest...
And so many others...
Drake, Beyonce, Fauve, Keith Jarrett, NTM...
It's endless, that's the beauty of music !
Greg played in the band THE DEDICATED NOTHING between 2011 and 2017.
Tours, one album, one EP and several big stages including the Big Festival in Biarritz and Garorock in Marmande.
I think this sport has the advantage of being young and close to the people who follow it.
And especially to have so many living, present, accessible icons.
- What is your surf culture and who are the riders and artists you admire ?
"Dane Reynolds for his unique approach to an industry that can learn so much from independent profiles,
JJF, a UFO that is as impactful to the youth as he is inspiring to everyone with his independence,
Italo Ferreira, one of the nicest guys with a world champion title and accessible, simple, incredible with kids.
Steph Gilmore, Johanne Defay, Justine Dupont...
And of course the untouchable Slater, Curren, Occy, Parko, Taj, Fanning, Rabbit...
I think this sport has the advantage of being young and close to the people who follow it.
And especially to have so many living, present, accessible icons.
That's unique.
Culture is everyone.
From the anonymous to the stars, from the enthusiasts to the casual.
And especially the capacity to not lock up on attitudes of "categorization".
Everything influences everything."
Africa is simply a huge wealth.
It's time to go there, to learn, to contribute and to really soak it up.
Photo DR
- What are your actions for the planet ?
"Ahhhhhh...
1 year of veganism, after a few years of eating little meat...
So actions are first by self-education, reading and listening to what's going on.
I am really against factory farming.
It's an ecological disaster and I try to educate people around me about it.
It's very relative, but it's a drop in the bucket that could become a river if everyone decided to stop meat at the table.
4 billion km2 are used for livestock on earth...
Millions of tons of soya and fish are only used to feed cattle...
While kids are starving.
For 500 grams of shrimp, 13kg of fish are killed collaterally and thrown back into the sea.
In short, the list is endless."
Photo Rémi Bédora
- Any professional projects to share ?
"Being lucky to keep my job already....
And pushing the diversity and inclusion work, both internally and in our marketing.
Really discovering these new profiles, places and surf communities.
Africa is simply a huge wealth.
It's time to go there, to learn, to contribute and to really soak it up.
We just signed Cherif Fall, and it's a great start.
First African surfer to join the Billabong team.
We have work to do, and we can't hide anymore!
Then move forward despite the Covid challenge: how to find opportunities for photoshoot, projects nearby, local content ...
One of the advantages of this challenge was to bounce back to local productions.
When Benjamin Sanchis is in Fuerteventura, we work with a local photographer.
When Justin Becret decides to stop in Costa Rica at Tiago Carrique's house on his way back from Hawaii, we send a photographer.
When our snowboarding legend Wolle Nyvelt gets stuck in Austria, we activate a photographer in the Alps..."
Thanks Greg!
Photo Bastien Bonnarme
Published on Sunday, March 21, 2021