Into the Woods: The “Pines & Beach”-Festival

Around May its usually really quiet around the little ghost-villages along the French Atlantic coast. Most of the shops are still closed and so are the bars – the few ones that already open seem to serve themselves rather than any clients. The camping sites just begin their preparations for the upcoming season. 

This year it looked differently. At least for those who dared to get deeper into the pinewoods of „Le Cigal“ – the main camping site of Moliets. For those who came, it opened up some kind of parallel world, compared to the calm life of the little beach towns. 

No surprise: because the Pure Surfcamp Moliets and Island Collective including its Saltwater Shop invited for the premiere of the Pines & Beach Festival, a solemn ring in of the summer season – and there was indeed a lot of action going on.

More than 150 saltwater addicts hit the road to join this get together of the German surfing scene along with skaters, artists and musicians which mount up an versatile program. On the first evening the guests where welcomed by the charming team around Adrian Siebert and Ole Schmidt, who prepared themselves mentally for the upcoming days. The next day everyone just jumped into the water, where the guests surfed with well known guys like Tao Schirrmacher, Alex Zirke and Finn-Ole Springborn. A lot of waves and fun were shared in this pre-summer session.

Towards evening everyone got their teeth into the barbecue, that was served in a relaxed atmosphere under the pines – followed by the SKATEDELUXE Skate-Contest that inaugurated the new miniramp. Several skater ripped hard on it´s lip during the whole day.

Reaching high: Jeremaier Reinhard is leaving the ramp.

Tao Schirrmacher

The euphoria that arose close to the minicamp was carried further into the L’Open, where no wheels, but two turntables spinned. And if they are used by DJ TEREZA (who caught her first waves at the festival – interview follows soon) even the hardest non-dancer would move his legs for sure.

Velwet-Vibes throughout the day.

The next day was characterized by the artist collective Velwet (who use surfing and art as an expression). They invited girls among the visitors to participate in their way of working: discussing some workpiece of Velwet and then hijacked the girls into the woods of Moliets for a spontaneous shooting to explore their own creativity. 
The result were several photos that emerged on different instagram-channels afterwards and gained new likes.

Velwet-Creativity was spread also during the evening. The main stage was enchantingly decorated by the Collective and served as background for singer songwriter Faye, who caused goosebumps with her performance on some arms that were already exhausted from surfing.

Fayes songs talk about traveling in a metaphorical sense, about abandoning and finding places, like in the photographs of Velwet, which where used as background aside the illustrations of Velwet-Member Alexandra Siebert. „Places that are easy to find“ they say, because its all about moving, heading out to embark on what may happen.

Alexandra Siebert drew the illustrationen for Fayes Song „Shelter“, which is about love and as a consequence, its promises and fears (Heebie jebees).

Another highlight was certainly the day when the Label EUROGLASS provided several boards of their workshop, for everybody to test. So you could feel the different behavior of various shapes and sizes in the water.

Ready to get tested: several boards of EUROGLASS waiting for some riders.

They also did not spare with profound knowledge: shaper legend Phil Grace himself and his colleagues Darren Board and Mark Phillips sat down in front of chief editor of Prime-Surfing-Magazine Lars Jacobsen to participate a cross examination of Questions and Answers about the life around EUROGLASS. And they delivered: humorous anecdotes about the ocean paired with cumulative insights of the life of a shaper that provided an entertaining evening and learning effect at the same time.

Q&A: Lars Jacobsen interview the EUROGLASS-Crew.

Those who just couldn’t get enough of that shaping topic, did have the chance to get a guided tour through the sacred halls of EUROGLASS in Hossegor, where they were able to get an impression of the processes at the workshop.

The legend: Phil Grace himself.

Contest-shirts of the one and only: Kelly Slater.

Where you gonna go with that gun in your hand?

In the evening the lovely soul surfer Jules Ahoi and his deep sea orchestra entered the stage and performed with wonderful, cozy, folk-like tunes that left the audience blessed after such an eventful day.

Pines & Beats: Jules Ahoi and Deeps Orchestra.

On Wednesday the Symbiose of Sup and Yoga took place. Both disciplines were combined on the river of Moliets and have been a challenging but funny juggling act for everyone who joined. In the evening everyone was allowed to shake their hips – in the legendary surfers bar Rockford. Behind the turntables: DJ TEREZA. In front: a hilarious crowd that was electrified by DJ Jeremair after TEREZAS HipHop-Tunes.

Moreover? There was lots of yoga and Sup-Paddling and of course the Prime Surfing Invitational Contest, where German surfers like Tao Schirmacher, Finn-Ole Springborn, Valerie Schlieper and Wildcard Winner Adrian Siebert competed against each other out in the line up. Lasting Memories were made by headcoach Ole Schmidt, who proofed his entertainer-qualities performing with the megaphone in his hands.

Added a lot of humor to the contest: Ole Schmidt on the megaphone.

All in all this week at the “Pines & Beach”-Festival has been tremendously eventful. Long term friends met each other as well as lots of new friendships were made, thanks to the sociable atmosphere, where absolute beginners and well established surfers have been on the same level in terms of interpersonal relationship. 

To all the ones who did not join the “Pines & Beach”-Festival this May: the next one will take place for sure.