Solid Surf Challenges Competitors at Quiksilver Pro France

Michel Bourez of France surfing during Round of 24 of the Quilsilver Pro France on October 22, 2021 in Hossegor, France. (Photo by Damien Poullenot/World Surf League)

• Olympic Silver Medalist Igarashi Steps Up and Drops Excellent Numbers
• Brazilians Continue Hot Streak in France
• European Super Heat Wraps Day Up at Sunset
• Next Call Saturday 8:15 a.m (CET) For Potential Finals Day
• More at www.WorldSurfLeague.com 

Stop No.3 on the Challenger Series, the Quiksilver and ROXY Pro France resumed today in solid six-to-eight foot surf at Culs Nus on the back of the storm front that hit the French coastline yesterday.

Conditions were completely unruly at first this morning but the combined effect of lighter winds and the higher tide in the afternoon gave an opportunity to run the Men’s Round of 24 using jetski assist to multiply rides for all surfers.

Olympic Silver Medalist Igarashi Steps Up and Drops Excellent Numbers

Surfers failed to crack the excellent range (8.00 to 10 points) in the first three heats of the day and it was World No.8 Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) who broke the glass ceiling first with a spicy display in the big surf. The Japanese surfer took full advantage of the jetski assist to surf as many waves as he possibly could and eventually found himself on two absolute bombs, scoring a total 16.27 points for power carves in the committed sections of the rights on the North bank.

“I feel bad for the drivers actually, I took a lot of waves out there,” Igarashi said jokingly. “So thanks to these guys they’re definitely working the hardest today. This is France and we’re going to surf every kind of conditions in this event. I feel like in the past this has been my weakness and that’s why I’m here trying to work on it.”

In the following heat, Carlos Munoz (CRI) found a similar recipe for success, focusing on the big rights and laying big carves and closeout turns. Munoz built a healthy total for first place, followed by Lucas Silveira (BRA) and the pair eliminated CT surfer Yago Dora (BRA) from competition.

“Every time I get to surf and find good waves I’m very happy,” Munoz said. “It’s been a long day of waiting and it’s exhausting so I’m really stoked to get through.”

Brazilians Continue Hot Streak in France

Of the nine qualified Brazilians in this round, and eight possible advancing spots (one heat featured three Brazilian athletes), seven advanced into the Round of 16, making it obvious the green and yellow wants revenge after a difficult go in Portugal. Championship Tour surfer Alex Ribeiro (BRA) led the charge in the opening heat of the day with a solid display on both the lefts and rights to show everyone where the good scores lied.

“It was pretty intense out there and big,” Ribeiro admitted. “I think it was the right call though to wait for the tide to come in and it’s actually a lot better when you’re out there than what it looks like from the beach. I’m stoked to make that heat, I’m confident and excited for tomorrow it should be really fun.”

Experienced competitors Jesse Mendes (BRA), Samuel Pupo (BRA) and Lucas Silveira (BRA) followed suit and elevated the crew’s spirits bringing along next gen surfers Joao Chianca (BRA), Mateus Herdy (BRA), Samuel Pupo (BRA), Edgard Groggia (BRA) into the Round of 16.

European Super Heat Wraps Day Up at Sunset

The last three Europeans in contention were facing each others in the very last heat of the day and World No.10 Frederico Morais (PRT) took control early of the battle against good friends Michel Bourez (FRA) and Jorgann Couzinet (FRA). As the tide maxed out conditions were a little more complicated to read and the two Frenchmen struggled to find the right rides to lay down their signature power turns. In the end it was Bourez who managed to advance alongside Morais.

“That was my first surf of the day, I didn’t go out this morning it just looked too hard,” Morais admitted. “It was really hard right out there just now, luckily I got my scores on the first two waves of the heat so job’s done and I’m happy to make it through.”

Event officials will reconvene at 8:15 a.m (CET) Saturday for the next call and considering the swell size is forecast to drop considerably on Sunday, organizers could potentially try to wrap up the Quiksilver and ROXY Pro France tomorrow.

Watch Competition LIVE!

All the Quiksilver and ROXY Pro France action will be broadcast LIVE on WorldSurfLeague.com, the WSL app and the WSL’s Facebook Page. A broadcast with French commentary is also available on the WSL French broadcast partner MCS Extreme’s platforms. 

Action will be called by Franck Lacaze, the voice of surfing in French, as well as competitor turned coach Romain Laulhe and former CT surfer Caroline Sarran. MCS Extreme also has exclusive programming including a Jeremy Flores documentary, plus giveaways on their social platforms.

The 2021 Quiksilver and ROXY Pro France will unfold from October 16-24, 2021, at Capbreton / Hossegor / Seignosse, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine – France. For all results, photos, video highlights and press releases, log on to worldsurfleague.com. 

The Quiksilver and ROXY Pro France are made possible with the support of the cities of Capbreton, Hossegor and Seignosse, MACS, Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Quiksilver and ROXY, Oakley, Hydro Flask, Tourtel Twist.

UPCOMING ROXY PRO FRANCE QUARTERFINAL MATCHUPS: 
QF 1 : Sawyer Lindblad (USA) vs. Dimity Stoyle (AUS) 
QF 2: Alyssa Spencer (USA) vs. Brisa Hennessy (CRI) 
QF 3: Molly Picklum (AUS) vs. India Robinson (AUS) 
QF 4: Vahine Fierro (FRA) vs. Caitlin Simmers (USA) 

UPCOMING QUIKSILVER PRO FRANCE RD16 MATCHUPS: 
Heat 1: Alex Ribeiro (BRA) vs. Maxime Huscenot (FRA) 
Heat 2: Connor O’Leary (AUS) vs. Beyrick De Vries (NDL) 
Heat 3: Jesse Mendes (BRA) vs.  Lucca Mesinas (PER) 
Heat 4: Kanoa Igarashi (JPN) vs. Edgard Groggia (BRA)
Heat 5: Carlos Munoz (CRI) vs. Joao Chianca (BRA) 
Heat 6: Mateus Herdy (BRA) vs. Lucas Silveira (BRA) 
Heat 7: Samuel Pupo (BRA) vs. Michel Bourez (FRA) 
Heat 8: Frederico Morais (PRT) vs. Jordan Lawler (AUS)  

COVID-19 Updates

The health and safety of athletes, staff, and the local community are of the utmost importance and there are a robust set of procedures in place to keep everyone safe. Athletes, staff, media and the public will be required to show proof of the “Health Pass” before accessing any of the event facilities or the beach.

About Quiksilver

Quiksilver is an emblematic boardsports brand of Boardriders, Inc., founded by a group of surfing enthusiasts in Australia in 1969. True to a unique lifestyle, Quiksilver holds passion, authenticity and innovation to be fundamental values. The brand’s identity is represented by its logo, a mountain inside a wave symbolizing its attachment to boardsports and its playgrounds, the sea and the slopes. Quiksilver products cover the whole range of sportswear, accessories and boardsports gear. Quiksilver is also intimately associated with the very best athletes and the biggest events in the history of boardsports. www.quiksilver.com

“The Pro France is not just another event for Boardriders, it sparks emotions and memories for us but also for the surfers and public. These surf spots and this event are part of the history of Quiksilver and ROXY and we take pride in providing continued support. To see the world’s best surfers battle it out on world class waves is always something special and can provide magical moments you don’t want to miss.” Nicolas Foulet, Boardriders Europe President.

About ROXY

ROXY, a brand of Boardriders, Inc., has been empowering female pioneers since 1990. The first and only exclusively-female global action sports brand, ROXY specializes in the development and design of trend-leading, technically innovative lifestyle and performance wear inspired by the Mountain & the Wave. By creating first-of-its-kind products designed for surfing, winter sports, fitness and yoga & cultivating a breed of female pioneers who changed the course of sport, ROXY has empowered all women to challenge the status quo in every arena of their lives.

About the WSL 
Established in 1976, the World Surf League (WSL) is the home of the world’s best surfing. 
 
A global sports, media and entertainment company, the WSL oversees international tours and competitions, a studios division creating over 500+ hours of live and on-demand content, and via affiliate WaveCo, the home of the world’s largest high performance, human-made wave. Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, the WSL has regional offices in North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, and EMEA.
 
The WSL annually crowns the men’s and women’s surfing World Champions. The global Tours and Competition division oversees and operates more than 180 global contests each year across the Championship Tour, the development tiers, including the Challenger, Qualifying and Junior Series, as well as longboard and big wave properties.  
 
Launched in 2019, WSL Studios is an independent producer of unscripted television projects, including documentaries and series, which provide unprecedented access to athletes, events, and locations around the world. WSL events and content are distributed on linear television in over 743M+ homes worldwide and across digital and social media platforms around the world, including WorldSurfLeague.com. 
 
WaveCo includes the Surf Ranch Lemoore facility and the utilizing and licensing of the Kelly Slater Wave System.
 
The WSL is dedicated to changing the world through the inspirational power of surfing by creating authentic events, experiences, and storytelling to inspire a growing, global community to live with purpose, originality, and stoke.  
 
For more information, please visit WorldSurfLeague.com.