French Surfing Championships
The national surf championships on the Landes coast
2026
About Surf Championships
The French Surfing Championships are the premier national competition hosted by the French Surfing Federation, based in Soorts-Hossegor. Established in 1964 in Biarritz, the event gathers top junior and open athletes from every region each autumn to compete across various surfing disciplines. In 2026, the beaches of Hossegor, Seignosse, and Capbreton will host the event for the eleventh time.
Surf Championships — edition 2026
The 62nd edition of the French Surfing Championships, presented by Banque Populaire, will take place from October 17th to 25th, 2026, in Hossegor, Seignosse, and Capbreton. Expect nine days of competition featuring nearly 550 junior and Open athletes across nine disciplines, with the Open shortboard finals broadcast live on France Télévisions. The heat schedule has not yet been released.
2026 Edition
The French Surfing Federation announced on August 4th, 2026, that the national championships are returning to the southern Landes region from October 17th to 25th. Hossegor, Seignosse, and Capbreton will host the event for the eleventh time since its inception in Biarritz in 1964.
Nearly 550 athletes, selected from all French regions in both junior and Open categories, will compete for national titles across nine disciplines: shortboard, longboard, bodyboard, bodysurf, para surf, para surf adapted, kneeboard, SUP surfing, and tandem surfing.
France Télévisions will once again provide live coverage, as they did in 2025, with three hours dedicated to the Open shortboard finals. Broadcast times and details are yet to be announced.
For the second year running, the Federation is maintaining a gender parity policy on its official posters. They have also announced upcoming initiatives focused on gender equality, social inclusion through surfing, and reducing the event's environmental footprint, with further details to be released later.
As of mid-August 2026, the heat schedule has not been published; this includes the competition days per discipline, the specific surf spots for each event, and the daily start times.
Highlights Surf Championships 2026
- 62nd edition of the French Championships, October 17th–25th, 2026, in Hossegor, Seignosse, and Capbreton.
- Nearly 550 junior and Open athletes competing in nine disciplines.
- Para surf and para surf adapted included in the official program.
- Three hours of live coverage on France Télévisions for the Open shortboard finals.
- Partner village, introductory sessions, and athlete meet-and-greets.
Programme Surf Championships 2026
The French Surfing Federation released the format and dates for this 62nd edition on August 4th, 2026, though the heat schedule remains pending. Here is what has been announced so far.
Sporting Format
- Nine days of competition, from Saturday, October 17th, to Sunday, October 25th, 2026, on the beaches of Hossegor, Seignosse, and Capbreton.
- Nearly 550 athletes, selected from all French regions in junior and Open categories.
- Nine disciplines: shortboard, longboard, bodyboard, bodysurf, para surf, para surf adapted, kneeboard, SUP surfing, and tandem surfing.
- Skimboarding, which was one of the ten disciplines in 2025, is not on the schedule this year.
- Para surf and para surf adapted events are included in the sporting program.
Televised Finals
France Télévisions will dedicate three hours of live coverage to the Open shortboard finals, continuing the format from 2025. Broadcast times and details to follow.
Beyond the Competition
The Federation has announced various activities, introductory sessions, a partner village, and opportunities to meet the athletes. The schedule for these events, as well as those dedicated to gender equality and environmental initiatives, will be published before the competition begins.
What has not yet been released
- The heat schedule: competition days by discipline, the time of the first call, and the dates for finals and award ceremonies.
- The specific surf spot for each event: the Federation has mentioned La Gravière, Les Culs Nus, Les Estagnots, and Le Santocha as potential spots in the area, but has not yet confirmed the distribution.
The dates from October 17th to 25th represent a nine-day window. In 2025, the schedule was decided on a day-to-day basis: the Federation announced the following day's events each evening in their daily report (e.g., "Tomorrow, Tuesday, we move on to the cadet bodyboard finals"), which also detailed the swell and wind conditions that dictated the day's proceedings.
Practical information — Surf Championships
Practical information
Where the competition takes place
On the beaches of Hossegor (Soorts-Hossegor), Seignosse, and Capbreton. The French Surfing Federation announces the specific spot chosen for each event as the competition approaches and throughout the event days.
Getting there
The 517 bus line operated by Cars Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine connects Dax to Bayonne from Monday to Saturday year-round, serving Seignosse, Hossegor, Capbreton, and Labenne. In Bayonne, it stops at the SNCF train station transport hub.
The Yégo network, managed by the MACS community of communes, is free all year round. Its 1A line runs from Labenne to Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse via Capbreton, Soorts-Hossegor, and Angresse, serving the SNCF stations in Labenne and Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse. Connections with the 517 line are available at the Capbreton Cigales Gare and Hossegor Office de Tourisme stops.
Following the competition
The Federation publishes event information and daily reports on surfingfrance.com. The Open shortboard finals are broadcast live by France Télévisions.
Contact
Fédération française de surf, 123 boulevard de la Dune, 40150 Soorts-Hossegor. Phone: 05 58 43 55 88.
The pinnacle of French surfing
The first French Surfing Championships were held in Biarritz in 1964. Every autumn, the competition brings together athletes selected from all regions, competing in junior and open categories for national titles across a range of surfing disciplines.
The disciplines
The lineup changes from year to year. Nine disciplines are on the program for 2026: shortboard, longboard, bodyboard, bodysurf, para surf, para surf adapted, kneeboard, SUP surfing, and tandem surfing. The 2025 edition featured ten, including skimboard.
The southern Landes coast
Hossegor, Seignosse, and Capbreton are hosting the "France" championships for the eleventh time since 1964. The Federation highlights spots such as La Gravière, Les Culs Nus, Les Estagnots, and Santocha; the specific distribution of events across these spots is announced closer to the competition date. In 2025, the heats were spread across Les Bourdaines, Hossegor's South Beach, and Santocha in Capbreton.
Beyond the competition
The Federation describes the event as a true festival, featuring a partner village, various activities, introductory sessions, and opportunities to meet the athletes. Since 2025, France Télévisions has provided live coverage of the Open shortboard finals.
Where does it take place — Surf Championships
Surf Championships in brief
History of Surf Championships
Edition 2025 Oct 2025Other festivals near Soorts-Hossegor
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