France Goes Off!

Groundswell will pump across the Bay of Biscay to South West France this Autumn. Getting amongst it will be thousands of travelling surfers, local rippers and the best surfers in the world. Hossegor and Biarritz in early Autumn go crazy – beachbreak barrels, insanely beautiful girls on the beach, gallons of red wine and one of the best events on the ASP World Tour. France goes off in Autumn!


Da Plonka, Going Deep!© 2008 - Kevin Olsen

This September, the pro tour will be in town to contest one of the hottest title races in years. Will Slater clinch number nine? Can anybody stop him now? France could be a critical part of the decision. The first European leg of the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) World Tour will take place between 19th-28th September, probably in Hossegor. The Quiksilver Pro 2008 is set to be another late summer/early autumn blur of spitting kegs, lovely women, red wine nights and glassy dawns. There’s more than one good reason why the pros flock to SW France at this time of year!

The waves are a miracle of course, but they are just one of the many draws this area boasts. The French surfing and travelling experience is unique and unmissable, on the global must-do list for perfect beachbreaks, great food and wine, and wild nightlife. The standard of surfing is unbelievable, though there is plenty for the beginner and intermediate to see and do. Watching the Quiksilver Pro live from the sand is a real lesson in high performance surfing. In 2004, the competitors were met with flawless 8-12 foot barrels at La Nord in Hossegor, enough to get even the Hawaiians excited!

Thousands of surfers from around Europe visit the Hossegor and Biarritz area every autumn, in search of the famed tubes, relaxed attitude to nudity, and distinct surfing culture. France has been on the map for travelling surfers for decades, due to the fantastic waves in Les Landes and Gironde. In the early days, beaches at Biarritz and in particular the left at La Barre were the spots of choice. Nowadays, people surf all over the coast, with particular hotspots at Hossegor, Capbreton and Anglet. Each of these spots host some of the better beachbreak peaks in the world. Top sandbanks at La Gravière, Seignosse, VVF, Les Culs Nuls, La Piste and Les Cavaliers offer a tube-fix for European surfers and visiting pros. The South West of France consistently makes surfing headlines… no wonder it supports a thriving surfing industry, world-class photographers and pro-standard rippers in the water.

Making a trip to France is a simple but rewarding surf travel experience. The language barrier doesn’t really apply, as most people speak English, although learning a bit of French goes a long way if you are looking to make friends. Late summer and early autumn is the season, with a diverse crowd of the best surfers in the world, sunshine almost every day, regular pressure systems in the North Atlantic sending swell to the region, and offshore winds almost guaranteed. The later into Autumn, the colder the weather and water become, and the swell gets bigger and gnarlier. The waves themselves are pretty close to perfection, with a range from glassy beachbreak peelers through to thumping barrels depending on the swell size and the state of the tide. Hossegor’s infamous shorebreak can be a boardbreaker, but it can also offer up dry-sand pits for the committed.


© 2008 - Kevin Olsen

You’d think with the amount of exposure SW France gets in the international surfing media, every beach would be crowded. However, outside of the name spots like Hossegor, Capbreton, Guethary and Lacanau, the vibe changes. Competition gives way to chilled out tube seeking, with countless quieter beaches hosting epic little sandbanks in front of the pine forest. There are empty waves all over the region, it just needs a bit of a will to explore, walk that bit extra, and some pointers from the locals – another good reason to learn a bit of French.

Travelling south from the UK by ferry is a great way to explore SW France. Just a few hours of sailing time from Portsmouth, Poole or Plymouth sees the traveller arrive in Western France, ready to make a beeline south or take some time out to explore on the way down. Alternatively, you can sail from Plymouth straight down to Santander in northern Spain, and arrive just a few hours’ drive from the action. Having your own boards is a major bonus, and with airlines pushing up board carriage fees, taking your own by ferry makes things more economical. Driving down in a van means having a home away from home, but with better waves! For those with cars, there are loads of great places to stay in and around Hossegor and Biarritz.


© 2008 - Kevin Olsen

South West France in the late summer and early autumn is an epic trip, with the added bonus of the pro tour being in town. Think sick barrels straight off the sand and the cream of the world’s surfers drawn together in a great location. Add in the wild party scene and nude beaches (both of which can be a distraction…) and it’s easy to see why a surf trip to France at this time of year is a must for every surfer. France goes off!

Start planning your trip now with Brittany Ferries. Their routes from Portsmouth, Poole & Plymouth will take you far closer to the action, saving you hundreds of miles of unnecessary driving. That means less time on the road, and more in the water! What are you waiting for? Visit www.brittanyferries.com/surf now!!!

All photos submitted by KevinOlsenSurfHouse

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