MORGAN MAASSEN AND THE FIERRO SISTERS GIVE THE WORLD A PEAK INTO THEIR TAHITI

For Jesse and I growing up, we had a few girls surf movies we watched almost everyday. We always seemed to be drawn to the video parts in the more tropical and majestic parts of the world.

You know the ones. Whether it was Laura Enever charging the crystal blue waters of micronesia or Steph, Carissa or Malia getting barreled in the most turquoise blue coloured water, this to us still seems to be the closest thing to a dream paradise.

But one of (if not the most) iconic pieces of visual paradise is surfing shot from the water in Tahiti, framing the ever lush green hills in the background. For us, when mother nature was designing itself it got a 10 out of 10 when it did Tahiti.

So what would it be like growing up in such a dream environment?

For most of us, we will never know, mostly because it has been relatively undocumented visually. Especially in the eyes of a young female.

Until Now.

Enter the dream scenario…. 

The beautiful and fearless Fierro sisters spearheaded by former world junior champion and future CT guarantee Vahine, The creative genius of cinematographer Morgan Massen and for the final player in this dream team… The ever beautiful island of Tahiti.

I can hear you saying “anyone with a camera can make Tahiti look good”.

But there’s a big difference between showing off an island and what Morgan has done.

Morgan has managed to capture the connection between 3 women and their home. Not one playing a starring role but all. And we think it’s a must watch, especially in the current world of restrictions and isolation.

We were lucky enough to catch up with Vahine and Morgan to discuss their collab.

Hi Vahine, firstly congratulations on a great edit. It must be amazing to live and surf in such a beautiful part of the world?

Thank you so much and I hope you enjoyed the edit as much as we did ! It’s so funny because so many people tell us we live in paradise, and I never realized that until I started traveling, surfing different waves, wearing wetsuits and missing home and all it’s natural beauty. And when the pandemic hit, I was at home, and that’s when Morgan came and filmed what we were up to while we were home. We were so proud to show him all our favorite spots we always come back too.

Vahine Fierro

At the start of the clip, you talk about coming from a long line of wise women or ‘witches’ talk to me a little more about that and what that means to you.

So , Morgan picked that one music because It went really well with what our vibe and style is about. Before the release, we had a little talk about that, if it was going to offend anyone, but at the same time, it’s just a word. So we used it. I don’t consider myself as a witch haha, but we definitely have some sort of deeper connection with nature, we respect it, we grew up surrounded by it, and we learn and grow from this. 

Growing up with your two younger sisters and surfing alongside them, it would have been pretty special to be able to share this with them, how do you all feel about the edit and what inspired you to do one

Morgan is the one that asked me in the water one day at Teahupo’o if He could make a movie on me and my sisters. He told me that he was very inspired by us and our lifestyle. I felt so honored and said yes right away. Didn’t even ask any further questions because Morgan is a world haha. He is in his bubble and just makes amazing things. I’m so happy with how this edit came out. Morgan showed exactly what we are about. We got along so well and everything just went with the flow kinda. My sisters are my world. I will do anything for them. We are so close and we support each other. So when I knew that they would be part of it as well, I knew the movie would come out perfectly. 

As sisters ourselves, we understand the importance of family and sharing time together in the water. How do you all spend an average day together when you’re home?

To be honest, right now we have been quite separated with all my competitions and my sisters going to school on the main island. So when we are at home, we never separate. We are together 24/24h 7/7 !! We do everything together. Eat, surf , workout, cook,garden, do chores ( haha we don’t like doing it but our parents love seeing us work). And that’s kinda how it is when we are together anywhere in the world. We have a small circle of friends too, but I feel like when we are together, we just stay together haha. 

After hearing from Vahine about the experiences of hers and her sisters we thought we would connect with Morgan to hear about the creative process of the video

The shots in this film are incredible, how was it following these three women in through the jungle and seeing their home landscape?

Spending time with Vahine, Heimiti and Kohai in Tahiti is an absolute pleasure. The girls are at home in the water, and when not surfing, we would spend our time romping through the jungle and exploring far-off beaches and reefs. They know nature so well, and have an incredibly simple yet strong connection with it.

Morgan Maassen

Filming out at Teahpouo is something that I’m sure most filmers have on their bucket list, what kind of emotions come up when you’re out in the water with them?

To me, it’s the most powerful place in the world. The beauty of the mountains, the vibrancy of the reef, the force of the waves and the clarity of the water make it the pinnacle of shooting experiences. I pinch myself everytime i jump in, whether with my camera or my board, as there is nowhere in the world remotely close to it.

So let’s get our passports dusted off and look to plan a trip to Tahiti, but pack more than you need as you might just want to stay a while.