Shortly after emerging from his first heat, on the second day of the Twin Fin Invitational (TFI), Ian “Gato Son” Gottron said, “This is the best contest I’ve ever done.”
After a couple days of great surf and unrivaled hospitality in Zarautz, the sentiment was shared by all the riders of the TFI. While only one man and woman took home a $3,000 check, the stoke stayed high and style was the only score that mattered.
The third of four episodes documenting the event has just dropped. Check it out below to watch highlights from the final day of the competition and a late night dinner at a classic Basque cider house.
To be fair, it was hard, very hard, to pick one winner. Especially on the men’s side as there were more to choose from and there wasn’t a single dull knife in the group. There were no set judges, the winners were peer selected, meaning the surfers, filmers, announcers, and supporters of the event made their decision after watching the best waves from each surfer at the closing party at Shelter Bar.
Gato Son was a serious contender. As was Chippa Wilson, Kepa Acero, Eli Beukes, Miguel Blanco, and nearly every other dude for that matter. Same goes for the women, Lily Young was absolutely charging, as was 14 year-old Nahia Calder. At the end of the night though, the winners were local Basque legend Ander Mendiguren and the young Zoe Jackin from France.
Chris Dodds
Beyond the epic surf conditions and no-pressure format, the event had tons to offer. One example being the incredible dinner at Uberu Sagardotegia, a classic Basque cider house. Located in the mountains, about 20 minutes from Zarautz, it wasn’t the type of place tourists would find — far from it.
Chris Dodds
In addition to the bottomless cider that could be drank straight from the barrels, they served some of the best steaks that any of us had ever had. Even the South Africans, notorious meat lovers who are always having braais (barbecues), were well impressed. Alan van Gysen nodded in approval, “Yeah bru, no doubt, this is some of the best meat I’ve ever had.”
Another thing unique to the TFI was the fact that, in between heats and throughout the week, the riders were able to hang out as friends and enjoy the time in and around Zarautz. Unlike the serious nature of the WSL or ISA events, when everyone has to be laser-focused and disciplined to get results, the vibe was much more laid back.
Chris Dodds
If you’ve missed our earlier coverage of the Twin Fin Invitational, you can check out episode 1 here, and episode two here. Stay tuned as the final episode will drop next week.
Related: The Mundaka Mission: Tom Curren and Crew Score a Rare Session