Raised in the French Alps with a passion for snowboarding, Surfing didn’t enter the picture until his early 20s, when a summer trip to the Basque Coast changed everything. Starting small, literally, with hand-shaped 10cm miniature boards, Axel immersed himself in the craft, learning the ropes of laminating and sanding in a local factory. By 1997, he launched his first factory, Saioa, named after his daughter.

Axel’s breakthrough came in 2001 when he crossed paths with Australian shaper Chris Garrett at the Paris Gliss'Expo. That meeting led to winters spent shaping in Australia, shaping side by side with Chris, which Axel describes as decisive for his progression and understanding of shaping concepts. The duo went on to create “Surfboards Deluxe,” a collaborative venture that helped Axel gain recognition globally.

In 2009, Axel became the official backshaper for Peter Daniels in Europe, working with top surfers like world champion Adriano de Souza. As well as being headshaper for Lost and overseeing production in Europe for Matt Biolos. By 2012, he was head shaper at Pukas, pushing the boundaries of big wave design for pros like Natxo Gonzalez and Grant "Twiggy" Baker.

His board for Mick Fanning for Stab in the Dark, the fastest ever tested with a speed of 38.4km/h, solidified Axel’s place as a shaping icon.