TEAM | Catch Up With Yann Roy

Another rider hailing from the Great White North of Canada, Yann Roy has been repping Phase 5 above the border for years. A talented all-around water guy, Yann picked up wakesurfing back in 2008 and hasn’t looked back since. We caught up with him to ask him a few questions and see what he’s been up to lately. Check it out below!

PHASE 5: What’s up Yann?! For those who may not know, introduce yourself for us!
Yann: What's up Jeff! My name is Yann, I'm 44 years old, and I'm passionate about all kinds of board sports! As a profession, I'm a real estate investor, and in my free time, I love traveling and surfing real waves in the ocean!

PHASE 5: Where are you from and how long have you been riding Phase 5?
Yann: I’m from Quebec, Canada! I started water sports in 1999, beginning with wakeboarding! In 2003, I got into wakeskating, and I began wakesurfing in 2008.

PHASE 5: Do you remember your first time on a Phase 5? If so, let’s hear about it!
Yann: Yes, of course! The company that was sponsoring my wakeskates at the time also distributed Phase5. In 2008, I ordered my first P5 board, the Drew Danielo pro model and would ride it from time to time between my wakeskate sessions. I quickly fell in love with the sport. I decided to dedicate 100% of my time to wakesurfing starting in 2011.

PHASE 5: Where do you usually ride and who is your main riding crew?
Yann: I live on the South Shore of Montreal, in Quebec. My house is right on the shore of a calm river, its the best spot for practicing watersports! Over time, all my friends have ended up doing wakesurf! But my favorite outings are when I go with just 3-4 riders maximum, that way we have plenty of time to ride and we can take our time to chill and chat.

PHASE 5: If you’re not out surfing, what can you be found doing?
Yann: I love to travel and surf in the ocean! In the summer, I wakesurf at home, but in the winter, I head to surf the beaches where it’s warm and sunny. My ultimate life goal is to spend my winters in Playa Negra, in northern Costa Rica, working remotely and managing my businesses from there.

PHASE 5: What’s one of your favorite memories on the water?
Yann: Actually, it’s hard to choose just one! It’s such a privilege to be on the water and share that with friends. Watching sunsets in great company is definitely up there. But otherwise, my favorite moments are definitely when I try something new, and after dozens, even hundreds of attempts, I finally nail it! It’s such an incredible feeling of accomplishment.

PHASE 5: Thanks for chatting with us, Yann! Is there anything else you’d like to share before we wrap this up?
Yann: Big thanks to Phase 5 for the support over the last 12 years, I’m very grateful and stoked to have been riding P5 since day one!