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Quiksilver & Roxy Pro France 2016

The World Surf League comes to France

Photo: Kerstin / WSL
 

South-West France returns in 2016 as one of 11 destinations on the Samsung Galaxy Championship Tour – surfing’s professional World Championship tour governed by the World Surf League (WSL).
Following tour stops in Australia, Brazil, Fiji, South Africa, USA and Tahiti, the world’s surfing elite will return to the Landes coast from October 4-15, for the Quiksilver Pro France – the 9th of 11 stops on the men’s tour – and the Roxy Pro France – the penultimate women’s event of the 2016 season.
 

Exceptional Waves

Often compared to Hawaii, the spectacular autumn waves carried by the Bay of Biscay to the Aquitaine coast have a formidable reputation. Famous for its ‘tube machines’, the beach breaks of Landes quickly punish the smallest mistake by turning into washing machines. Subject to strong currents and big tides, these spots require exceptional seamanship and great skill to ride the crashing waves that explode in close proximity to the thousands of spectators lining the beach. Like the Hawaiian North Shore, the coastline of southern Landes is full of world-class spots, and between Seignosse, Hossegor and Capbreton, many possibilities exist to accommodate the contest site.
 

Enter The Legend

Joining the ranks of past Quiksilver Pro France winners Mick Fanning (AUS), Kelly Slater (USA), John John Florence (HAW)and Gabriel Medina (BRA) is a challenge reserved for only the most exceptional surfers. With the exception of Fanning, who is taking a year’s break from the tour, these surfing superstars will
once again return to Landes for the Quiksilver Pro France. In the women’s event, Tyler Wright (AUS) will return to defend her 2nd consecutive Roxy Pro France title, but there’s no doubt that rivals Carissa Moore (HAW), Stephanie Gilmore (AUS) and Courtney Conlogue (USA) will all be formidable opponents.
As for the local stars, Jeremy Flores (FRA) makes no secret of his dream of winning in France. As the only female French surfer to compete, the Fiji Pro winner Johanne Defay will be a favourite of the ever- growing home crowd, as will Tahitian Michel Bourez.
 

Quiksilver & Roxy Pro France: The high point of the French surfing season

Launching last April in Biscarrosse with the test of a European Junior Qualifying Series (JQS, -18 years old) event, the French calendar of the World Surf League continued in June with a European Longboard Qualifying Series (LQS) competition at Vieux Boucau. Things continued to gain momentum in August, with two stages of the European Qualifying Series (QS) in Anglet and Lacanau. These four professional surfing events preceded the arrival of the world’s best surfers in Seignosse, Hossegor, Capbreton for October’s Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France.
By welcoming new generations of surfers and sporting fans to SW France with a world-class event, these elite tour stops have become a real economic and tourism engine for the region, extending the summer season until mid-October.
 

Key figures
Up to 45 hours of live coverage

The Quiksilver and Roxy Pro France will be broadcast in full on the worldsurfleague.com website and via
WSL’s free app. In France, the competition will be broadcast on Sport 3 SFR (formerly Far MCS) with French-language commentary.
100,000+ spectators visited the beach over the contest period *
 

2 wildcards for the Quiksilver Pro France

Quiksilver will offer the first wildcard invitation to Leonardo Fioravanti (ITA). The young Italian prodigy
caused a sensation at the Margaret River event by defeating Kelly Slater and Adriano de Souza (BRA), then caused another upset in Rio by defeating Gabriel Medina on home territory. The second wildcard will be awarded to the best French surfer on the QS rankings at that time.
A single wildcard for the ROXY PRO will be presented by Roxy.
 

View the 2015 French events videos:

ROXY PRO FRANCE : Videos of the complete Event
QUIKSILVERPROFRANCE : Videos of the complete Event
 
 

* Source: Hossegor Tourist Office