Off Finistère, a secret wave is known for its dangerousness.
Only the best bodyboarders dare to venture there.
Baptized Annaëlle, this very fast and very powerful wave is one of the most dangerous in Europe.
Last week, the Annaëlle Challenge decided between the best riders of the moment in dire conditions.
You have to row for about twenty minutes to reach the stone and see its first forms. This is where Annaëlle finally agrees to reveal her generous curves under the eyes of the most reckless riders. Hidden behind a small island located off Lampaul-Ploudalmézeau, in Finistère, Annaëlle is a wave as secret as it is formidable. Discovered twenty years ago by the best bodyboarders in the sector, it has long remained a myth, known to a handful of locals. Some photos published in the specialized press had made the legend travel outside the Breton regions, reinforcing the mystery around this wave known to be among the most dangerous in Europe.
Last week, around twenty big names from all over Europe and the four corners of Brittany decided to get into the water to try to tame the monster. The call came from the organizers of L'Annaëlle Challenge, a competition that had not taken place for six years. “The first day was huge. I had never seen the spot like this. It was too big, it became a bit scary, ”says Pierre-Louis Costes. The best French bodyboarder of the moment, however, is not a novice. World champion of the discipline in 2011 and 2016, the man from Hossegor has already surfed most of the legendary waves on the planet. “Annaëlle is the most dangerous spot in France. She is capricious because she is super fast and very intense ”, continues the athlete,who won the competition for the second time.
The wave is so fast and powerful that only bodyboarders can venture into it when it gets bigger.
By digging the rocks on which it forms, Annaëlle turns out to be almost impossible to take while surfing.
“She is monstrous.
In surfing, we don't have time to get up.
The take-off (entering the wave) is too violent, ”explains Gwen Renambot, who created the Annaëlle Challenge in 2008. This local child grew up with the wave, which he could see from the window of his room.
“We were looking at her through binoculars.
We thought she was insurfable.
No doubt because we did not yet have the level ”.
The small local boarding community had however learned that a local guy sometimes had fun taming it when the swell was too small on the continent. But he hadn't told anyone about it. For a few years, they will only be a handful to dare to venture behind the islet for a few secret sessions. Unnamed, Annaëlle will receive it from local photographer Ronan Gladu, from whom a magazine wanted to buy the pictures more than fifteen years ago.
The "secret" of this incredible power lies in the very particular environment on which the wave forms. “The first time I took it, it must have been a yardstick. But when I got into the water, I had the impression that she was doing double ”. Yann Salaün was “14 or 15 years old” when “the local elders” took him to ride the myth for the first time. “It's not a normal wave. When she gets to the slab of rocks, she sucks up all the water and doubles her size. It goes up suddenly, at full speed, ”explains the bodyboarder from Locmaria-Plouzané. Fifteen years after his “first time”, Yann Salaün is still fascinated by the local myth. “As it is located offshore, it is not braked so it arrives at full speed. You have to have a high level to surf it ”. Last week,the Finistérien finished second in the competition, behind the untouchable Pierre-Louis Costes.
The creation of L'Annëlle Challenge slowly publicized the spot, to the point of becoming the only French stage on the calendar of the International Bodyboard Corporation (IBC). For six years, the competition could not be held for lack of necessary authorization. “We had the agreement of the former owner of the island. Since his death, we have been in discussions with the coastal conservatory, which had a right of first refusal ”. The joys of the French administration.
In this Natura 2000 classified area, it is forbidden to come in spring, the nesting period for several species of birds.
So the competition adapted, registering its dates "between September and December".
Long confidential, the challenge attracts more and more big names in the discipline, intrigued by the mysterious Breton wave.
“It's made for bodyboarding on purpose.
Annaëlle is a superb promotion for our sport, ”explains Pierre-Louis Costes.
In his busy schedule, the French world champion was keen to find a place to “support this community of enthusiasts”.
"You need a very high level to go there"
The fame of Annaëlle will also have allowed a whole generation of Breton bodyboarders to progress.
With such a training ground, local riders were able to test themselves on other famous reefs, especially in the Canaries.
“When you rub yourself against a wave like that, you're a lot quieter when you go on more classic waves.
A lot of guys from here have improved with Annaëlle ”, assures Gwen Renambot.
Broadcast live on the Net for the first time, the competition had an unprecedented impact.
Should we fear that the secret spot will be overwhelmed?
“You have to remember that this is one of the most dangerous waves in the world.
You need a very high level to go there, ”tempers Yann Salaün, as if to warn the suitors.
A wild beast cannot be tamed overnight.
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