Twin Fins Mean Double The Party

The assembled cast was bigger than last year: 36 surfers from 10 countries. Most of whom don't surf contsets but are happy to jump on a twin fin (19.5" wide at minimum) in the middle of a French autumn. In addition to the three-time world champion, the names included Victor Bernardo, Ainara Aymat (the reigning winners), Ozzie Wright, Miguel Blanco, Alex Knost, Noah Lane, Cam Richards, Gearoid McDaid, Aritz Aranburu, Eli Beukes, Lee-Ann Curren, and Pat Curren. The most mysterious, popular and enigmatic surfer in the bunch was, of course, Tom Curren. Three-time world champ. Perennial style lord. Crusher of guitars. He closed out the event with a live concert alongside his kids, Lee-Ann and Pat. 

As for scoring the surfing, it was entirely peer-reviewed. Surfers looked at the top clips from the entire window before choosing. After a week of movie premieres, concerts and bleary-eyed mornings, the two winners were announced at the event’s last party in Coolin Hossegor. The assembled surfers voted France’s Maud Le Car and Japan’s Kaito Ohashi as the two best overall performers in the two-fin showcase. 

Quiet and understated, Kaito’s surfing has spoken volumes for some time. He’s not the biggest name in surfing, but Dane Reynolds and Craig Anderson sponsor him through Former, which tells you something about his approach. His measured but powerful turns clearly turned more heads last week in France. 

For Maud, it was a chance to showcase her local knowledge of the French sandbars “Super stoked to win the Twin Fin Invitational, such an amazing event,” she said in a news release. “Surfing with legends in the best vibes, it’s like no other event out there. I’ve been riding twin fins in every condition lately and loving the feeling, this win just makes me want to keep pushing my surfing down this path.”

It’s fitting that William, the Saint Martin-born surfer based between the Caribbean and the southwest of France, would create a platform for these surfers on these boards. He’s gone above and beyond surfing his own twin fins, from pumping Indonesia to two-worthy Nazaré. The guy knows how to keep things on track, and I’m not just talking about his board. Imagine herding and organizing 36 pro surfers on a daily basis. Hats off to him and his team. 

“The people are just incredible — everyone fits together,” William said in a release. “Everyone has their own style, but it feels like a big family, all sharing good times, caring for each other, and turning even tricky waves into something beautiful. That’s what this is all about.”