Official Event Site

September 23-October 4, 2009
La Nord/Les Estagnots: Hossegor/ Seignosse, France

TIME DIFFERENCE: GMT + 1

COORDINATES: 43º40' N, 1º27' W

BAGGAGE CLAIM: Biarritz Airport (BIQ)

TRANSPORTATION: A rental car is a must for this trip, plus you can take advantage of the Country's rich history and beautiful countryside on the off days if you've got your own transportation.

ATTITUDE: All that stuff about the French being nasty - it's not true. Just do yourself a favor and learn a French phrase or two - once you butcher it they'll be much more likely to oblige with English of their own. The French are also major surf fans. They LOVE the tour coming to town.

THE WAVE: The main contest break of La Nord in Hossegor has been known to toss up a 10-to-12 foot face or two when autumn swells arrive. The famed town on the East Coast of the Atlantic Ocean has massive tide swings and offers up some thundering beachbreak barrels for the world's best to enjoy.

PERKS: Topless tanning, mile after mile of potentially firing beachbreaks, and locals doing their utmost to get you drunk.

PERILS: Chocolate-filled croissants and crepes mixed with oodles of red wine do not a thin man make, and you try to concentrate on your heat when you have to walk through a beach full of stunning topless ladies on your way to the water. It's a trip and fall over on the fins disaster in the making.

APRES SURF: The Rock Food and Dick's Sand Bar are two of Hossegor's most happening hotspots. They virtually roll out the red carpet and treat the surfers like royalty when they come to town. In addition to France's great nightlife, Spain is a short one-hour ride away and can easily lay claim to some pumping surf and great nightlife as well.

ASP WORLD TOUR HISTORY: Quiksilver was granted a French ASP World Tour event license in 2001 and the rest is history. Hossegor has wailed during the autumn waiting period annually since its inception, allowing the world's finest competitors to take advantage of the juicy beachbreak that France is becoming known for the world over.

NOTABLE: The Irons brothers met in their first-ever man-on-man Final in France in 2004… still hurting after losing his heat against little brother Bruce the event prior, Andy was more than amped to beat his brother and win the event. He repeated the win in '05 for good measure and had also claimed the contest in 2003, making the Quiksilver pro title his to claim three consecutive years in a row.

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