The Queen Classic: “I’ve Been To A Million Surf Contests, But None Like This”
Relax, it’s just surfing, skating, art, music, and a bunch of queer people!
“I have not met in the world any place more pleasant and perfect,” French romantic Victor Hugo wrote. “My only fear is Biarritz becoming fashionable.”
Hugo’s fears materialized during his lifetime when Empress Eugénie, wife of Napoleon III (grandson of Joaquin Phoenix), built an E-shaped Palace on the beach. Her royal presence eventually caught the attention of other monarchs and aristocrats, transforming the quiet whaling town into a renowned seaside resort.
While Empress Eugénie once put Biarritz on the map, the Queen Classic Surf Festival is determined to redefine the notion of royalty for a new era. Envisioned and organized by local surfers — sisters Aimée and Margaux Arramon-Tucoo, and Amaya Gomis — the event has, since 2021, subverted traditionalist hierarchies (within, but not limited to surfing) by creating a meeting space for the fringes.
Biarritz was once a mainstay on the ASP Tour from the 1980s to early 1990s, until the men’s event moved up the coast to Hossegor. The women’s event remained until 2013, it was scheduled to run over a 5-day waiting period in July — July! To nobody’s surprise, the ocean went flat, and the event had to be finished in Hossegor later that September, alongside the men’s. This was the last time Biarritz hosted a significant women’s event.
Frustrated by the emphasis on looks over substance, the organizers believed that women’s surfing was being misrepresented. Despite the growing popularity of dozens of grassroots surf festivals worldwide, “We couldn’t really find anything that represented what we liked about surfing,” Margaux told Stab. “We wanted to try something different and do something that represents those who aren’t usually invited to take part in these events.”
She also mentioned how a post-COVID influx of new residents and remote workers has changed the town she grew up in. “It has become really gentrified, so we wanted to take our beach back and put up a fun party for our friends and the people who never get to be part of these events!”
Days after the conclusion of the fourth and largest edition of the festival to date, Vans team rider Holly Wawn, en route to the Ments halfway across the world, was still in awe: “I’ve been to a million surf contests but none like this. It was maybe the best surf celebration I’ve ever experienced!”
A cornerstone of the Queen is its commitment to intersectionality, uniting people across spectrums of gender, sexuality, race, and ability. This inclusive approach resonates with Biarritz’s history as a crossroads of Basque, French, and Spanish cultures, fostering a sense of unity in diversity.
The Biarrotte trio is convinced that offering time and space to the underrepresented wave-riding minorities can lead to more coverage and eventual sponsor support. And even if it doesn’t, simply giving them a good time is already a success.
“Someone that is part of a minority might be trapped and suffering in their own thoughts,” Margaux said, “If you don’t give them the opportunity to meet other people and see that there are others who accept them, they would never believe that they would be accepted.“
In 2022, they invited Sasha Jane Lowerson, who had not yet fully transitioned and was facing public scrutiny over her competitive success at the Women’s WA Longboard State Championships. “That’s how I found her,” Margaux said. “We wanted her to be part of the contest and have her share her story.”
Lowerson earned the title of “Godmother” of the festival, a recognition given by the organizers for her impact and involvement since her first appearance. Fully transitioned, Lowerson traveled to France for this year’s edition. “She was completely herself and so happy — she was in such a different mental state, a totally different person from last time.”
In its short history, the Queen has brought together local and international crowds through panel discussions on LGBTQIA+ rights, as well as art, music, performances, and skateboarding, though surfing remains at its core.
Initially focused on women’s surfing, the event has broadened its inclusivity. Driven by a desire to represent a wide range of identities and experiences, the organizers have gradually opened the competition to queer men, structuring it to feature gender-diverse teams where longboarders and shortboarders compete together.
The surf contest at the Queen celebrates diversity, welcoming surfers of all backgrounds, body types, and, to some extent, skill levels. Traditionally a women-only event, past Queens like Justine Mauvin from Réunion, Summer Richley from California, and Mia Francis from Australia earned their titles through a classic competition format. However, this year the organizers shifted away from a more exclusive structure, opting for mixed teams that created a laid-back, supportive atmosphere, allowing less experienced surfers to share the lineup alongside surfers such as Karina Rozunko, Lola Mignot, Lee-Ann Curren, and Holly Wawn.
Though queer men were invited this year, logistical challenges prevented their attendance. Despite this, the format remained fluid, with eight four-person teams competing against each other. This year’s winning team consisted of Lee-Ann Curren, Yurana Mase, Ambre Victoire, and Nienke Duinmeijer. Karina Rozunko was crowned Queen of the event for her consistency, style, and flair in the warm ankle-slappers. All winners received equal prize money.
Holly wants to see similar offshoots on a global scale. “It’s the best thing going right now!”
The involvement of non-endemic sponsors like Mubi and Tinder this year further attests to Holly’s statement and confirms the event’s growing validation. But will it extend beyond the receding sands of the French-Basque beach?
Margaux points to New York, and its growing community of Black surfers and ally organizations, as an ideal location. She also expressed a desire to collaborate with Surf Ghana, despite a brutal new bill in the country that imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+.
“We want to do it, but even running one edition is already so much work,” Margaux told us. For now, the organizers are unpaid volunteers, supporting themselves through their day jobs in the creative industries. “The next step would be to secure enough funding and have others handle everything under our supervision.”
When Shawn Stüssy was asked to design the poster for the first edition of the festival (which included an artwork by Stephen Milner), he thought that The Queen Classic Surf Festival was quite a mouthful and told the girls, “I’m sure within two years everyone’s just gonna call it Queen anyway.”
Ditto. Long live the Queen!
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