Looming large in the waters off France’s west coast, the Napoleonic-era Fort Boyard stands on a shallow bank, once a bastion of defense for the nearby port of Rochefort. And on rare occasions, it transforms into a uniquely positioned – if somewhat sketchy – point break, perfectly suited for tow-in adventures…
Words: Thymoté Leblanc | Photos: Gaël Contal, Laurène Prieur
August 27, 2025, 6 PM. I’m scanning the latest buoy readings off Oléron. No doubt about it anymore: the swell we’d been waiting for is finally here. A cyclonic pulse born from Storm Erin. South-southeast winds, maxing out at 10 knots, perfectly offshore. The kind of conditions that light up the rare tow-in spots of Charente-Maritime. On WhatsApp, Gaël and I are firing off voice notes.
We decide to kick off the day on a marker buoy spot, surrounded by shipwrecks – a way to set the tone before aiming for our true goal. We all know where we want this session to end, but we’ll need to wait for tide and swell to wake up the mythical wave of Fort Boyard.
Between Aix and Oléron, Fort Boyard is one of the world’s most iconic maritime landmarks. Built in the 19th century to defend Rochefort’s naval arsenal, the “stone vessel” has seen countless storms and tides. Many have stared at its waves, some claim to have surfed them, but few have ever truly approached it like a ship under siege.
At dawn we meet at the Port des Minimes, La Rochelle. Bruno Sroka is there with kit. Soöruz gear keeps us warm and safe. Vincent – aka The Captain – from French Bay Adventures loads his Zodiac, ready to run safety and logistics. The team is complete. We do one last gear check: jet ski and sled, foils, boards, impact vests, helmets… nothing is left behind.
Forty minutes of navigation later, still over a mile from the spot, the swell is already stacked. The marker buoy emerges through a haze of spray, shipwrecks flickering between wave faces. The sets are pulsing 2.5-3 meters. Not the giants of the Basque Country or Landes, but more than enough to spike our adrenaline. Gaël yells over the engine and the roar of the sea: “One thing’s for sure, bro – with this kind of swell, the Fort is going to deliver…”. We know why we’re here. But patience is key. The tide and the swell haven’t yet opened the gates of the stone fortress.
Gaël hits the water, grabs the rope. I throttle the ski, setting him up for some bombs. He links a few powerful lines down steep faces before handing the rope to the groms: Titouan Dizet and Laurène Prieur, here to catch their first tow-in waves.
Titouan, an iQFoil podium regular, charges with confidence – maybe too much. He ends up swallowed in a heavy foamball, resurfaces smiling: “Let’s go again?”. Then it’s Laurène’s turn. First time tow-in, her usual playground is wingfoiling. We take our time to set her up. When an XXL set looms, I glance back, she nods, and we’re off. I carve at the base, swing her into position, and drop her onto a pitching peak. For a second she disappears in a wall of water. I brace for the wipeout. But no – Laurène bursts through, locked on her stance, flying at full speed. The whole team erupts.
💎 Premium Content Ahead! 💎 *You will receive our weekly Friday Pump newsletter, plus the latest features, gear tests and giveaway announcements. After hours of surfing, the moment finally arrives. Tide lines up, wind drops, the swell keeps pushing. The Fort is calling. On the way, we pick up Bruno Sroka, who drove from Brittany that morning just to make sure he didn’t miss it. Four hours in the water, but the sight recharges us instantly: Fort Boyard rising immovable, defying wind and sea. Once built to defend Rochefort, today it will be the backdrop to our playground. The swell unloads across more than 600 meters of reef, forming a chain of peaks before crashing against the 68-meter-long walls. Unreal. Gaël rigs a wing setup with our youngest rider, Lilian Blugeon. I tow the others into lines, sharing waves between tow-in and wing. The session is flowing. Tow-in is never improvised – it takes trust and teamwork. Over the years, Gaël and I have built that partnership. I enjoy piloting as much as being towed. And today, as we circle under the 20-meter-high walls of the Fort, there’s no debate about where this session is headed. The ocean slams into the reef, folding into a wave that runs along the length of the stone wall. It’s like watching water carve itself into architecture. I tow Gaël first. He lets go of the rope and pumps straight into the line, gliding just meters from the fortress wall, on the wave we’ve dreamed of for years. The boat erupts with screams. The stoke is electric. Then my turn. I barely grab the rope when Gaël spots a big set. “First one’s yours!” he shouts. He carves hard and slings me straight into the face. The wall of water rises, thick and powerful, dragging me towards the Fort. I’m flying, the swell bending vertical, exploding against the stone to create a racing line that brushes the fortress itself. The speed builds, the 20-meter wall towering at my side, the wave roaring behind. It’s pure, timeless vertigo. I kick out, heart pounding, as Gaël swoops in to pick me up. Eyes wide, laughing like mad: “Dude, that one was insane!” Laurène captures the shot. A moment burned into memory. Six hours in the water. Muscles drained, spirits high. We turn back toward La Rochelle. Everyone had their moment: Titouan and Lilian on their first bombs, Laurène pushing into the wave of the day, Bruno bringing his experience, Vincent holding it all together with safety and logistics. Together, we surfed a wave that’s as rare as it is mythical. A spot that demands perfect alignment of swell, tide, and wind. A wave that may soon vanish – Fort Boyard is under restoration, with talk of a breakwater to shield it from erosion. Maybe this was the last time. Either way, the day was unique. For the rarity of the spot. For the madness shared as a team. For that alchemy of friendship, precision logistics, and fleeting grace when everything lines up. Fort Boyard opened its gates to us. Next time? Who knows.
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“No doubt about it anymore: the swell we’d been waiting for is finally here.”
The Call of the FortAssault on the Fortress
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