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France’s Favorite Surf, Art and Music Festival Is Back

Originally posted on SURFER | By August Howell | Last updated Jul 31, 2025 6:01 PM ET

Think you can party, surf, skate and enjoy fine dining in France for nine days this fall? Now’s your chance to do it. The third annual Quiksilver Festival, the brainchild of longtime Championship Tour surfer Jeremy Flores and former pro Miky Picon, will return in full force from September 20-28.

As the name of the event and the names behind it imply, it’s a surf contest, but there’s a whole lot more to it. At this year's Quiksilver Festival by Swatch, attendees get a bounty of live music, skate sessions, movie screenings and regular parties. Browse the schedule and strategize your nightlife here. It’s kind of like the US Open of Surfing but with more laughter, better wine, longer parties and less rioting. Get a feel for the vibe with Baguette TV below.

Jeremy himself handpicked the field of 24 surfers. The full list hasn’t dropped yet, but it includes Kelly Slater, Kai Lenny, Kauli Vaast, Matt Wilkinson, Coco Ho, Zeke Lau, Milla Coco Brown, Michel Bourez, Vahiné Fierro, and locals Joan Duru and Maud Le Car. The field will be split into 12 teams of two who will surf a variety of four-person heats at Capbreton, Hossegor or Seignosse. Sandbars tend to shift around these parts, so the venue will change day to day. The comp needs four days to get through all the rounds.

Depending on the conditions and comp director Miky Picon, the heats can have themes like best barrel, turn or combo. Riders keep their top score each day, which adds to their team’s final tally. Last year, French tube hounds Marc Lacomare and Joan Duru leapt past Kelly Slater and Jeremy Flores in the final day to take the title.

Skate-wise, Swatch is backing the event this year and is bringing some of its creative team riders into the mix. Val Laforge and Andy Anderson are giving demos and hands-on coaching. Word is that Element’s skate team is showing up for death races, skate jams and the skatepark du Penon in Seignosse.

This article first appeared on SURFER and was syndicated with permission.

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