Olivia Piana

Olivia Piana is a French waterwoman and pioneer of Stand Up Paddling (SUP) in France. She has strong records, as 3 World Champion titles in all racing formats: distance race, sprint, and technical race. The foiling sports becoming more and more popular, Olivia Piana launches new challenges in Downwind foil on the Molokai 2 Oahu, in Wingfoiling on the GWA Wingfoil World Tour, and in IQFoil the new Olympic windsurfing support of the Paris 2024 Olympics.

French

South of Portugal

34 years old

Wing foiling since September 2019

Sports

KiteSurfSUPWindsurfSurf FoilWing Foil

Questions & Answers

What other water sports do you do and how long?

Windsurfing : 20 years; Stand Up Paddling: 10 years; Surfing: 5 years; and a bit of kitesurfing.

What do you like about wing foiling?

I love to go upwind and surf the swell downwind. With Wingfoiling all the conditions are great! You just need some wind! When there are waves (all kinds of waves 😂), I love surfing with the Wing. Now, I'm getting into freestyle. It's a great feeling when you land a trick for the first time after trying 245963000 times! 😂

How did you learn and how long did it take you to wing foil?

I was able to fly the first day I've tried Wingfoiling! I immediately loved it! Wingfoiling is an unlimited sport, I'm learning new things every time I'm going on the water.

What is your favorite gear combination and why?

I mostly wing on my Comet Sw 4'8 (65L) and my Wing Takoon 4M. I love the shape of this board made by my friend Bruno Meignen, he made my first foiling board! The Wing Takoon is one of the best in the market. Lightweight, powerful, and stable.

What was your favorite wing surfing session?

I love Wingfoiling in the spot of Saint Barbe in Saint Jean de Luz, SW France. This spot is incredible, the wave is so long, about 200m, and the place is so powerful with the energies of Bask country.

What do you want or believe will significantly improve the wing foiling gear?

Co-working with Team riders helps to improve the gear. In the competitions, we can see which gear works better. The pro riders have a big impact on the R&D of this new industry. Performing also means comfort at some point. The improvement of the elite gear is also useful for the amateur wingers and help them to improve their skills faster by riding the right material.

What tips or recommendations do you have for anyone who wants to start?

Start with the right material: check the weight of the Wing and the stability on the beach, the board is around +20L of your weight (I'm 65kg I started on a 90L board), the foil is big enough to fly in 15 knots (it depends on your weight, I started on 1600). The best condition to start is on safety and flat water, side/side-onshore wind of 15knots, warm water, with a friendly teacher! Always wear the leashes, Wing, and board. Have fun!

What is your biggest water sport achievement?

My biggest watersport achievement is when I became SUP world champion for the first time in 2018, in a distance race of 18km. It was such a tough race and it was so unexpected!