Hugo Westrelin

Give us a little background on yourself.

My name's Hugo Westrelin, and I’m 21 years old. I was born near Paris on October 15, 2002, but since the age of one, I’ve lived in Biarritz. I did all my schooling here until my high school graduation, and it’s where I’ve met all my friends.

Where you are right now?

I've been spending my summer between Paris and Biarritz, which has been great. I live in Biarritz with my mum, but for the past three years, I've been working in Paris from time to time. It’s great to spend time in-between the two.

Talk us through your journey in skateboarding.

It all started thanks to my ex-stepdad, who was a pretty good skater back in the day. When I was two, him and my mum gave me my first board, and I actually learned to walk with it by using it in our driveway. As I grew up, around the age of five, my mum would drop me off at the skatepark every day after school—and also at the hospital quite a few times… She used to say I was crazy, but I just wanted to be like the older guys. That’s where I met the friends I still skate with today. We’ve never stopped since, and that makes me really happy.

What’s an average day like in Biarritz?

I usually wake up around 10, call my friends, grab a coffee, and head to Wall Street Skate shop to hang out with the homies who work there. If I need to, I’ll set up a new board or pick up some parcels. If there are waves, I’ll go surfing; otherwise, we might play golf before noon. We’ll grab something to eat (often not the healthiest choice) and then head out to skate, either at the skatepark or on the streets, depending on how motivated we are. After that, we usually chill in front of the sunset, and if we’ve still got some energy left, we’ll have a few beers to wrap up the day perfectly….

Describe your local scene.

In the South West of France, we’re lucky to have a strong skate scene. What’s even better is that everyone skates for fun - without any jealousy, which isn’t always the case in other cities. My friends—Tim Debauche, Daniel Porto Raya and Noah Mahieu are incredibly talented, so skating with them constantly pushes me to improve. Plus, one of my best friends is a skate filmmaker, Ruben Delisle which is a huge boost for our projects. And since Clement Legall, the legendary photographer, lives here too – everything comes together well.

We also have an older generation of talented skateboarders who were killing it back in the day. Samuel Partaix, in particular, has contributed a lot to the local scene. He’s one of the pros who moved to Biarritz and is deeply involved in the local skate culture.

For a few years now, we’ve been lucky to have a shop in town – Wall Street - that’s been a huge help to us. Emilie, the boss, is doing amazing things for us!

Merci Emilie!

Where are your favourite places to skate outside of Biarritz?

I'd say the place where we skate the most after Biarritz is Spain, we often go on filming missions to San Sebastian, Bilbao and all the small towns nearby. We’re so close to the border, only 20 minutes by car so it’s really convenient. The number of spots in Spain is incredible – it’s my favourite place to skate.

What have you been working on recently?

Right now, Ruben and I are working on a solo project. We’ve been at it for over a year, and there’s still a bit of work to do, but it’s cool - we love working together.

How would you describe the vibe within the Vans skate team?

It’s everything I love - no stress, just good vibes and guys who skate really well. It reminds me of those sessions at the skatepark when we were seven, laughing all day without ever feeling pressured to do anything we didn’t want to do. The only difference now is the level of skill… Ever since I was a kid, I’ve only skated in Vans, so I’m really grateful to be part of the Europe team now. I can’t wait to go on tour and enjoy every moment!

What and who inspires you in skating?

It’s hard to explain, but most of the time, I’ll arrive at the skatepark, and an idea will just pop into my head. I’ll try it out - if it works, great; if not, I’ll wait for the next idea. I know some people have really specific plans, but I don’t like to get too hung up on that.

Sometimes, Ruben will suggest something like, “Hey, you should try this,” and I’ll be like, “Yeah, not a bad idea!” That’s how I learn new tricks. There are skateboarders I admire more than others, and I get new ideas by watching them. I don’t really have a favourite skater per say but right now - guys like Chris Milic, Joseph Campos, Stu Kirst, and Rowan are making me love skateboarding even more.

And outside of skating - what gets you fired up?

Lately, we’ve been playing a lot of golf, which I’m really into. Summer in Biarritz is great for partying, so there’s that too… I just love being outside with my friends and doing all sorts of things, we're doing a lot of cycling at the moment, we try to go hiking and camping in the mountains when we can, otherwise I love going surfing, fishing and playing golf – any outdoor activities which involves spending time with the people I love.

Who do you look up to?

I don’t really have a favourite skater, but right now, skaters like Rowan, Joseph Campos, and Stu Kirst are making me love skateboarding even more. There are also legends like GT and Ishod Wair - I’ve watched their parts a million times.

Favourite Vans shoe to skate in?

Old Skool! Any colourway!

What are your plans and goals for the future?

I don't really set myself any goals, I prefer to live and enjoy life with my friends, my family and I think things come naturally to you if you merit it and work hard!
I would like to keep skating as long as possible, travel as much as possible and be in good health, so I can keep doing the things I love.

Any last words?

Tell your friends you love them before it's too late.