OPEN DE FRANCE

After 20 hours of travel and a quick detour in Paris to check off some tourist spots, I started the six-hour drive to Crozon, located on France’s northwest coast. Upon arrival, I was greeted by palm trees, clear skies, and warm weather – far from the rugged conditions I’d expected from Brittany’s wild coast. I met up with Jeffrey and Finn Spencer, Brady Hurley, and Oskar Johansson for a quick session before the competition kicked off. We arrived at a surf spot with offshore winds and head-high waves. Eager to shake off jet lag, we rushed to the water for an epic session. There’s something special about trying to surf foil on a beach break; there’s a 50/50 chance the wave will close out, preventing you from making it out the back. But when you do get out, the steep, walled-up shape of the wave offers some of the best carving sections you could ask for. Exhausted, we returned to town, enjoyed some crêpes for dinner, and went to bed, ready for the competition ahead.

The first day featured a 16km downwind race. However, with very little wind in the forecast, the race was pushed back to the afternoon, hoping that the breeze would fill in. Competitors gathered at the harbor, looking out at what was essentially a flat ocean. Reports from the water were grim, but the wind was expected to pick up by 3PM. In the parking lot, everyone scrambled to see what others were riding, trying to make their foil selections. Riders were choosing everything from sub-600cm2 foils to large 1600+cm2 pump foils, and it was clear that no one knew what the wind would do. I opted for a 900cm2 foil – not the biggest I brought, but certainly large compared to the DWP 685 foil I typically use for downwinding. Once everyone had made their choices, we headed out on the water.

On the starting line, it quickly became apparent who had made the right gear choice. The wind had shifted offshore and dropped to a mere 5 knots. To call this race a downwinder would be generous. The officials decided to postpone the start to see if more wind would arrive. However, after 30 minutes of waiting with little improvement, the call was made to start the race. At the start, there was a massive eruption of whitewater as the hundred competitors tried to paddle up at the same time. Most of the group made it up together, but one by one, riders began to drop out. The leaders gradually pulled away, and I found myself paddling toward the finish. In total, I did around 15 paddle-ups, pumping for a few minutes each time before crashing down, utterly exhausted. The course took me nearly two hours; normally, I would complete a 16km run in about 34 minutes. During the race, every muscle that could cramp did – my back, shoulders, legs, even my hands stuck to my paddle. I quickly learned I was a foiler and not a paddler. I ended up crossing the finish line in 21st place, not the result I had hoped for, but I was just grateful to have completed it in such challenging conditions.

One of the most memorable moments occurred mid-race when many riders around me opted to hop in the safety boats. Gabriella Bella, Brady Hurley, Eric Sterman, and I kept swapping places. One person would get up and pump past the others, then the back rider would do the same. This back-and-forth went on for 30 minutes, with everyone cheering on the person who managed to get up, fully aware of how tough it was to pump in the flat water. Out of the 100 competitors who started, only 61 finished. Benoit Carpentier, the race winner, completed the course in just 54 minutes, leveraging his local knowledge, gear choice, and impressive cardio to stay foiling the entire course. Once packed up and completely exhausted, the car ride back to the harbor was a quiet one, with nearly everyone in my car dozing off.

The following day marked the start of the surf foil competition. What we lacked in wind the previous day was made up for with perfect waves throughout the competition. I was paired with my teammate Oskar for my heats, along with two other competitors, forming four-man heats. With ten heats in total, we had plenty of time to sit back and watch the other riders. It was fascinating to see the different approaches to riding the same wave. Some went for big airs and whitewater hits, while others focused on powerful carves. I certainly didn’t envy the judges, who had to interpret all these varying styles and translate them into fair scores. Standout performances came from Jack Ho and Keoni Van Der Bij, who seamlessly combined fast, powerful carves with technical airs, making it look effortless. On the women’s side, Naumi Eychenne wowed everyone with her strapless airs and smooth style.

I enjoyed meeting so many new faces, including those I’d only known from online videos. The vibe at the surf competitions was much more relaxed than at the races, and everyone had a great time catching up while watching the action unfold. I narrowly avoided a €10,000 fine for flying my drone, and despite that scare, successfully advanced to the quarterfinals. Due to the lengthy heats, the competition paused there and would resume on Sunday.

Saturday featured the dock start races, which drew what seemed like the entire town to watch. The races took place in a cove of the marina, providing a stadium-like atmosphere as spectators lined the seawall for a great view of the action. The format was simple: five-man heats with one or two advancing per round, depending on the stage. Each competitor would start from a different section of the dock, race out to two buoys (turning at either), and then race back to a finish line between a boat and a buoy. Some races were extremely close, decided by just a few seconds, while others required only a successful dock start. The pressure of waiting for the starting gun was intense, causing many to falter. While I might not have attended an event focused solely on dock starts, this was a fun addition to the competition. I battled my way to the final, where I faced off against Oskar and the Tahitian Haumani twins. Haunui had a fantastic start, easily claiming the win, while his brother Toaura finished second. In a close finish, I clipped the finish boat's anchor line, falling just before the line and handing third place to Oskar. Overall, for a first-time event like this, it was a great success and arguably the most spectator-friendly foil competition to date. There were easily over a hundred people there who had no idea what foiling was before that day, yet they all left excited about foiling and the close races.

Sunday, the final day of competition, was packed with a full schedule: surf foil finals in the morning, downwind races in the afternoon, and the awards ceremony in the evening. I was in the first heat for the surf foil quarterfinals. Given the packed agenda, we paddled out before sunrise, which made for spectacular lighting as the sun crested the hills right when the starting horn went off. We had excellent conditions, with slightly less tide making for steeper waves than the previous day, complemented by a light offshore breeze. I struggled a bit in my heat but still enjoyed the playful, soft waves – something we rarely experience in Hawaii. Unfortunately, I did not advance from this round, but I stuck around to film my friends who did. This wave really showcased riders with flow and a surf style, as finding power and connecting all the sections was challenging due to the waves closing out or reforming.

The finals were a showdown featuring Jack Ho, Finn Spencer, Keoni Van Der Bij, and Oskar Johansson. While everyone rode impressively, Keoni stood out, showcasing his comfort in these types of waves. His natural surf style, combined with progressive airs, made him virtually unstoppable. In the women’s final, the waves seemed to vanish, making it difficult for anyone to score. However, Gabriella Bella found the right waves at the perfect moment, riding them with her smooth and effortless style to take the win in the heat's closing minutes. Watching everyone surf all morning made me eager to get back out there, but first, we had one more downwind race to tackle.

I had hoped for better conditions, but the wind still remained light, with only tiny bumps scattered across the course. I was forced to use my largest foil I brought, the Armstrong HA1125. Paddling out to the start we were greeted by knee high bumps; which while small, were still a great improvement over the first race. My goal in any SUP start is to just have a clear area around me, too often riders are bunched together and end up falling over one another. Luckily I got the perfect start and was out with the front pack. Clément Colmas quickly took the lead and seemed to stretch out from everyone. In the end he built up a two-minute gap at the finish in some brutal conditions. Making a better foil choice, I was able to come away with third in this race.

After a long but fun week of competition, it was time for the overall results. The event organizers combined scores from all three disciplines, and the results were unpredictable – no rider was dominant across every category. In the end, I finished second overall. Haunui Haumani took first, with Benoit Carpentier in third. The women’s overall result was equally tight, with Gabriella Bella and Naumi Eychenne tying for first, and Olivia Piana finishing third. The combined format was an exciting new approach to what foiling competitions could look like in the future.

Despite the unpredictable wind conditions, the Crozon Foil Festival was one of the best events I’ve ever attended. The organizers were top-notch, and the event was a huge success. I’m already looking forward to next year, which promises to be even bigger and better. A huge thank you to my friends for making this trip so memorable, and a special shoutout to my girlfriend, Cecilia, for being our fearless shuttle driver and enduring hours of foil talk every day.