DOB :     14/02/1991
Homespot : Hendaye
Favorite spots : Indo
Blog : http://paulineado.fr/
PROFILE :
Pauline grew up in the heart of the Basque country, in Hendaye, where the more than generous bay is somewhat regarded as a playground by experienced surfers. The ideal conditions have enabled Pauline to develop an excellent technique that she has learnt to use in the smaller waves. Pauline started competing from a very early age, surfing against older girls and boys. It quickly became clear that she had bags of potential. She made her way straight into the Rip Curl Team, winning the European Cadets Championship in 2004 and the French Open Championships in 2005 when she was aged only 14, beating her friend Caroline Sarran and her mentor Marie-Pierre Abgrall on the way. 

 

Behind the blond hair and the angelic smile hides a little Basque lady with a very strong character. This rather reserved person (almost shy even) with a fondness for reading has a mass of determination and a wild competitive streak: she doesn’t like to lose and therefore often tends to push her limits further and further to assure victory. For someone of her age, she has an outstanding talent and she is surely one of a new generation of surf prodigies in the world. Pauline is now dreaming of following in the footsteps of Steph Gilmore : carry on surfing whilst completing her studies before taking on the WCT ! 

News :
    After she became the World Champion Junior in January 2009, Pauline started her first WQS season.  During this transitional period she had to compete with the best surfer of the world and stayed confident : “ We have to stop giving European surfers complexes… Thanks to our sponsors, we are more and more able to compete with “Surf nations”, but then we have to be perfect on technique, choice of waves…”
    Furthermore, thanks to her world champ title, she got a wild card which allowed her to participate to the WCT Rip Curl Pro Search in Peniche, Portugal.  First WCT experience for Pauline, she had to face a high level of competition. In November she had a special 3 weeks trip in Hawaii, where she enjoyed hawaian waves and special events as Eddie Aikau and  Stephanie Gillmore’s victory at the triple crown.
    Hardworking, she is quite disappointed not to had the opportunity to express herself fully trough this transitional season. In January, she made the 3rd best results at the  ASP world junior champion title, missing the finals. But on her Blog, Pauline comment this experience serenely  : « I finished 3rd in the WJC yesterday.  Even if I was disappointed not to make the final it’s still a nice result and a good way to start 2010.”
    True to her fighting spirit, Pauline took a smart step back to analyze her weak points, as an impulse to reach better results. Therefore, she has already set up a complete schedule, giving priority to the 5 and 6 stars competitions. She is more confident this year, about adapt herself to this particular rythm as she knows more waves of the tour.  She also hope to take part into some Pro Junior events. 

    And when she bases herself on 2009, she realizes that victory was never unattainable! She knows that she will improve her style, which she describe as made of hours of work on technique “movement by movement”. According to her, it is a matter of perseverance and work “you have to give yourself the means to succeed, there is no secret,  you have to surf as much as possible, surf with stronger than you to progress each season”.
Once again, Pauline Ado, shows us that she is sound in body and mind.  Humble but also ready and willing to achieve her goals, she’ll give the best of this surf made of passion and work.