In the past five years William Aliotti has cemented himself as the French prince of alternative surf craft, often opting for twin fins in all sorts of waves including slabs and XL Nazare. To cement his love for the twinnie, he decided to host a contest dedicated to the craft and invite a number of free surfers who have mastered the art of riding them.
Held over two days on the best sand bank Willi could find along the Hossegor stretch in the South West of France, the list of invitees included household names such as Asher Pacey, Chippa Wilson, Tosh Tudor, Jaleesa Vincent, Mckenzie Bowden, Kepa Acero and more.
The event was as much about creativity and fun, as it was competition. The crew scored pumping A-frame conditions, the kind that continues to attract thousands to the surf town at the end of the European summer and start of Autumn.
Unlike traditional contest formats, each surfer got to surf three heats a day in a mixed heat format featuring men and women, after which surfers and videographers voted for an overall winner based on a video recap of the day. There were no points, and competitors were encouraged to swap boards and try out different shapes. The only rules were that surfboards had to have a tail measuring 19.5 inches or wider to be eligible, and only twin-fins were allowed. The judging criteria was simple: riders were judged based on flow, style, and innovative moves – of which there were plenty.
Brazilian Victor Bernardo, who, like Aliotti, is a former dedicated high performance shortboard guy, took the win on the men’s side. The overall women’s winner was Ainara Aymat.
“It was super different to any other event I’ve done in my life. I’m so stoked to win this,” said an emotional Bernardo after the winners were announced. “It was amazing to see so many talented surfers just having fun. Congratulations to everyone, especially to William for putting this event on.”
Click the link above to watch a full wrap up from the event.
