Surf Happenings

SURF HAPPENING

A NEW SURF CONTEST SERIES FOR THE YOUTH

En combinant le format traditionnel des compétitions de surf avec la flexibilité offerte par les outils numériques modernes, Volcom Surf Happenings offre une plateforme avec un format équitable aux compétiteurs qui s’affronteront pour tenter de gagner une part du prize money de 6000 €. Avec pour chaque battle un accord entre les deux concurrents de l'endroit et l'heure les plus adaptés.

Check le recap un peu plus bas !

COMMENT ÇA MARCHE

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INSCRIPTIONS

L’inscription est gratuite, mais les places sont limitées à 16 compétiteurs dans la division Men’s et 16 compétitrices dans la division Women’s vivant dans les zones de compétition (rayon de 40 km) et nés après le 1er janvier 2005.
Fermeture des inscriptions le Dimanche 30 Mai 2021

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Détails du Heat

Les concurrents sélectionnés et leurs filmeurs se mettent d'accord sur le lieu, l'heure et la durée du heat (en fonction des conditions météorologiques et de leur emploi du temps) pendant la fenêtre de temps du round.

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LES HEATS SONT SURFÉS

Les concurrents et leurs filmeurs se rencontrent à l'endroit et à l'heure convenus et surfent leur heat.

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PUBLICATION DES VAGUES

Après chaque heat, chaque compétiteur publie ce qu'il pense être ses deux meilleures vagues sur son fil Instagram avec les informations sur le heat, le hashtag du contest #vshhossegor et le compte Insta @volcomhappening @volcom dans la description.

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JUGEMENT

Les vagues des compétiteurs sont notées par les juges et les résultats sont partagés sur la plateforme de la compétition avec l'annonce des qualifications du prochain round. Le round suivant commence immédiatement.

HOW'D IT GO ? THE RECAP

After the changes that everyone had to endure for over a year, Volcom had a strong desire to come back on the field and reconnect with the local surf communities. Setting up a fresh new competition format for the Youth isn't an easy task, and despite some hiccups, the first edition of the Volcom Surf Happenning digital contest series delivered more than expected, excitement, drama, competition stress, comradery and anticipation!

Three free contests open to the under 16 year old top surfers, got organized at the following European surf hubs: Ericeira (Portugal), Zarautz (Basque Country) and Hossegor (France). With a prize money of 1000€ plus extra prizes from our partners EQlove, Jam traction & Softboardcenter, up for grabs at each spot in the mens and womens divisions.

VSH ERICEIRA Winners – WOMEN 1^st Place Constância Rocha (1000€) – 2^nd Place Maria Salgado

VSH ERICEIRA Winners – MEN 1^st Place Francisco Ordonhas (1000€) – 2^nd Place Salvador Vala

As most "new" things, the format wasn't easy to get for some of the surfers:

First of, the entries were limited in each division (top 10 competitors according to national ranking + 6 "Volcom picks" from all entries).
Then, after one on one heats got drawn by the organization, competitors had a two weeks' time window to connect, agree on the spot and time, to surf their match up, get their best waves on camera and post on social with the contests hashtags (#VSHEriceira, #VSHZarautz and #VSHHossegor).
That is quite some responsibility and work, but the surfers, parents and coach handled it like champs after the first rounds.

But that new format allowed surfers to compete fairly (one on one timed heats) and gave them the freedom to choose the best conditions within the rounds time windows (waves, crowds, availability...), got the surfers, parents, coachs, filmers to (re)connect, and got some of the surfers extra visibility on social...

Here is some action from Hossegor!

Here below are a couple of side stories worth mentioning!!

In Hossegor there was rumors of goofy footers not wanting to agree on surfing a righthander, or solid conditions being avoided by some competitors....

Keoni Van Der Bij got dropped on during one heat by the perfect definition of a surf tourist.

Young Tya Zebrowski showed her talent during all rounds but couldn't find her rhythm in the final against Clemence Schorsch from Vieux Boucau who took the top honors.

Inigo Madina won the mens division with power turns against the young Aaron Bacon, and found a new filmer in the process!

In Zarautz some drama went down:

During a heat, one parent filming run out of battery, got saved by contest director Indar Inanue with his camera, whose battery died a moment later and couldn't document the end of the heat...

In the Men semifinals Oxel Oregi and Hans Odriozola were both in the Maldives but in two different locations and had only one chance to meet to surf their heat (in epic conditions), but couldn't document it as their camera guy lost his gear in the water! The two surfers got eliminated and Kai Odriozola got declared winner after his other semifinal victory against Marco Marin.

In the Womens, Laine Fernandez claimed victory after a disputed final against Enara Palacios.

Portuguese surfing future is bright! Ericeira's contest surfing level was pretty high.

The classic righthander pointbreaks got teared apart and contest director Gony Zubizarreta got the judges in alert after each heat got surfed.

In the Womens, Maria Salgado and Constancia Rocha were definitely the two best competitors during the rounds and met in the finals, with Constancia Rocha winning the 1000€ of the 1st place.

In the Mens divison goofyfooter Francisco Ordonhas kept posting good scores all contest long and took the win despite good competitors such as Salvador Vala, Santiago Graça, Tiago Faria or Francisco Mittermayer...