Photo: Alex Laurel

We got to Mundaka really early that day, it had been ages since I’d surfed it, I didn’t even go once last winter. There wasn’t anybody in the lineup, it was really solid but there were a few good ones. I was with Aritz, the Gudangs and a few others, and it was only the biggest ones that were doing it.

The tide came up really fast but there were still a few that were tubing. I was on a 6’4” and I got a couple that doubled up on the inside but I was still a bit undergunned. So then I took out the 7’6” but the wind came up… Anyway we drove back to France to eat at my place, then went back to Mundaka for the dropping tide in the afternoon, and we scored. The sets were better organized and the swell had dropped a touch.

We had a few other sessions closer to home, at la Nord and la Gravière… I even towed with Maud (le Car) and she did real well in the conditions. Personally, I prefer to surf Gravière when it’s on but it was cool the be out the back at la Nord with the lads. I was on a 7’6” that day and Sancho was on his 10’0” getting ready for real big ones, like paddling Belharra. It’s cool to see more and more people getting serious about their gear ready for the massive swells of winter. I’ve left all my big boards in Hawaii, I couldn’t bring them home since Air France wouldn’t take them, but I’ll try again to bring them back this time. Having seen the swells we’ve had this autumn, I’m a bit bummed to be leaving for Hawaii.

Mundaka was pumping again a few days later, a bit smaller but really really perfect, good vibes in the water and everyone was just getting barrelled silly.