The Swatch Girls Pro France ran another marathon day at Les Bourdaines, Seignosse, France today. With yesterday’s blustery windswell building and cleaning up into lined-up 3ft (head high) peaks, the top seeds entered proceedings as Round 4 kicked off early this morning. Suitably impressed with the standard of manoeuvres, the judges were handing out excellent (8-10 point) scores like hot croissants as the likes of Sage Erickson, Leila Hurst, Canelle Bulard, Alessa Quizon and Courtney Conlogue all put together excellent rides in the early heats. “We were all super stoked when we got down here early and saw it had picked up and was glassy,” admitted Erickson. “I got lucky early and some good ones came to me, my board felt really good. It feels awesome to start off strong like that.” The American was full value for her combined heat total of 18.40 (out of 20), the highest of the event so far. Swatch Proteam rider Courtney Conlogue was also typically impressive in the morning’s predominant lefthanders, fitting in some vicious combinations of backside snaps to see herself through. “When I saw the first set this morning as I was coming down the beach I was kinda amping,” said the current ASP World no 2. “I found my rhythm out there in the lefts and just had fun.”
Round 5 ran in windier surf in the mid afternoon, with trickier conditions testified by less generous scores being awarded for most encounters. Nevertheless, usual suspects Erickson, Conlogue, and Quizon advanced as heat winners, along with Hawaiians Alana Blanchard and Malia Manuel and New Zealand’s Paige Hareb. “That was super tricky,” said ASP World Title Race rising star Manuel, “the tides are so big here things change so quick, I was really stoked to make that heat. Luckily we all spread out a little bit and had a chance to surf, coz it’s easy to get all bunched together.”
With a marked decrease in overnight swell, your SWATCH GIRLS PRO FRANCE is off for the day. The next official call from contest director Gerard D’Avezac will be at 7am tomorrow (Saturday).The Swatch Girls Pro France après surf schedule has been subject to last-minute changes due meteorological and surf conditions. Friday’s Nightsurf Extravaganza in Capbreton has been cancelled, instead the Sandblast Party (competitors, invited guests and ticket winners only) will be taking place at the event site, Les Bourdaines on Friday 1st June from 19h00.
