Photo: David Berthet
Tow-in sessions around La Graviere aren’t unheard of. What is rare though is a tow session on Easter weekend, which is exactly what was delivered less than two weeks into spring.
The swell was a bit of an offseason treat for Basque surfers who typically only see conditions like Saturday, in particular, during the winter months. It drew out the regular lineup of European tube hounds within striking distance of Hossegor — names like Joan Duru, Miky Picon, Marc Lacomare, Aritz Aranburu, and William Aliotti, to name a few.
“A few hopefuls tried to score paddling but the playing field was so big that only the surfers with Jet Ski assistance could get in the right spot to experience the visions we all dream of,” said videographer David Berthet.
Switching gears a touch, you can expect a moment like this to support at least one hot take suggesting this summer’s Olympic surfing competition should have been moved to Hossegor in the wake of a controversy surrounding the construction of an aluminum judges’ tower at Teahupo’o. That was just one of many casual alternatives thrown around by fans and opposition but Olympic organizers didn’t budge and the tower is now standing.
The problem, of course, is that a day like this rolling through on Easter weekend is already a surprise. Nobody’s holding their breath for these overhead tubes in July and August.
