Filmed by JB Letoile. Edited by Yrwan Garcia-Leal.

Check out more at hiddenwoodalaia.blogspot.com

From May 7 to 17 at the Halle d’Iraty in Biarritz. 2500 square meters with some very interesting surf art pieces for sale. All the info HERE and HERE.

Niegà

(…) where he worked for several shapers while showing his paintings in a few art galleries. On his return to France he moved south to Biarritz, where he has been busy making art and glassing beautiful boards for some very renowned shapers. In a few weeks he is opening his own glassing business in Anglet (Creamy Glassing) and I decided it was a good moment to finally meet him and find out more about this very young (21) artist:

(Tristan) I became very interested in surfing from a very young age, like 8 or 9, at the same time as I started skateboarding. But I obviously didn’t have any money for a board so I could only surf in summer on borrowed boards… or skate. When I was 15 I started an apprenticeship in carpentry. With my first salary I finally managed to buy my very first board board, an old “Hawaiian Juice” and since then I’ve been surfing every week, basically at Ile de Ré and Ile d’Oléron.

Where do you surf normally these days? And what type of board?

These days I surf in the Anglet/Biarritz/Bidart area. I love it! I normally ride retro boards; I’m a big fan of them. I love beautiful boards and odd boards that are made to glide… just as long as they have good glass jobs.

What’s your current job?

I’m a freelance glasser and I work wherever I’m offered a job. Currently I split my time between two places. I work with Daniel’s Longboards – he’s a good friend of mine and, like myself, a fan of all things retro. I also work with Fabrice Morous at Blend Glassing, from whom I’ve learnt a lot (thanks Fab!). And now I’m about to open my own little glassing business in Anglet that will specialize in glassing, tints and polishes.

You have a blog devoted to mini-simmons boards. That is actually how I found out about you first. Where does your interest in these boards come from? Have you surfed any?

About three years ago I found photos of mini-simmons on different blogs. They were the very first that were being shaped, by Joe Bauguess and McCallum. I fell in love with the design, the concept, the shape. Not long after a friend of mine from UWL and myself wanted to have one shaped, so with Renaud Cardinal we started researching the fins (that I made) and we shaped the very first one that we both fell in love with. Since then that’s is the only board I ride except when I use a log. As far as I am concerned the mini-simmons are far better than the fishes.

As a European glasser who has worked for different Australian shapers, what are your thoughts regarding the way they approach their art? Is the average shaping level very different between Europe and Australia?

From my experience in Australia I’ve learned a lot, both personally and professionally. That has motivated me a lot and pushed me to open my own little business. Australia was definitely a very important experience for me. Clearly you’ve got many more board makers in Australia than in France, everywhere I worked they demanded the very highest level possible, sometimes they were extremely touchy about this. But they are very good and they make a very good job. Having said that I think you can find some very good boardmakers in France too, and they are producing a superb job. The potential is awesome.

What shapers have you glassed for?

Renaud Cardinal (UWL, T&C hawaii, Sharp Eye, Classic Malibu, Bob Cooper…); Rhino Laminating (Channel Islands, Steve O’donell, Campbell Brothers, Mike Psillakis); Sean Wilde, Aido (Rusty), Michael Cundith (George Greenough), North Coast Surfboards (Bear Surfboards, Donald Takayma, Rooster, Dick Brewer, Dick Van Straalen…), Peter White (Classic Malibu), Axel Lorentz, Daniel’s Longboards, Blend Glassing (Channel Islands, Billabong, Zaka, Chris Christenson, Josh Hall…)…

Who has impressed you the most and why?

Renaud Cardinal (UWL) without a doubt. He is an excellent shaper, a lovely guy, very passionate about his job, from whom I’ve learnt a lot and he’s a role model for me.

When looking at your art one is surprised that it’s got nothing to do with what we could call “classic surf art”… but you are showing your paintings in real surf meccas and some of it on surfboards. Do people from these places accept it easily or they are rather reluctant to move away from traditional surf art?

You are right, my paintings have very little “classic surf art” in it… if any at all. It’s more my “skate and rock’n roll” side that comes out. But I think that it’s been quite well accepted. On the other hand, when I’m making a board for myself I’d rather do a nice resin tint than one of my paintings.

Art influences? Graffiti?

Sure, 100% street art and graffiti. There are plenty of artists that I love dearly and that inspire me such as Dulk, Morning Breath, Koa, Thomas Campbell, Alexone…

Finally: where can we see your paintings?

At the UWL gallery. Also at Spacejunk in Bayonne and the Retrospect Galleries in Byron Bay (Australia). And also on some decks from Rekiem Skateboards.

(…)

I started surfing as a teenager but stopped soon after as I didn’t like the close-mindedness of the people I was surfing with, and it kind of put me off it. When I was 25 i returned to surfing and I realized how much I had missed it. Since then I’ve developed a liking to ride different boards and different waves, and to experience the glide over the water in very different ways, from a shortboard to very long logs or a gun. Later, in 2004, I moved to the Basque Country and after quitting my job, I took a break during which I built our house and thought about my future. I had planned to start my own company and since surfing was my passion, why not in the surf industry?

Damien testing his wax at Parlamentia (Guéthary)

So that’s when Greenfix arrived?

Yes, I wanted to develop a product that was not heavily marketed (unlike surfwear) and I kept coming back to wax. It is something that every surfer needs and is not highly marketed. I did a survey of 250 local surfers to see what their feeling was and, after seeing the results I joined the ESTIA. The ESTIA is a local polytechnic university, but also an incubator of ideas and a cluster of technological companies that can use share all its technological knowledge and facilities. With their help I started researching different wax compositions and we managed to find formulas that resist very high temperatures (60ºC for the cool/warm and up to 70ºC for the tropical wax).

But not just any surf wax?

Right, the aim was to develop an excellent surf wax in terms or performance, but that was also environmentally friendly… and made locally. I don’t want the consumer to have to make the slightest concession: I’ve always seen our duty as a company to develop a product that is good, environmentally friendly and that doesn’t cost more -to the customer- than the less environmentally friendly ones. It is the only way that customers will shift to more eco-friendly products. Finally this past summer we launched the brand.

And how was it received?

We did a market test in early August in France and we have been very well received. So much so that we could hardly keep up with the orders. At the beginning we were outsourcing our production to a French company that makes candles and assorted wax products, but after a couple a little problems this past autumn we decided to make the wax ourselves, in Bidart. Today we pour the liquid wax in the moulds by hand, we demould by hand, etc… we would need a much higher production volume to afford a more automatic method. So for now we will keep it this way, although we are constantly trying to improve the process. On the other hand doing everything by hand gives us the opportunity to constantly check the quality of the wax.

There’s a trend from other wax brands to launch environmental friendly waxes. How does it affect you?

Before we launched Greenfix there already was a specific natural wax brand on the market. And some existing brands have launched eco-waxes too. So we are not the only ones and we like it, as it’s all a step in the right direction. But as far as we are concerned there are definitely several differences between us and them: (1) we don’t produce in China, but locally; (2) our wax is highly resistant to the heat, which comes in handy when you leave your board in the sun (or inside your car) in summer; and (3) the shape of our wax bar, that has been designed specifically for easy use and great performance. On the other hand we believe that certain natural waxes might not be as environmentally friendly as they claim they are. Back when I was having a look around, several Chinese suppliers offered me “bee wax” (a key ingredient), that after further research I discovered was not coming from bees at all, but rather an oil-based product modified to mimic real bee wax. This is just an example of what can happen if you don’t look closely enough.

Hence your decision not to mass-produce in China?

Correct. Today must of the surf-related items are made in China. Several large companies have launched eco-friendly labelled products or collections as a way to increase their market share, not because they want to make an honest move towards a more environmentally friendly production. We know that by producing locally our costs are much higher, and it is our choice. This is why we are planning a lab test, that an independent lab will carry out, to analyze most of the “natural-labelled” waxes existing on the market today and then (in a month or two) we’ll see which ones are 100% oil free and which ones aren’t. We want to set the record straight on behalf of all the customers.

Is this just marketing or a part of Greenfix’s ethics?

From the very first moment I had three pillars in mind around which to build the Greenfix philosophy: (1) to produce environmentally friendly products; (2) to produce locally as a means to help produce or maintain jobs, whether directly or indirectly by using local suppliers; and (3) to bring our staff into the ownership of the company in a similar way to a cooperative, with a strong emphasis on social responsibility. Producing in China would give us more time for sales and a lower cost price, but that is not how we want it. Some people say that I am an utopian. But I like making things. Maybe by the end of this year I will be proved wrong, but so far that is the way we are moving. Also, we work with a C.A.T. (centers that employ physically impaired people) for our packaging and logistics, something we are very proud of and that we couldn’t do if we were producing in China. And with other products that we are planning to develop soon, I hope we will be able to follow the same path. Actually these new products will also be heavily focused on their recycling possibilities.

Right, what’s next?

Commercially we are already in France, soon in Spain and we are actively looking for distributors for the rest of Europe (UK, Portugal, Italy…). Contact us through our website if you know someone who may be interested. We know that by producing in France we will always be more environmentally friendly than other brands that are made in China or California, if not only because of the environmental cost of the transport. If we ever decide to expand into other markets beyond Europe we will only do that by  producing locally; not just for environmental reasons but also to give something back to the communities where we are selling. But that is still a long way away.

Niegà

Fish Fries – What’s the Fish Fry?
The Fish Fry is a Lokbox event. The first one took place in California, but soon after they were also held in Australia, Japan and Europe. The first European Fish Fry took place in Woolacombe, England (North Devon) in 2007. The second one was held in Costa Da Caparica (Portugal) last year and the third one ran a few weeks ago in Ireland.
The aim of the Fish Fry is to promote the fish as a valid design, from the most traditional to the most modern shapes. It’s also about showcasing the work of craftspeople (shapers) and their creativity within the same design. Of course, being a Lokbox event there is also a strong accent on the use of their fin system. It’s also an opportunity for us – shapers- to meet, talk, exchange ideas, concepts, rail designs, bottoms, etc, etc…

You’ve attended the three European Fish Fries so far: what’s your view on the event?
Extremely positive. You get to meet people from far away and even if the aim is to promote your boards, your designs, everyone is super enthusiastic and there’s a strong feeling of camaraderie amongst the shapers. It’s also a unique opportunity to meet living legends and other renowned shapers such as Rich Pavel, Chris Christenson, Manuel Caro, Jacinto, Waters etc… who happen to be very friendly and helpful and never look down on us mere mortals. There’s never any real competition within a Fish Fry; the motto is “share the stoke”.

Woolacombe Fish Fry 2007.

Why attend the Fish Fry?
The first year (2007 – Devon), I didn’t really know what to expect and I basically decided to go and see as many boards as possible as I knew that people like Pavel, Christenson, Mandala, Marlin Bacon would be there; and they are role models to me as far as the quality of their work is concerned. I basically wanted to see, touch, understand, learn. I had just started my shaping business one year earlier. For the second Fish Fry (2008 – Portugal), I was much more confident regarding my work and I’ve always loved Portugal. Again I got to meet plenty of people and learn lots from them. And one of my boards finished 3rd ex-æquo… with boards from very famous shapers that have been working for years. All this got even better this year (2009 – Ireland):  I met more people than ever and I managed to spend some time with Rich Pavel, from whom I’ve learnt a lot. And one of my boards won an award. Shaping is quite a lonely and tough job and we don’t make much money. Sometimes it is almost depressing. And we are very often faced with the inability to judge one’s own work and to be able to see how we are doing compared to other shapers. Events like the Fish Fry are useful to compare my work and designs to other shaper’s without it being a proper competition. You learn a lot and it is very rewarding.

What do you expect to get from the Fish Fry?
To learn a lot. Even today, when I’m being congratulated and rewarded by my peers I think still have lots to learn and that I haven’t reached anywhere yet. I think I still have plenty to do and improve lots.

Rob Royal checking out some Barrel surfboards. Woolacombe 2007.

Who are the members of the Jury?
Normally the members are one of the founders of Lokbox (Kasey Curtis this year), a special guest and one of the European importers of Lokbox. They are all guys with an extensive surf experience and who know the reality of working in a small shaping bay.

How did you feel when other shapers acknowledge your work?
Super proud, of course. From one year to the next my work has improved and so has the perception the other have of me… but there’s still plenty to do. On a normal shaper’s day we rarely have the possibility to check our work against other shapers. And our clients are super biased and see only the best of our job. During a Fish Fry as there is no competition- there’s a lot of positive feedback on each other’s ideas. To be acknowledged as the best fish shaper in Europe by my peers makes them as happy as I am.

Alexander Lobstein and Paul (Black & White). Ireland 2009.

Do you think this award will translate into more orders?
It is quite unlikely seeing how little promotion of the event there is. French websites have hardly spoken of it at all and not a single French surf mag has contacted me. But I hope the reward for the award will come under the form of more surfers approaching me. I’m a very young shaper (less than 4 years officially). Many surfers are reluctant to give a chance to a young shaper like myself… which is -at the same time- understandable and frustrating.

Irish Fish Fry 2009.

Do you think that average surfers know about events like the Fish Fry?
My customers follow my blog closely. Most of them are big surfing aficionados, with lots of experience and have their priorities straight. They are interested in everything related to surfing’s culture and want to know more about things like the Fish Fry, before and after it takes place. The love seeing and admiring the boards that I shape for the Fish Fry.

A Fish Fry in Médoc for 2010?
In 2010 the European Fish Fry will take place in Italy; it’s a great idea. As far as the Médoc, I’m quite keen for the following year if everything goes ok… we’ll see but it’s not me who chooses where it takes place… but I’ll be more than happy to host the event that has helped me so much as a shaper.

Niegà

P.S.: You can read this interview in French HERE and in Spanish HERE.

What’s your story as a shaper?
I’m from Paris and I lived there for the first 30 years of my life. I surfed for the very first time in Anglet when I was 16 or 17. I shaped my first board when I was 15 or 16: a friend of mine had bought the materials at Hawaii Surf (a famous Parisian surfshop) and we tried to make one in a cellar.
When I was 30 I settled down in Bordeaux, and soon after I decided to start shaping more seriously. I signed in at a French amateur online shaping forum Shaperoom, where I learned a lot. I was taught how to shape my first real surfboard; I’ve learned the rest by myself. Every time I have the opportunity I visit other shaping rooms where I’ve also picked up a lot by watching others.
Today it’s three of us in business: Jérome Barbe (Eclipse Surfboards), Gerard Depeyris (owner of a KMS pre-shaping machine) and me in our facilities in Grand Crohot. Up to 95% of all my boards are from orders I get through my website and/or my blog. I have a very good relationship with Escape Surfshop (Bordeaux) as the owner is a very good friend who has had faith in me since my early days.

How many boards have you shaped?
Currently around 350 boards. I hope the numbers will start building up quite fast…

Favourite board to shape?  A fish?
Sure, I love them. But I also like shaping mini-guns or Mark Richards’ type of twin fins. And big classic nose riders too.

Favourite type of surfing?
My favourite surfer has always been Tom Curren for many reasons: the way he reads the wave, his flow… I love long turns …but not so much tricks and airs, even if they are amazing to watch. As far as I am concerned I’m extremely happy when I’m on a log and I can walk all the way to the nose and back.

Any links between your surfing and your shaping?
Sure. I started shaping boards that I couldn’t find anywhere and that didn’t interest the average surfer. And I find that what I shape changes my approach to surfing… and the way I surf makes me make subtle changes in my shaping; there’s a direct link.

Can one make a living from shaping far from the Basque Country-Landes area in France?
I don’t think so. As far as I know in Gironde (Bordeaux region) only two or three people manage to live off shaping… barely. Even further down south, where the surf industry is much bigger, I’m not sure many succeed.
As a matter of fact I keep working as an architect for many reasons: because I love it and I need the intellectual challenge; but also because I need to pay the bills.

As an European shaper, what do you think of the attention some overseas shapers get from European surfers when they visit the old world on a shaping trip?
In Europe we don’t have the tradition, nor the number of surfers, nor the same level of surfing that can be found in other parts of the world (Australia or California). It is understandable, then, that we admire what comes from these Meccas. And it is true that certain boards, or designs from certain shapers, have become “classics”; so I can understand that some surfers want to have one of those shapes when the shapers come to town. But there’s also the quality. Are their boards really so much better? For every type of board from a renowned foreign shaper I can tell you of, at least, one European shaper that can produce boards of that level. But it is true that we lack the image.

Do you think there’s an excess of snobbery when you see the price some surfers pay for some boards that come from famous overseas shapers?
I think it’s more about the opportunity of owning a piece of your dream. Seriously, some of the boards I see on the net – or at some shops – make me want to surf so much!! I’ve got to be honest: a nice board is a nice board. Some shapers have a unique savoir faire and deserve all the attention they get. On the other hand I admit that it is somewhat frustrating to see the price certain boards fetch and to know that if I tried to sell one of my boards at that price they would call it daylight robbery.

(End of Part I)

Niegà

P.S.: You can read this interview in French HERE and in Spanish HERE.

Arriving late we found a place to park by an Auberge on the side of a mountain and had a cowbell-symphony accompaniment to our omelette making.

We woke with the light and a striking reminder of our location as we drew the curtains back and the Pyrenees slid into view. The ever-changing bedroom window view that defines campervan life is a joy to behold. We’ve enjoyed dunes, ocean, forest, mountains, panoramic countryside vistas, cornfields, widescreen epics and errr… carparks.

We gathered provisions in the local village and drove up the valley to Borce, the home of the last few remaining wild Pyreneean bears. Parking by the church we walked up winding tracks and found a picnic spot looking up the valley and shared a couple of hours lunching and snoozing with some mountain eagles in the heat of the sun.

After lunch we headed west again, ambling towards the Atlantic once more as the promise of waves were on the horizon. The route we took was much steeper, treacherous and breathtaking than we had imagined, and the sharp, winding inclines were almost more than poor Neil could take. Dragging his weary frame over these peaks left him hot, bothered and smelling unwell. I can’t quite put my finger on it but the burning, metallic smell reeks of worry.

Our unplanned destination that evening, St Jean Pied-de-Port, was aptly an ancient pilgrims’ rest and recuperation site and we followed tradition and recharged in a carpark on the outskirts of town, throwing caution beyond the wind as we purchased two alcoholic beverages in the town’s hostelries, another first for this trip!

If you think about it, most (all?) of the decisions we take while surfing (whether to paddle or not for a wave, where to paddle back through, etc.) come from a series of universal rules that we, surfers, decided a long time ago and have been enforcing universally. Sure, we all know a few beaches/spots where these rules are applied differently depending on one’s place of birth, skin colour, residence or are simply reinterpreted according to selfish interest. But right now, the only rules from the “outside” world that apply to surfing are “swimming zones” in summer. Steer clear of those and plunge into the free ocean, out of reach of any rules and laws except from surfing’s own.

But all this could be about to change. According to regional French newspaper Sud-Ouest, after the high number of surfing related accidents resulting in injuries that occurred on the Capbreton – Hossegor – Seignosse stretch of coast this last summer (up to 35% more than the previous summer), these City Councils are studying the possibility of setting up some sort of surfing regulation. A regulation that, they say, would mainly affect surf schools (they will have a designated stretch of beach each, so as not to have an excess of learner surfers in the same break) but also surfers with rentals and, presumably, little or no ocean experience.

Although I’m a bit of an anarchist at heart, I am not against some sort of regulation in the water. When you consider what happens at some beaches (not only in France, try the greater Bilbao area for more of the same) during summer it’s nothing short of a miracle that there aren’t a lot more, much more serious surf accidents. Boards flying everywhere, massive drop-ins, people dodging loose canon boards from fellow surfers who don’t mind tossing them to the side instead of duck diving oncoming waves etc, etc… However we all know that once the “powers that be” start regulating an activity they have a tendency to go a wee bit too far; and surfing can indeed look very dangerous to non-surfers.

No need to go to Hossegor. Check Donostia on a late September Friday afternoon.

So I wonder: what could be next after they regulate surf schools? Will helmets be compulsory at certain breaks… or from a certain wave size? Will surfers have to produce so some sort of “driving licence” at some reefs? Will there be some sort of lifeguard in charge of regulating the number of surfers at each peak and, once full capacity is reached, make us queue on the sand and only let us join the crowd on a “one in, one out” basis?

Worrying thoughts indeed. Just in case let’s behave ourselves this autumn. Let’s not give them an opportunity to rule us too much.

Niegà

If not I feel way more miserable that if I hadn’t had a surf holiday at all. Unfortunately my local beach –la Zurriola- is not producing the goods. I guess it’s also fed up with summer crowds and the hordes of wanabees that summer brings with it, and the beach is showing its less pretty face: nasty shore dumps disfigured by huge rips at any tide. Not a peeler in sight, just collapsing masses of foam and brown water. Great… not! My second closest option, Zarautz… more of the same; and with a big WQS contest in town it is not a very alluring prospect. As I look for hope through different swell and wind forecast sites, I can see a window of opportunity: it will be small, but it should be extra clean with off-shores all day long for both Monday and Tuesday. But not at home- the forecast looks good for Les Landes, one hour north. Now, I haven’t been there since late July and I wonder if the couple of great sandbanks that I last surfed are still in place. Things, in this case sandbanks, change so quickly up there with every new swell, with every flat spell… there’s only one way to find out.

The tasks on the agenda are shifted accordingly to try and free up both days, and a couple of jobs that needed to be done are executed –swiftly but accurately- during the weekend. The van is quickly loaded for one more night (we recently slept 13 nights in a row during our holidays so it doesn’t take much time) and my heart is racing fast while I lay in bed trying to get some rest. A few hours later the alarm clock prompts me to take a final check before departure… I open the window, sniff the air and …wrong!! The wind has turned SW. One hour later the first surf report confirms my judgment with photos of Anglet. Yep… on-shore. This is not what I’m going to miss one day’s work for, so I just stay put and keep working, while thinking that there’s still hope for tomorrow (by Wednesday a front is presumably bringing strong on-shores).

I keep checking the forecasts during the day and they all indicate that the SW should switch to E/NE during the night. This time I’m not taking any chances: after dinner I kiss my wife goodbye and drive to my destination, north of Hossegor. By midnight I’ve reached my car park and I climb the dune. My heart is beating hard, and it is not only due to the climb. With the help of the almost-full moon I can see nice and evenly spaced lines of white water at a low tide sandbar. Perfect triangles. And not a breath of air.

I’m up by 7 next morning but I can hardly see anything because of the fog. I put the kettle on and tidy the van. A cup of tea and a piece of homemade ginger cake later (thanks darling) the off-shore is pushing the fog away and the sun reveals beautiful lines. The tide is at its highest but the sets are already doing their thing. It’s 3 foot on the sets and the waves have such a perfect texture and colour that it almost makes me sad to break their glitter with my board’s trail of white water. There’s a healthy pack of longboarders out the back, but the peak shifts randomly and everybody gets some waves. Three hours later I snap a couple of photos from the top of the dune and it’s still happening.

Right after that I get the call from a friend on the west coast, and he tells me that the front is moving in bringing some strong on-shores. E.T.A.: a couple of hours; not worth staying any longer. Not much later I’m at home, walking the dog. I had an early taste of the Indian summer; now I can relax and wait for the rest of it.

Niegà

For my girlfriend, Alexa, and I, packing up the van in September and making the run down to Biarritz has been an annual habit, enjoying the sense of freedom we get from being on the open road.

Crossing the river Ardour from the Landes region in the north after the long drive down through France, the landscape begins to transform. It’s no longer flat and dense with the famous pine trees; instead verdant hills roll across the hinterland towards the Pyrenees, which rise steeply in the distance as if they are watching over this region. Cliffs, reefs, points and rocky headlands create a coastline of breathtaking variety, with myriad waves and offering options in all sorts of conditions. This variety suits us, and we pack our quiver accordingly – fish, singlefins, shortboards and longboards crammed in the van. Whether it’s mellow peeling Basque beach-breaks and reefs; grinding Hossegor or Anglet barrels; big drops at Guethary or the reeling point of Lafetania, there’s something for everyone – a smorgasbord of surfing delights.

Only a short drive inland, the Pyrenees offer an alternative to surfing if it’s flat. Truly wild camping is possible up in the mountains among the rivers and forests. Epic mountain biking, scenic walks and a healthy dose of nature are all on offer.

Not forgetting the amazing supermarche, le vin rouge, le fromage and other culinary delights. Where else in the world do bakeries and supermarkets shut for lunch? You have to love a country with a two-hour lunch break and a 35-hour working week!

But alas, there will be no road trip for us this summer as we have spent all our money buying a Cornish cottage and will be spending our September break renovating. So we cling to our dreams and memories of Indian summers past…

(photos by Alexa Poppe)