When you’ll read this newsletter, I’ll be landing back in Australia after 2.5 months away on assignments (and for a little time off too). That’s the end of my European Tour. I hadn’t been back in Europe for so long in 13 years. As much as I enjoyed every minute of it, I am so glad to be flying home to hit our local beaches again, and see all those familiar faces again, all the local frothers.
To wrap up this European parenthesis, I want to share some images of Eivissa aka Ibiza. First time there for me. A very enjoyable experience.
The interesting thing about this place is that you can make it the experience you want. If you’re after secluded paradise beaches, then drive 30 minutes somewhere North or East, and you’ll be (almost) alone, swimming in the most inviting waters. If you want to party hard day/night and swim in crowded, then the city of Ibiza and surroundings should be your pick. Finally, if you’re after tranquility in the middle of the olive trees, far from everything and everyone, it’s possible too. This tiny island offers this incredible variety of approach to your stay. The big missing point from my point of view: the lack of surf of course. Swell in this area of the Mediterranean Sea is a rare occurence.
I’ve totally dodged Winter, and I am back for the Australian Spring. I could get used to this!
Have a nice day and see you soon down in Bondi/Tama/Bronte/Maroubra very soon.
Hi Frothers ! Today, we’re driving South of the border, still in the Basque Country, but on the Spanish side.
Donostia is the basque name for San Sebastian. A vibrant city of 190,000 people, with a bay and opened beaches as well. Bubbly, vibrant, with an amazing pedestrian historical center, where pintxos (tapas) bars are all next to each other. The (basque) culture and food culture mix with the more urban/surf trends.
The surf wasn’t as good as expected here, but there were still waves to be had.
Almost time to head back now. I am looking foward to it.
Hi Frothers ! Today, I am taking you to Biarritz. You’ve probably been there already or at least heard of it. It seems that all surfing (and non-surfing) foreigners would head down there at some point.
Biarritz is a bit of an oxymoron. Many say it’s almost like an island in the Basque Country, that it has sold its soul for shiny casinos, expansive restaurants and large buildings, whilst the rest of the area keeps building traditional houses, and keep away from anything that would be detrimental to the coastal landscape. It’s true.
Still, Biarritz has got some amazing features, regularly some really good waves, and lives at a slightly higher pace than the surrounding areas, with a few more music festival and events.
I used to live and work up the road from the Côte des Basques, pictured here. And I absolutely loved it ! I realized It’s got some of the Bondi features: it’s busy, it’s very international, there are heaps of beginners trying to learn surfing, and some fancy/vintage cars driven by some cool cats.
Now let’s go to the South side of the French/Spanish border and see what we’ll find there.
Getting over 3 foot swell in Summer is pretty rare let alone, but going the 8ft mark is almost unheard of. The Basque Country has had a lucky draw and we’ve scored not only unusually big surf, but also a week of offshore winds to go with it.
It all started with a big storm, but soon it cleared up, leaving only some scorching weather.
I’ve been really stoke to be able to shoot such a day with such epic conditions when I’ve only scored knee high the last few Summers.
We all know that the surf can be crowded during the day. So, some guys have decided to take the night shift, with the help of a talented and innovative shaper: Prz Surfboards.
Of course, this is way easier to even consider in sharkless environment!
I’ve been lucky enough to shoot this really cool WSL supported event, the ”Anglet Surf De Nuit” (translate: Anglet Night Surfing). Most of the best French pro-riders were present for this airshow. Unfortunately, the super small and mushy surf did not help. And despite the rain, the crowds came in huge numbers to see this unusual kind of surf comp’.
If only this could’ve happened a day later: a real big swell has hit the Basque country shores. A Winter swell in Summer. But this is for the next episode.
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