“More, more”, encourages Valentin Castaldi, sports instructor, standing in front of a powerful wave.
In front of him an apprentice rider tries to tame the water curtain 16 meters long and 10 meters wide, standing on a narrow board.
The flow pulses at 30 km / h and does not leave much room for trajectory inaccuracies.
This very aquatic scene takes place in a small gray building, in the heart of the 15th arrondissement of Paris, a few blocks from the Félix Faure metro station.
It is in this family neighborhood that the Maraga company has just set up Wave in Paris, the first static artificial wave inside the capital. The company won the “Paris, playground” call for projects launched by the municipality in 2016 to build sports facilities in Paris, ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games. “I discovered that in Durban in 2002 , during my studies in South Africa. I found it exceptional. I told myself that in Paris it would be a great project ”, confides Jean-Baptiste Piette, president of Maraga and designer of the project.
Surf enthusiasts will not find the same sensations as on their board, since Wave in Paris offers two different sliding practices: bodyboard and flowboard.
The first is to take the wave with your elbows or knees on a foam board.
The second, more demanding, is practiced standing on a board the size of a skateboard, thus referring to "a hybrid sensation between skateboarding, snowboarding and wakeboarding", according to Jean-Baptiste Piette.
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While falls may seem impressive at first, they are not painful.
The space is equipped with a soft floor and padded edges.
“The risks are minimal, especially if you are new to bodyboarding, reassures the instructor.
Whether you are small, tall, skinny fat, it does not matter, it is accessible to all ”.
Since June 10, it is possible to book slots from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends and from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. during the week.
The space can accommodate up to 16 participants on the same time slot, by rotations of 2 riders on the wave.
Prices vary from 20 to 45 euros, depending on the time chosen.