Save Fibreglass, Ride A Twinnie

William Aliotti surfs on keeled twin fins a lot. So much so that he wedged himself into and spearheaded a niche.

In 2024, William took a chance and invited a group of freesurfers he respects and admires to join him in Hossegor, where he lives, to pretty much hang out, share some food and beverage, and ride nothing but twin fins.

The first edition of the Twin Fin Invitational was an underground success. Thirty-four other surfers joined William on a Seignosse bank that magically turned on for all in attendance, just a short drive north of William’s place.

The event took place over two days and, since everyone in it was a freesurfer, the competitors and filmers themselves decided who surfed best during that period. Ainara Aymat and Victor Bernardo were elected the best of the inaugural edition.

A year later, a very similar crew, along with some new faces, gathered in the same area and found a bank even further north, at Vieux Boucau. This time, the waiting period was extended to a week, but the “comp” part of the invitational ran only over two days. Maud Le Car and Kaito Ohashi were deemed the winners by their peers and those documenting their surfing.

Today, the opening period for the event’s third edition begins, this time in Zarautz, one of the Basque Country’s most significant surf towns, located roughly between Mundaka and Hossegor. A quick check at low tide revealed a symmetrical bank about to deliver long lefts and rights and, in today’s offshore, possibly some tubes later in the day.

The invitational runs in a mixed format. Men and women surf together and can only ride twin fins with tails at least 19.5″ wide. William is strict on this one: “If you don’t bring the right equipment, you’ll be using my tiny boards.” 

His main goal is to level the playing field by having everyone surfing the same designs in the same conditions. Again, two days will be allocated to finding who is best suited to the criteria: style, flow and creativity. Surfers are also required to surf on both their forehand and backhand.

On the closing night, surfers and filmers will watch and choose who they think are the men’s and women’s winners. Each will take home €4,000, with an extra €1,000 credited to the account of the person responsible for the best manoeuvre.

In the event’s orbit, film premieres, live music, art exhibitions, shaping sessions and all kinds of gatherings that fun-loving humans might be interested in will be taking place.

Tom Curren, Eli Beukes, Dylan Graves, Chippa Wilson, Sam Piter, Brendon Gibbens, Clay Marzo, Makoa Gomez, Maud Le Car, Kaito Ohashi, Holly Wawn, Lee-Ann Curren, Ainara Aymat, Kepa Acero and Aritz Aranburu are some of the invited surfers this year. 

Currently injured, event regular and past winner Victor Bernardo will be attending in life-sized cardboard cutout form.

Keep an eye on @the_twinfin_invitational, @stab and @stab_europe for daily dispatches. For more on the event, head to its official internet home.