In its magnificent setting of the Basque Coast, the European cradle of surfing, the Roxy Jam Biarritz, set to host the ASP Women’s World Longboard Championship for the fourth year running, is one of the biggest events in the surfing calendar. It is also - and especially - an authentic festival, completely free and intended as both a celebration and an introduction to surfing culture and artistic and musical influences. From 10th to 14th July 2009, the Roxy Jam Biarritz will be sharing its summer quarters below the Villa Belza for five days and five nights of surfing, open-air concerts (Santigold, Le Corps Mince de Francoise) and art, with a vast exhibition of photography (by Taki Bibelas, Jeff Hornbaker, Sylvain Cazenave, Lorene Carpentier, and others). The whole event is a wave of fun and freshness that attracts over 50,000 summer visitors ever year…

The world’s elite are due in Biarritz for ASP women’s world longboard Championships.

A total of 32 professional women surfers, all nose riding virtuosos from the four corners of the planet, will come to the Basque Coast to compete for the title of ASP Women’s World Longboard Champion 2009. With Schuyler McFerran taking the trophy in 2006, followed by her compatriot Jennifer Smith in 2007 and the surprise victory of Hawaii’s Joy Monahan last year, the event has been dominated by the United States… despite increasingly tough competition from Australia, Europe and Asia. Will 2009 be the year surfing’s other great nations strike back? The consistent progress of surfers from France (Justine Dupont, Coline Menard, Claire Karabatsos), Spain (Estitxu Estremo), and the UK (Candice O’Donnell) means Europe has a real chance of bringing the title back home to Europe. The Australian contingent, led by Chelsea Williams (2nd place in 2008) will be formidable opponents. Yet the biggest challengers for Joy Monahan’s title will most likely be her fellow Americans: Jen Smith harbors dreams of winning the championship back, whilst Kassia Meador and Leah Dawson will be fighting hard for a maiden victory, as will the Hawaiians Kelia Moniz and Crystal Dzigas…

In short, the competition is set to be incredibly tough.

The Roxy Jam Biarritz has a new, more compact and competitive format. With a contingent of 32 girls instead of 48 last year, the line-up for Biarritz will represent the cream of women’s world long boarding. The Top 16 girls from the 208 Worlds will be seeded. The remaining 16 competitors will be selected in regions where no ASP Tour events are held this year. Like the ASP World Tour for the short board, the Roxy Jam Biarritz 2009 will not include a repechage round. If they are defeated in the first round, the competitors will be directly eliminated. In other words, the competition will be merciless and the competitors will be forced to produce their best surfing from start to finish, or risk being knocked out early on. There’s no safety net.

 

The Roxy Jam Biarritz art exhibition can be found at the centre of the festival site, facing the Atlantic Ocean. It is the beating creative heart of the event, a cultural hub looking outward to the world, bringing together artists inspired by sea, surf…and women. After hosting and presenting all kinds of works by international artists (sculptures, paintings, moldings, graffiti…), this year ROXY ART is taking a new heading and dedicating its 2009 edition to photography. Intimately bound to surfing culture and particularly to Roxy, which maintains very close links with graphic art, photography is without doubt the most accessible and universal form of artistic expression. It is also the most prolific.

 

Throughout the Roxy Jam, Roxy Art will be displaying works by big names who have captured the most beautiful waves, underwater shots by photographic magicians, portraits of charismatic personalities or anonymous faces from the world of surfing, as well as stories telling of the beauty and fragility of our element: water…among others. All the images on display will be available for purchase, with 50% of the profits donated to the Quiksilver Foundation. Alongside this exhibition, fun artistic workshops will give adults and children alike the chance to familiarize themselves with photography and make their own contribution to the exhibition.

 

Since its foundation, the Roxy Jam has been faultless in its musical programming. The key to the event, the music is carefully and eclectically selected so that, each summer, there is an attractive set of young groups and female artists of international renown, with free live shows. After Neneh Cherry, Cibelle, The Organ in 2006; CSS, Pravda, DJ Chloe in 2007; The Do, Operator Please, this year’s Roxy Jam will feature the prodigious priestess of pop, Santi White, better known by her stage name: ?Santigold? and ?Le Corps mince de Francoise? are the other special guests at the 2009 edition. One thing is sure, the magic of open-air concerts on the Port Vieux beach, with sand between your toes, will rock again this summer.

 

PROGRAMME

Friday July 10^th

10am Press conference Surfing Restaurant

06pm Opening ceremony Cote des Basques

07pm Vernissage Photo exhibition Cote des Basques

Saturday July 11^th

 

08am WLC waiting period start Cote des Basques

10pm film screening: Place Ste Eugenie

· Dear and Yonder

· Kelly Slater Cloud 9

Sunday July 12^th

07pm Dj a little place like kokomo Bar ? les 100 marches ?

Monday July 13^th

From 10 pm Concerts : Port Vieux

· Le Corps Mince de Francoise

· http://www.myspace.com/lecorpsmincedefrancoise

· SANTIGOLD

· http://www.myspace.com/santigold

 

Tuesday July 14^th

WLC waiting period (last day) Cote des Basques

08pm Demo : Grande Plage

· Tandem

· Outrigger canoe

· Stand Up paddle

11pm Fireworks Grande Plage