Maud Le Car and Kaito Ohashi crowned champions
of the second edition.

An international reunion that spiraled into a full week of shenanigans down the Basque-French coast, from Mundaka missions to Hossegor late nights.

Stay tuned for the behind-the-scenes  short movie dropping soon.

The 2025 Twin Fin Invitational by William Aliotti wrapped up in southwest France with Maud Le Car (FR) and Kaito Ohashi (JP) crowned as this year’s standouts, two surfers who perfectly embodied the event’s spirit of flow, creativity, and pure style.

This second edition went far beyond a simple surf contest. Between unpredictable swells and passing storms, the crew chased windows of magic wherever they appeared, from spontaneous sessions in Biarritz to a strike mission to Mundaka, sneaky barrel sessions at sunset in Vieux Boucau to test the sandbars during the first days. It was fall in Europe, and the week kept everyone guessing, jumping from short wetsuits to full 4/3s as the weather swung wildly (you could easily tell who was from Europe and who had just flown in from Bali, California, Hawaii, or Australia). There were spontaneous pintxo runs to the nearby city of San Sebastián in the Basque Country, and whenever doubt or downtime hit, white wine and oysters at the local Hossegor spots were always a solid backup plan. And between all that, and the endless hunt for waves between storms, the week became a full cultural ride: equal parts surf trip, reunion, and celebration.

The vibe, attitude, and energy of the crew were inmejorable. William took the role of captain, navigating the constantly changing conditions, but the group stayed in full “you say jump — we ask how high” mode, turning every last-minute call into another unforgettable mission.

“The people are just incredible — everyone fits together,”
said event founder William Aliotti.
“Everyone has it’s own style but it feels like a big family, all sharing good times, caring for each other, and turning even tricky waves into something beautiful. That’s what this is all about.”

By Sunday, the ocean finally aligned for a full day of twin-fin action in Vieux Boucau. From the first light check-in and coffees on a cold fall morning in Europe, the vibe slowly warmed up as the day came alive. It turned into one of those classic French sessions, fun peaks scattered everywhere, the kind of convenient high-tide windows that allowed everyone to recharge with lunch before paddling back out.

In true Twin Fin fashion, winners were decided not by judges, but by the surfers themselves. The peer-voting format once again highlighted how style transcends conditions. Maud Le Car showed how valuable local knowledge can be in the ever-changing conditions, finding rhythm and flow from the first session to the last, a consistency that earned her an impressive 18 votes. On the men’s side, Kaito Ohashi’s effortless style and smooth speed lines put him on top, ahead of names like Victor Bernardo, Cam Richards, and Ozzy Wright.

And the lineup… impossible to get bored. Tom Curren glided through the week with that timeless mix of grace and unpredictability, setting the tone every time he paddled out. Around him, a wild blend of creativity unfolded, Ozzy Wright and Alex Knost turning every wave into an art experiment, Gearoid McDaid finding ramps on every corner, and European locals like Aritz Aranburu, Miguel Blanco, and Gony Zubizarreta adding flashes of pure power surfing. Past winners Ainara Aymat and Victor Bernardo came out swinging again, while surfers like Brittany Hokulani, Pacha Light, Giada Legati, Eli Beukes, Louise Banks, Makoa Gomez, and Violeta Sánchez kept the lineup fresh and unpredictable, a mix of style, energy, and expression that perfectly captured the Invitational’s loose and creative spirit.

“Super stoked to win the Twin Fin Invitational, such an amazing event! Surfing with legends in the best vibes, it’s like no other event out there. I’ve been riding twin fins in every condition lately and loving the feeling, this win just makes me want to keep pushing my surfing down this path,” said the winner Maud Le Car.

Beyond the surfing, the week came alive through a series of cultural happenings that brought the whole coast together. Things kicked off on Monday with the “Jungle Fever & Desert Rats” premiere at Le Rex Cinema Hossegor, presented by Volcom, featuring William Aliotti and friends that set the tone for a week of exploration and creative energy. On Wednesday, Ryan Lovelace, Ozzy Wright, and Pentagram Pizza hosted a live shaping and painting night at Chienville Surfboards in Hossegor, celebrating surf craft and art with food trucks, beers, and good tunes. Finally, the Wasted Talent x Monster Energy “Triple Threat” premiere lit up Wasted Talent Boutique Hossegor on Friday, showcasing new films from Brendon Gibbens, Juliette Lacome, and Alex Knost, before the whole crew carried the party late into the night at Coolin à la Plage.

The festival closed in unforgettable fashion on Monday night at Coolin Hossegor, where the entire crew reunited for the final screening, food, drinks, and the awards ceremony, capped by a live concert from Tom Curren, Lee-Ann Curren, and Pat Curren. A family of surf legends closing out a family-style event, the perfect ending to another chapter of what’s quickly becoming one of Europe’s most unique gatherings in surf culture.

But it doesn’t end here…

Stay tuned for the short movie dropping in the coming days, a raw, unfiltered recap of all the surfing, chaos, and shenanigans that went down during this year’s edition. While you wait, dive into the photos, clips, and behind-the-scenes moments already rolling out across @the_twinfin_invitational and the event’s website.

A massive thank you to our presenting sponsor, Monster Energy, for their unwavering support and energy throughout the week, and to all the partners who helped shape this year’s experience: Volcom, Globe, Lovemachine, I-Sea, Nixon, Wasted Talent, Ocean Shelter, Surflogic Hardware, Vieux Boucau Port d’Albret, Hotdogger, Doc Dorrie’s Lab, Coolin, Vieux Boucau Surf Club, and Makai Beach Food & Drink. Each of them played a part in building what the Twin Fin Invitational stands for, a living celebration of creativity, collaboration, and the spirit of surfing.

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