Media / Press
Press release
Nantes (France), May 2021
Hopupu launches the first surf forecast app that brings together surf enthusiasts, surf businesses/brands and surf organizations / foundations.
Launched in May 2021, the Hopupu web application (available on mobile and computer devices), offers to all the actors of the surfing communities worldwide a new service to share coastal weather forecasts for all board sports (Surfing, Bodyboarding, Skimboarding, Kite surfing, Wind surfing, Bodysurfing).
For every surf forecast shared, the ad of a local surf company / brand or the ad of an association / foundation / organization, will also be published.
The objective of the Hopupu application is threefold:
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To bring local, reliable, consistent and understandable surf forecasts to surfing enthusiasts around the world.
( = via a simplified surf forecast format, the goal is to spend less time surfing the web and more time on your board).
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To help local businesses and brands from all surfing communities to develop their image, improve their visibility and increase their sales easily, quickly and at low cost.
( = By simply publishing surf forecasts via a Hopupu pro account (free), surf businesses / brands, also broadcast their ads, deals and advertisements at the same time).
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To offer to surf associations / foundations engaged in actions ranging from environmental protection to social actions of all kinds) a sharing tool to carry out their awareness campaigns/actions for free.
( = All users can become ambassadors of the organization(s) / foundation(s) of their choice. With each forecast they post on their account, they also share one of the ads of the organization they support).
[ 1 ]
Surf reports / Forecasts
[ 2 ]
Surf professionals
[ 3 ]
Surf organizations
The history of the appplication
At the beginning (2009 - 2010), the idea of this web application was born from several simple observations, all drawn from various surf experiences (student internships/jobs, surf trips, sessions):
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Before every session, the mandatory routine of any rider is to check out all the existing surf forecast websites. Unfortunately, the information available is not 100% accurate, and it is crucial to cross-check your sources in order to maximize your chances to find the perfect spot.
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When you're lucky enough to live in a surf community with several spots nearby, the first thing you do in the morning is to visually check out the surf conditions directly on the beach.
The second thing you do is ask a very simple question to your friends on social media: "Hey Dude, how are the surf conditions at your place?"
The third thing you do is try to forecast your next session in advance (whether it's hours or days away).
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When it comes to surf forecasts, the most reliable information always comes from locals (riders and local businesses). They are all local riders, with a perfect knowledge of the spots and their potential (which varies a lot depending on the weather/topographic conditions).
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There is currently no solution to help local businesses linked to a surf community to stand out from the e-retail competition or simply to expand their market.
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Without a minimum budget, time and knowledge, a local surf business has few options to grow (online or offline paid advertising, agency, website maintenance, ...), but most of the surf actors use social networks.
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Many surf/ocean associations work for the preservation of the environment, try facilitate the access to wave / wind sports to people in physical, psychological, social difficulties, ... However, their messages are not visible enough, and these associations do not have the resources to boost their visibility with existing tools (costs, complexity).
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Making a living from surfing is tough, yet each community has many talents, whatever the age, whose reputation on competitions or free surfing is no longer to be proven. However, there is no solution to help them find the sponsors they need.
Hopupu brings a concrete answer to each of these problems. Whether you are a local rider, a surf business, a talented rider looking for sponsors or an association/foundation, your passion is irrevocably linked to the weather.
So you have at the center of the equation the surf reports / forecasts, around which these different actors gravitate.
Mathias Cothenet
Hopupu founder
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