ing along with Tahitian pirogue racing.You too, can get in on theaction. Pros will be on hand during the week to assist those whowant to try out their long boarding and bodysurfing skills. So,here’s your chance to be straight sucked into a nice hollow curl.

Funky style along the “St.Tropez of the Atlantic Coast”Beach-goers will be clubbing on the sand. Partiers will be enter-

tained with films and music while DJ's spin “phat” beats.There willbe lots of action to photograph, such as the art competition.Agraffiti board will be installed on the beach so that artists candemonstrate their creative work. Once their creation is complet-ed the board will be admired, white washed and the next artistwill have a chance to out-do the first.

Hang-ten, dude If you want to get the best seat in the house to watch all the

action, reserve a table at the café in front of the Biarritz casinoand order a glass of Basque cider. Here you can watch “the tannedones” sporting “bed-head” hairdos as they tote their long boards

to the beach.They’re trotting off to worship their god, theomnipresent western swell that rises and crashes along this partof the Atlantic Coast.

As one surfer put it “the free surfing is fantastic and it is seldomthat I get a chance to ride with such famous dudes.A few yearsago I was in the water with (world champion) Beau Young whoscores with his 'down to earth-ness'.We had nice two- to three-foot waves, not too hollow, SWELL.”

Cradle of surfing civilization in EuropeWhat makes this area so special? If you look at a wave map, it

shows how the tide enters the Atlantic coast of Europe — theCôte des Basques is a direct hit.The tide comes in at just the rightangle for surfers to catch a smooth ride.They run their coursealong the French coast from above Biarritz and head south towardthe town of St. Jean de Luz.

Hollywood beach boys made it famousIn 1957, California movie producer, Peter Viertel, came to the

et out your long board and join the wave of beachbums headed to southwest France for the BiarritzSurf Festival this July.The coastal cities of the Bay ofBiscay have a fantastic clubbing scene, plus music andfilm events all summer long.

Aloha, FranceThe biggest event of the year is from July 10-18 when 150,000

spectators are expected to descend on Biarritz to watch thewar of the waves. International surfers from as far as Australiawill compete.The usual Hawaiians and Californians will be theretoo, surfing along side Italians and the Dutch (and even competi-tors from landlocked countries like Switzerland and Germany).

Surf-ari vacationThis is your chance to watch world-famous surfer-dudes deliv-

er some serious stroke as they compete for the official worldqualifying series.The fest starts off with everyone testing thewaters to get a feel for the vibes of the waves.The European

competition circuit will be at the fest this year and theAssociation of Surfing Professionals will hold a spe-

cial competition.Winners will have a chance to make the cutand get into the World Champion Tour.This is the first year thetown of Biarritz has hosted such a high profile event.The com-petition will appeal to purists because it focuses on nostalgicsurfing: long boarding.

One event worthy of hanging out for, manAlthough Europe isn’t the end-all location for surfing, the pros

don’t seem worried.The smaller waves and conditions can’tcompare with Hawaii or Australia but the Surf Fest manages tostay successful because of its solid organization and jet-setatmosphere.After a long day of hitting the waves, the enthusias-tic participants will finish out the last free surfing sessions.Thewind will die down and the tide will go out but the surfer spiritwill continue long into the sun-lit summer evenings.

Don’t be shy, mix with the bestIn addition to the long board

competition, the week will befilled with demonstrationsof tandem and kid surf-

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Excellent beaches, powerful waves and mild climatemake the Bay of Biscay the surfing center of Europe.

by Alice Verberne

photo by Alice Verberne

photo courtesy Pays Basque Tourist Center

Intellectuals like it tooBut the main attraction along the coast will always be the

crashing waves.The seaside setting is a protagonist to creativethinkers.Artistic types still come here to be wooed by theocean’s charm and long to become her lover. Famous artist andwriter,Victor Hugo visited in 1843. He wrote texts about thelovely white villages with red roofs and green shutters.This musthave pleased the inhabitants because the colors white, red andgreen represent the “Ikurrina” or Basque Flag.

Sea breeze and mountain airThe Basque people also display their pride through their region-

al cuisine.They are as self-respecting of their red peppers andsausages as they are their flag. Regional pride comes togetherwhere the Bay of Biscay and the Pyrnées mountains meet near St.Jean de Luz. Here the local cuisine and culture stirs together surfand turf along with a commanding view of the ocean and moun-tains. Let the noise of the waves cradle you among splendidpanoramas as you over indulge on the fresh local cuisine.

Ahoy mateFish is a mainstay on the menu but the regional cuisine also

includes a wide variety of farm produce. Locals have been fishing

these waters since medieval times when spear fishermen huntedwhale around St. Jean de Luz and Biarritz. Back then whaling wasthe main source of income, but fishermen abandoned the practicein the early 20th century.Today, the locals are keen on maintainingthe environment and balance the need for industry with the focuson preservation. But, that doesn’t stop them from serving upexotic seafood and farm fresh specialties: some of which you maywant to avoid. If your command of the ancient Basque language ofEuskerra is a little rusty then you’ll want to know about the fol-lowing gourmet surprises.

Fearless eaters Those with an appetite for the unusual may want to try

"pibales" (young eels) or "chipirones" (squid). Beware of the word"cojones", a delicacy of stuffed bulls testicles.The most soughtafter are the “cojones” from a bull that was actually killed in thearena during a bull-fighting contest.Wash it down with the local‘Irouléguy’ wine. If you have time, take a drive to the vineyards seton the steep, sunny mountainside of the Baïgorry valley.These his-torical vineyards have been around since the 11th century. If youwant try the local wine, look for the sign marked Bodgea thattranslates literally into wine cellar.

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Bay of Biscay to shoot the film "The Sun Also Rises.” Viertel wasan avid surfer and set the scene for riding waves in the Bay.Although he brought glamour to the sport, the French initiallyviewed it as the domain of tourists. But the phenomenon caughton with locals who shared similar ideals concerning preservationof the sea. In 1959, the first surfing club opened in Biarritz, sincethen, the town has established itself as the surfing Mecca ofEurope.

The forgotten coastWhen most people think of the French coast they think of the

Mediterranean. But Biarritz and St. Jean de Luz are located on theAtlantic side, a sometimes forgotten coast on the West side of thecountry. Nonetheless, it is the choice of many visitors with dis-cerning tastes.After the crowds subside and the Surf Fest goesout to sea, the rich and famous will still be coming to the beach toenjoy the sea, sun and fun.

How did it get that glitzy jet-set atmosphere?It all started in the mid-1800s when countess Eugenie de

Montijo came to the area as a child.When she became Mrs.Napoleon III, her husband built her a summer residence inBiarritz.They called it La Villa Eugénie. It’s now used as an opulent134-room hotel called the Hotel du Palais (or palace hotel) and

has an excellent restaurant.Eugenie invited her rich and famous friends. Lords of England,

dukes of Spain, princes from Russia, kings of Belgium and rulersfrom Germany all paraded through the town hitting the beach andbathing in the sea. Naturally, they spent some money and the areawas elevated to meet the demands of the aristocracy. Even thoughthe rich have descended on the coast, the locals are unpreten-tious.

Complementary contrastsPerhaps the mixture of glitz and grassroots is what makes the

coastal Basque towns seem to have a double personality: one ofworldly ambiance mixed with down-to-earth wholesomeness. Orcould it be the contrast of mountains and sea that encourages thismix of cowboy and dandy? Either way, the Bay of Biscay has a vari-ety of entertainment. In the summer there’s a steady line up ofevents ranging from art shows to sailboat regattas.Visitors willfind medieval markets alongside luxury shopping. But, there is onelocal event everyone in the area seems to love, ‘Pelote’. It is a localform of handball commonly called Jaï Alaï in the United States.Each town has a handball court.The locals who bet on the sportare quite competitive. For a list of events and dates contact thetourist information office at www.saint-jean-de-luz.com.

photo courtesy Pays Basque Tourist Centerphoto by Olivier Houillonphoto courtesy St. Jean de Luz Tourist Center

photo by Alice Verberne

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Similar to southwest cuisine (Southwest France, that is)Still exotic, but safer sounding might be the duck magret (duck

breast), foie gras (goose liver) and Ardi Gasna (ewe's cheeseserved with black cherry jam). If you eat pork, try the Bayonneham.The locals make a big deal out of the fact that it is cured forat least six months in accordance with ancient tradition, and itgoes well with the local national drink, cider.

Cider house rulesTo get a real Basque experience, visit a cider-house. Cider is

called ‘Sagardoa’ in the Basque dialect and is THE venerated drink,made with pride. Pressed from non-treated regional apples, thejuice is tart and high in acid (and absolutely yummy).The produc-tion methods have been handed down from family to family.The

first cider is ready to drink in January when barrels are tapped ina ritual called Txotx (pronounced tchotch).The drink jets out ofthe tap in a long, thin stream hitting the patron’s glass causing theliquid to mix with the air helping develop the flavor (and some-times getting the customer wet and sticky in the process).

For those with a sweet tooth, try the gâteau Basque, a denseconfection thicker than a pound cake.And, don’t miss the excep-tional confectionary shops in the region where you will findBasque chocolate and candy.Try the Basque candy kisses, a maca-roon with marzipan called "muxus" (pronounced moo-show).

So, go west, young traveler and bask on the beach in the Basquecountry. Remember: Excellent sand, powerful waves and the mildclimate make Biarritz right-on for surfing, great for relaxing andyummy for the tummy, Dude.

Directions www.france.map-vista.com

Web camera www.saint-jean-de-luz.com

TRAIN 1.5 miles from the center of town withconnections to train, visit www.sncf.fr

FlyingAirport in Biarritz1.5 miles from the center of town, visitwww.biarritz.aeroport.fr Airport in San Sebastian12 miles from BiarritzPhone: +33 (0) 34 943 66 85 00 Airlines servicing the area Air France: www.airfrance.frRyanair: www.ryanair.com

TaxisAvailable from outside terminal building.

BusCoach service between airport and towncenter via Anglet Beach and Bayonne. Costabout a Euro one way. For information call:Biarritz Town Center:+33 (0) 5 59 52 59 52Regional services:+33 (0) 5 59 55 17 59St. Jean de Luz and Hendaye:+33 (0) 5 59 26 06 99

Traveler’s tips

Above:The fortress that guards the bay at St. Jean de Luz is fronted with a dock for small fishing boats and shallow water perfect for wind-surfing. Below:Various beachfront architecture of St. Jean de Luz. Right: Fishermen’s nets left to dry at the port of St. Jean de Luz.

photo by Alice Verberne

photo by Alice Verberne

photos by Alice Verberne