We’re all back from our first TTRFrance Trip, seriously stoked and slightly sunburnt after having spent a month surfing in the warmest water temps in Europe outside of the Mediterranean, in boardshorts and bikinis. Life’s good.
We based ourselves at the Wavelength House in Hossegor and hosted three separate coaching weeks; a beginner/intermediate course, an intermediate/advanced course and a photography course with internationally acclaimed surf photographer Lucia Griggi.
The beautiful thing about this part of France is that a finger of deep water cuts into the continental shelf pointing from the sea towards Hossegor. And as we are all obviously budding oceanographers, know that deep water running into a beach equals powerful waves and the wave Gods definitely delivered for the duration of this trip.
Thankfully the beginner/intermediate week saw slightly smaller surf, yet there was still enough punch for the guys to progress and even a few barrels were snagged by the crew on a day that said it was 1-2ft! Classic France.
Despite the Quiksilver Pro being on at the same time, the atmosphere in and out of the water was chilled and fun with plenty of waves for all. Literally if the peak we were on got a bit too crowded we’d head up or down the beach to find an emptier one. And unlike most of Europe, Hossegor has a spacious, roomy feel to it, where the beach actually spans as long as the eye can see.
The vibes back at the Wavelength House were equally as pleasurable, with proper Chalet-style hosting and food, with complimentary beers drunk and yarns spun round the campfire every evening, leaving the crew stuffed and stoked ready for another day surfing the finest beach breaks in Europe.
The more intermediate crew got pushed to their limits with a few sessions in at all time La Graviere, loads of surfs at La Nord and some at Seignosse where everyone charged hard. The WSL competition was in full force at this point and the parties were as hard as the surfing sessions. Surfing all day with the the world’s best and socialising with the stars in the evening is a classic Hossegor combo and having Pro Surfer’s Sam Lamiroy and Harry Timson heading up the surf coaching ensured the vibes stayed strong day and night.
For the photography workshop Lucia Griggi, Tim Borrow and Wavelength’s Lewis Harrison-Pinder chucked the budding photographers in the heart of the surf industry and an experience was delivered that money couldn’t buy. However, we all know that pictures speak a thousand words, so we’ll let these shots of the trip do the talking. Au revior Hossegor, we’ll be back next October…
If you want to join us on the next ‘Wavelength Week’, we’ll be in Santa Teresa, Costa Rica with Alan Stokes this February. Click here for more info.