Interview with Pro surfer William Aliotti

A few years ago I met pro surfer William Aliotti randomly at a sunset party in Uluwatu, Bali. I’ve been keeping an eye on his career ever since and the last couple of years he took on many interesting projects.

So I figured it was time to sit down with him and do a very short but cute interview where we talk about his love for Bali, his future goals, his recent surf accident where he almost lost 2 fingers and much more.

A short profile:

Name: William Aliotti
Home country: The island of Saint Martin, French Caribbean.
Age: 26 years old `
Occupation: free surfer / invitational contests
Background: He’s been a pro surfer since the age of 17

Fun Facts:

He is signed to the model agency W Model Management agency, London
In 2019 he starred in his first solo surf movie ‘New Religion’ which premiered in Europe. The movie is a visual recap of him chasing the best waves around the world. You can watch it here
He made it to the cover of several (prestigious) surf magazines like Surf Session Magazine, Carve surfing Magazine, Wavelength, SURFER
He did an international ad campaign for Volcom

INTERVIEW

How old were you when you started surfing? Were there any other surfers in your family?

I started surfing when I was 11 years old and I am now 26. None of my parents were surfers , but my dad was a sailor so he was pretty connected with the sea.

What is your ultimate dream or goal when it comes to surfing? What would you like to achieve?

I would love to keep getting payed to surf and travel for the rest of my life .

Is there a specific surf competition you would like to win some day?

There are a few yes, but preferably the tube contest / Padang Padang (Bali)

Who is you favorite surfer at the moment and why?

That would be Dane Reynolds, the way he surfs the waves is just really unique

Although you were born in the Caribbean, why do you spend so much time in Hossegor, France? What's so special about Hossegor?

In Saint Martin we don’t get that many waves compared to Hossegor and this part of France is super nice and cosy .. The summers are really hot and the winters are pretty mellow. It’s also close to Spain and not too far from the mountains to go snowboarding.

You injured your hand recently in a surf accident which means you need to recover and you can't surf for a few weeks. How do you keep yourself busy?

Well, after my surf accident (his hand got caught into the rotating blade of the foil motor of his electric hydrofoil surfboard and he almost lost his fingers) I had no other choice but to stay out of the water and take time to slow down and heal. My hand is still very fragile and getting into the water too soon will only slow down my healing process, so I have to be patient. I now do things I normally don’t have the time for like fixing stuff in my house that I bought recently, working on my car etc..

Image if you could never surf again .What would your job be instead of surfing?

I honestly have no idea :)

You often go to Indonesia and Bali to surf. What is your favorite place in Bali to surf? What's your favorite place to eat in Bali? Do you party in Bali? If so, whats your favorite place?

Indonesia is the capital of surfing, all the best surfers go there every year!

And yes, Bali is great, I like everything about it. I would say Uluwatu is my favorite place on the island, especially when it’s big (the waves cfr).

The best place to eat is a Tahitian restaurant called Maitai in Canggu. I also like having breakfast at the Gooseberry cafe in Bingin (Uluwatu).

And the best place to party... it’s pumping pretty much everywhere in Bali :)

Is Bali special to you? Could you explain why you go back every year? Is it the people? The waves? The energy?

In my opinion you can find the best waves during the ‘winter’ season in Bali.! There are so many waves (its essential for a surfer to come here every year )

What's your most epic surf trip so far?

My best surf trip so far, was a trip I did last year to Namibia, Skeleton Bay. Most epic waves ever for sure.

Are there any exciting projects coming up?

Yess I have a lot of new project coming but I can’t reveal them yet. Stay tuned and keep an eye on my social media ;)

Thank you for taking the time to do this interview. I wish you a quick recovery!