Is Jorgann Couzinet Ready For The CT?

About a year and a half ago, we ran a story called, "Ummm, Who The Hell Is Jorgann Couzinet?" which served to highlight an unknown French force that was billowing its way toward the 2018 CT.

Jorgann did not ultimately qualify that year. Nor the next. On both occasions, he finished just one or two spots outside of the graduating class. Jorgann did, however, get a chance to compete in a CT event last season – at his home track no less, the Quiksilver Pro France. 

In the 60 minutes of his two-heat stint, Jorgann failed to muster anything over a four. He was trounced by Title-favorite Filipe Toledo in Round 2 – 15.84 to 7.77. 

But Jorgann did not give up. In the film above, surf industry folk speak kindly of Jorgann and claim his abilities to be CT-ready. Joe Turpel, Jeremy Flores, Leo Fioravanti and more give their unwaning appreciation for the young Frenchie. At the end, filmmaker Leo Maigret does his best to convince us of this concept with a Jorgann surf-highlight reel, complete with many big turns and medium airs. 

We got on the phone with Jorgann to discuss all of the above. After watching the film for yourself (it's quite impressive from a cinematic standpoint!), scroll down for his thoughts. 

Stab: Hey Jorgann, we just wanted to speak quickly about the video you've made. It's all about your quest to become a CT surfer and how you've come painstakingly close to realizing that dream in the past two seasons. Is it pretty devastating to finish just one or two spots outside of qualifying?
Jorgann Couzinet: Yeah, you know I've always felt bad for those guys who didn't qualify for a Tour spot. It's really frustrating. And now that guy is me [laughs]. Qualifying for the CT has been my biggest dream since I started surfing. The first year [2017] I got a win in a 6,000 so I thought I had a really good chance, but it just didn't happen at the end of the year. Then this past year I felt even more motivation, because I wanted to back up what I achieved in 2017 and show that I'm deserving of being there. Again, I couldn't make it happen at Sunset. 

It looks like you're incredibly comfortable surfing on the QS, but you got a chance to compete in the CT last year in France, your home event, and you looked a little... off.
Yeah, that was a hard time for me. I was really excited to surf in that event against the big guys, like Toledo, but I guess the stress got to me. I was expecting to do well, but then I had a bizarre feeling when I was in the water. Everything I was trying wouldn't work. Everything was going wrong. I'd never had that happen in a heat. I didn't feel like myself. 

You probably want a chance to redeem yourself and prove that you're worthy of competing on the elite level. 
Definitely. After the Quik Pro France, I felt terrible. I had to take stock of my life and my ability to see if I really had a place in surfing. So I kept improving, kept surfing bigger waves, and everything regrouped. I know what I want, and I think I have my place now – much more than last year. 

What parts of your surfing would you like to improve upon?
I would say bigger rights – like Sunset or Haleiwa. I feel like I can do well, but I'm not super consistent, so that's probably the part I want to improve most. 

Will you be changing anything to your competitive approach this year to help get yourself on the CT?
Yeah, I'm actually working in Australia right now with my new coach Martin Dunn. I feel like I'm already improving a lot. We're working on a few different strategies and techniques that I think will push me further in 2019. Hopefully to the top-36.