Gigi — Spiritual Pro Skater Pirate from New Caledonia

Check the full transcript and show notes at: https://nerdontour.net/gigi-spiritual-pro-skater-pirate-from-new-caledonia/ Gigi got hired on a superyacht after telling the captain he knew nothing about sailing. In this episode we talk about how a skater from New Caledonia ended up delivering yachts across Asia with one safety course and one good reference. Why a stranger's question in a Phuket bar changed his life, and what cutting fishing nets off a propeller at 3 a.m. taught him about work. We also go through 37 hours in a force 9 storm off Western Australia with no harnesses, the reason he finally went back to school, and why he refuses every label, flag, and "where are you from?" thrown at him. About Gigi Gigi is a Pacific Islander from New Caledonia. A sponsored skater as a kid, he left home at sixteen, hated Paris, flew back alone, and wandered Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia with one bag. After an STCW course in Phuket he spent years as yacht crew on delivery passages, a 27 meter catamaran in Pattaya, and motorboats in Melbourne. We met in 2021 at an RYA sailing school in Tenerife, where he was working towards his Yachtmaster Offshore. What we cover - Why "where are you from?" is the worst question for someone who doesn't belong anywhere - How an STCW course and one reference got him onto a superyacht - 37 hours in a force 9 storm and arriving 40 centimeters from sinking - Indra's net, Lao Tzu, Terence McKenna, and choosing freedom over labels Timestamps (00:00) - Start. (00:34) - A backlog episode from pandemic Tenerife and our RYA sailing course. (04:21) - Meet Gigi: the spiritual pro skater pirate from New Caledonia. (05:02) - Why "where are you from?" is the worst first question. (06:20) - New Caledonia: Le Caillou, the Loyalty Islands, and the biggest lagoon in the world. (10:15) - Tribal life, never quite belonging, and running away at eleven. (13:51) - No snakes, no spiders: rusa deer, the kagu, and a life lived from the sea. (17:04) - Skateboarding as an escape from teachers, rules, and authority. (21:05) - Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, inline skates, and the flow of movement. (24:14) - Almost pro, then Paris at sixteen: the move that broke him. (27:57) - Selling Balinese art, sleeping on beaches, and backpacking across Asia. (30:14) - French territory, not a French state: independence and a childhood memory. (32:32) - First sailboats on sandbank motus and a dad who taught sailing. (34:44) - A Phuket bar, a stranger's question, and the STCW course opens yacht jobs. (39:49) - Free passage: delivering a brand new Beneteau yacht from Hong Kong to Phuket. (44:02) - First night watch in the South China Sea: flares, tuna socks, and "pirates". (47:09) - Thief on water, a rehab boat crew, and a hippie who hitchhiked 120 countries. (50:31) - Fixing the furler with a fork, land sickness, and a job offer via strangers. (54:56) - Staying innocent and gliding through life without expecting to get conned. (56:43) - Yachtmaster in five weeks for a free spirit who hates classrooms. (01:00:26) - The superyacht interview in flowery boardshorts and why references matter most. (01:04:29) - Keys behind the beers: alone on a 27 meter catamaran with a broke owner. (01:09:22) - Cutting fishing nets off the propeller at 3 a.m.: "That's my job." (01:10:54) - Tattoos in yachting, a 48 hour powerboat license, and collecting sea time. (01:13:51) - Perth to Bali on a tiny racing yacht and a force 9 storm off Exmouth. (01:17:57) - Thirty-seven hours without harnesses and a life raft ready on deck. (01:19:45) - Arriving 40 centimeters from sinking and the Mayday that almost happened. (01:24:52) - The wake-up call: why he finally went back to sailing school. (01:27:15) - Reading clouds like old sailors, and why the world becomes your oyster. (01:30:02) - Indra's net, fractals, and coconuts. (01:32:53) - Labels, language, and why the ocean is waving. (01:37:14) - Flags, passports, and rejecting authority with Terence McKenna. (01:42:41) - Law of attraction: all I want is freedom. (01:45:33) - Gandhi's Gita, the Upanishads, and the internet as a mind in 3D. (01:49:26) - Be like water: solitude, reclaiming your mind, and a message of love. (01:55:02) - Thanks for listening. Listen to all Nerd on Tour Podcast episodes on your preferred app Apple Podcasts Spotify YouTubeOther Podcast Apps Let's connect Threads: https://www.threads.com/@nerdontour Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nerdontour/ X: https://x.com/nerdontour LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/piotrekbodera/ BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/nerdontour.bsky.social Skip the algorithm Subscribe to Nomad Tuesday for travel stories, podcasts, and recommendations every Tuesday: https://nerdontour.net/newsletter/ Help me create more episodes Back me on https://nerdontour.net/#/portal