UDAZKENA HEMEN - AUTUMN HERE

Autumn is full of surprises, but it always produces moments when all the stars align and memories are created that will last a lifetime. It’s magic — and we want to share that magic with you.

Every summer, tens of thousands of tourists descend upon the Basque Country. They come from near and they come from far. They come to eat the food, drink the wine, spend peaceful days on the beach and late nights out on the town.Then autumn comes and the crowds vanish. Storms begin to explode in the Northern Atlantic, sending bigger and bigger swells to Basque shores. The leaves on the trees change colors and the birds fly south towards Africa. You can feel yet another summer slipping away.

The waves can be big or small. The wind can be crisp and clean or onshore and gale force.

Sometimes you have to drive a few hours. Sometimes the best waves are right in front of you. Au- tumn is full of surprises, but it always produces moments when all the stars align and memories are created that will last a lifetime. It’s magic — and we want to share that magic with you.

The Culture

Basque history runs deep. So deep that the Basque language remains a mystery to mo- dern linguists, as they struggle to find another tongue that seems closely related to Basque. Historians entertain the possibility that the same group of people have been living here for over 30,000 years.

It’s impossible to miss a deep connection with the past when exploring the Basque Country today.

You can visit a cave that hosted ancient witch parties or have a drink at a bar that feels like a time machine. There are mountains with names that are hard to pronounce and sometimes hard to hike up, but always worth the view. And the food — let’s just say there’s a reason why it’s world-renowned.

There’s no place quite like it.

The Waves

The Basque Coast begins at the Nive River in France and ends east of the port of Bilbao in Spain. You’d be pressed to find a more diverse mix of waves in a 160 km stretch.

There are XXL hotspots. Long pointbreaks, rip- pable reefs. Big, open beachbreaks. A few slabs that will terrify you. And, of course, Mundaka — which is widely considered to be the jewel of it all.

This range of spots is complimented by a range of surf conditions. Sometimes it’s 30-foot. So- metimes it’s 3-foot. Either can be fun. The coast has a lot of twists and turns, which opens it up to a lot of wind and swell angles.

You can choose your own adventure. That’s what we did, this autumn. We brought some friends and made a few more along the way.

The Surfers

The UDAZKENA HEMEN project features a mix of locals and visiting surfers. Some of these surfers know every corner of the Basque Coast. Others experienced it through fresh eyes. All of them had a very good time.

Supported by Vans
Produced by Salt Water Production
Directed by Salt Water Production & Aljaz Babnik
Filmed by Salt Water Production & Aljaz Babnik
Additional footage by Martxel Txintxurreta, Nicolas Pina Calvin, Unai Borda & Txomin Sorraits
Edited by Aljaz Babnik
Voice over by Noverek.

RIDERS:

Adrien Toyon
Ainara Aymat
Lee-Ann Curren
Margaux Arramon-Tucoo
Jules Lepecheux
Seb Smart
Titouan Boyer
Ethan Egiguren

MUSIC:

Blas Babnik - Rising Sun
Aho - Bihotza
Aho - Hondarzta
Heitor Vallim - Intro
Heitor Vallim - The Trip
Eddie Callahan - Flying
Twin Steps - Pitch Black Forest
Infinity - Venetian Glass
Alacran - Will You Keep My Love Forever
Nice Purse- Broken Filthy Arrows
Ezaro - Bariku Zan

SPECIAL THANKS:

Vans Europe, Ben Sooprayen, Mikel Urigotia, Margaux Derosier, Jokin Etxebarria, Lucie Curutchet, Ilusions surfboards, Spoe Surfboards