The small town of Hossegor just a 30-minute drive north from better known Biarritz is now well established as the capital of European surfing.
The Perfect Family Surfing Holiday
Spending the last 2 weeks of September down in SW France has been a long-term plan for quite sometime now. Getting down to Hossegor last year was not possible with the arrival of young Oscar, the September before that I headed over to Ireland (still one of my favorite surfing destinations) and the September before that Lottie and I were busy getting married.
So on top of being the best surfing month of the year, September for me now carries a wedding anniversary and Oscar's birthday, end result, if I want go surfing in September, the family are coming too. Luckily for me they love getting away and living life on the beach just as much as I do!
The best thing about SW France in September is that the weather is still warm and sunny (sun lover Lottie is set), the sandy beaches are golden and beautifully maintained (great for young Oscar) and the way of life down there is generally just how we like it.
Good weather, great waves, amazing food and delicious wine. Happy days in the Hayler family.
We rented a small villa just behind the dunes in Les Bourdaines, just North of the central hub of Hossegor. 2 bedrooms, a big kitchen and lovely garden evening barbeques.
Running over the dunes for a surf each morning before heading down to the local boulangerie to pick up croissants and baguettes for the day ahead really is the way every day should start.
The rest of the day on the beach in revolves around good waves, sand castles and walking practice in the shore break (a favourite for Oscar)
Being September, Hossegor is in low season, strange you might think given its status as the central hub of European surfing even more so when September is SW France’s prime surfing month. However empty car parks, and uncrowded beaches are a bonus in my book.
On the rare days when the waves don’t show you have got Biarritz to go and explore and further south you have San Sebastian just over the border in Spain (easy day trip).
Other attractions down in Hossegor in late September include..
Watching the WCT Quik Pro France
Whilst the 'dream tour' (surfing's elite) has struggled in recent years to stay true to its roots –
the best waves with the best surfers riding them; the Quik Pro France has been a regular fixture on the ASP WCT Dream Tour for many years and underlines what pro surfing is all about.
With waves breaking right on the shore, watching the best surfers in the world (hero's) surfing LIVE is in my view one of the best LIVE sporting events that there is.
The excitement of watching your favorite surfer of all time drop into a huge wave, pull in under the lip, get a crazy tube ride before getting spat out in front of rapturous crowd is like nothing else that I have ever seen in sport. Surfer or non-surfer, you are literally blown away by the way in which these guys surf.
Due to advances in technology especially online, these events are broadcast live online, epic viewing if you cant be there, however if you can get down to a WCT event, I highly recommend it. You will love it! Even Oscar was whooooping as after yet another jaw dropping ride great went.
Surf Travel
As I always when I am away and on the hunt for waves, I cannot help but feel extremely lucky to have surfing in my life, it inspires just about everything I do, whether it’s travelling to the other side of the world, or driving down the west coast of France, surfing is a motivator to go beyond the obvious, to forget the ordinary and strive for better. There really is nothing like it.
All in all a great way to spend 2 weeks, birthdays and anniversaries down in Hossegor, that is a tradition worth sticking to I recon.
As for SW France, we will definitely be back and having met up with some great contacts down there, the Ticket to Ride Surf House in Hossegor for next September 2013 is on the horizon.
Watch this space.
And in the meantime
Watch The Quiksilver Pro LIVE
Back here at Ticket to Ride HQ there is loads going on, the Surf School has been record busy for September and October is looking nice and busy too. Good news, the water in Cornwall stays warm right into October and waves are definitely at their best at this time of year.
The current Ticket to Ride South Africa and Mozambique trip has moved on from Cape Town and is now in Plettenberg bay, trip leaders Nikita and Klee have reported back full of good vibes along the lines of what a great group they have and how good the waves have been.
Booking for January 2013 trips to
South Africa,
Mozambique and
Costa Rica are coming in at record pace.
On top of this early bookings particularly for September 2013 and January 2014 are coming in with the bonus of a FREE SURBOARD for early bookings being a major draw.
So it was great to be away, and there is plenty of good stuff going on making it great to be back.
Next trip….? Lucky my little man can't talk yet, otherwise I recon he would have been bugging me the whole way home…
Will