Sun, sea, sand and uh … motorcycles, these were the themes of the 2024 Wheels and Waves (WAW) festival. But where in the world could you put together an event that includes bikers, vintage motorcycle enthusiasts, motocrossers and surfing, and make it work? Why, only in France, of course.
Biarritz was the place. A city where, at the turn of the 20th century, kings, queens and the nobility from across Europe gathered to take the waters, party and mingle with their fellow aristocrats. Queen Victoria, George V, Nicholas II of Russia and many other rulers all favoured the city. So it’s not surprising that I tend to associate the name Biarritz with a past reputation for high living, high-stakes gambling and iconic names such as Ian Fleming, Sean Connery and the film Casino Royale.
Little of that past glamour was obvious for two adventuring Brits on motorcycles as we rolled into town at the start of the festival in June. Rather more plebeian, we used our satnavs to find the centre of the event at Ocean City and Milady Beach, in the southern part of the city.
Wheels and Waves is focused around a large grass field dotted with assorted stands ranging from the major motorcycle manufacturers – Triumph were present as well as other major names – to a multitude of small custom-bike firms from across Europe. And it is these bike customs that represent the real heart of the festival.
And I don’t just mean the bikes – a large contingent of specialised clothing producers were present, offering everything from one-off leather jackets to branded hats and even lighters. WAW style in bikes and clothing harks back unashamedly to the famous (and infamous) names of the 50s and 60s. To Marlon Brando in the film ‘The Wild Ones’, and to the real-life stories of Sonny Barger and the Oakland, California chapter of the Hells Angels. Leather gear was there of course, but so were badges and patches galore.
An alternative name for the festival could be ‘Beards and Waves’, since there were some mighty specimens on display. Long, short, wide and forked, all shapes were represented, in all the colours of the rainbow. Plain black was king of course, representing as it did the ultimate in untrammelled masculinity. Perhaps the festival should add a ‘Best Beard’ competition to the event – it would make entertaining viewing.
Accompanying these impressive growths were any number of ancient-looking, dirt-encrusted custom machines. Harley Flatheads of course, but also old unit and pre-unit Triumphs, BSAs and Norton machines. There was even a pristine looking DBD34 BSA Gold Star sitting on the grass, but because it had no explanation panel alongside, few people recognised the bike for the golden piece of history it represented.
Activities were not limited to the town itself. Wednesday saw us ride up into the hills to Mont Jaizkibel, where a section of mountain road was closed off for Punk’s Peak, a 400 metre sprint open to both beginners and experienced riders, basically allowing people to ‘run what you brung’. The sprint closed prematurely owing to an unfortunate accident on the finish line, but as someone commented to me, choppers were never built for racing.
The following day was for me the main event. TROTL, aka The Race of the Lords, was where the real ancients (the machines I mean) competed, not without a certain amount of struggle, over a short field circuit. We rode to the village of Saint-Pée-sur-Nivelle in this part of the Atlantic Pyrenees to watch. I mentioned the sound and fury for a reason. What makes Wheels and Waves so special is this slightly anarchic approach to racing, on machines that really belong in a museum.
You wouldn’t call it real racing, more of a good-natured derby, one that involved Harley flatheads and other equally aged machines, mostly without silencers, being put to uses on grass for which they were never intended. So noise – yes. Dust – yes. Lots of both. Add the heat of the sun, even in the hills, and you could be left feeling knackered by midday, and that was just as an observer!
But it was great fun to watch. And the fact that most of the riders were not young athletic types, but rather people of my own age (retired), made it even more interesting. And I don’t know quite what it is, but somehow the French seem to have the ability to turn an event that could be quite mundane into la grand spectacle. Possibly the confident attitude helps, certainly the showmanship does.
A subsequent day involved riding south across the border to San Sebastian in Spain, to watch similar bikes compete on the flat track (very similar in style to speedway). We spent our final day of the festival watching the surfing competition on the local Milady Beach in Biarritz. I cannot say the surfing was spectacular – the sea state did not oblige with any giant rollers – but sitting on a sunny beach with your toes in hot sand, and listening to DJs blast out a soundtrack with songs from the Beatles, the Kinks, the Beach Boys and a medley of rock greats was definitely the right way to spend the day.
I should also mention the aspect that makes any 5-day bike festival in the south of France special – the presence of hundreds of riders and bikes from all over Europe. Wherever you went, there was always company, a column of other motorcyclists heading in the same direction. It all made for a great atmosphere.
And let’s not forget the charm of this part of France. We stayed on a small campsite slightly away from the main event, which was a good decision. It enabled us to escape the crowds and eat ‘a la francaise’ in small local restaurants, and enjoy the climate, the food and the ambiance as ordinary tourists.
All in all I had a wonderful time, even if the last part of the trip home was something of an endurance test. Bring on overnight trains that can also take motorcycles to the south of France, and I’ll think we’ve arrived at the perfect society.
© Philip Hunt, 2024
More information
Tramontana Teseracto 400 – a potential lightweight all-terrain bike? One of the most interesting project bikes I saw at Wheels and Waves 2024 was the Tramontana Teseracto 400, a heavily modified version of Triumph’s Scrambler 400 … read more.
