WHEELS AND WAVES 2018: LATER HATER

Even though Donald Trump thinks global warming is a concept invented by the Chinese, in order to make U.S. manufacturing non-competitive, the truth is that the 130km/h winds that destroyed the village of W&W at La Cite del Ocean the Tuesday of the 12 of June are not normal in the South of France! Still remember Vincent Prat’s call at 09:30 AM that same Tuesday while we were driving to Biarritz: The Village is totally wrecked! I can see tents flying over the road 20 at meters height. Its a dantesque  scene and we don’t know what to do. If we cancel now its over. Trenched on the van for 12 hours with the worst news circling our heads, couldn’t help but think about our very own Altamont and the end of the hippy era.

City officials rushed to find a solution and offered the organization to host the Festival in the halls of the Halle Iraty. In shock but with nothing else to lose, the management didn’t sleep for the next 72 hours and when the doors opened on Thursday afternoon, the general feelings were of bolster and support. It is disasters like this that mark the ending of a festival and in the case of a festival, as core as Wheels and Waves, these could mark the end of a movement too.

The overall feeling in the emergency village was similar to the atmosphere you could expect in a disaster relief operation and most surprising was the overwhelming  solidarity radiated by the beautiful crowds that travel yearly to Biarritz celebrating freedom on two wheels. It was rad to see the coolest dudes and babes riding every evening into the improvised venue, with their sometimes broken bikes and muddy faces, after the races, to push together and save Wheels and Waves. Their joy and self held responsibility in the wellbeing of the festival was so  rad to witness that it hit a few soft spots on our amped up brains, reminding us how proud we were of belonging to something so cool, even if ourselves, some times, took it for granted and complained.

Paramount was the excellence of the Art Ride and dear good old racing, which stronger than ever, was there to rescue and save the worlds coolest lifestyle event. The good health of #punkspeak the great scenery of the #swankrally and the confirmation of #elrollo as the worlds most charming flat track race, diluted the climatic catastrophe making the 7th edition our favorite W&W so far. Of course we shouldn’t forget mentioning that all of these rad activities were carried under the influence of the good spirits of El Solitario Outlaw Whisky Collection. The wolves latest step towards the quality control of every aspect of our lives and taste. The rest I don’t remember… Gasoline and Whisky? Someone said it was a great idea.. Fuckyeh!@#

Wolf dixit

U N D E R  T H E   I N F L U E N C E  ⚡️ E.S.O.W.C.

Photos by Gonzo Arroyo, Amaury Cibot, Herman Kopf, Olivier Schindler and Fabio Affuso

Thanks to Alpinestars, Ride 100%, Shoei & Dunlop Spain