Welcome to William Aliotti’s inaugural Twin Fin Invitiational – This wasn’t just another surf contest, it was a celebration of everything that makes twin fin surfing so special. Inviting some of the best free surfers and twin fin lovers from around the world, the event was as much about creativity and fun as it was about competition. Taking place over two days in perfect conditions in Seignosse, France, this Invitational flipped the traditional contest script by blending unique formats and having the surfers themselves take on the role of judges, making for a truly community-driven and joyful experience.
“I’ve been riding twin fins for the past 5 to 6 years now. Once Ryan Lovelace made my first twin fin, I fell in love with the board, and the different lines and speed you could generate with them were just mind-blowing! Since that first day, I’ve pretty much only ridden twin fins in most conditions, and it’s become my thing.
A lot of my friends were teasing me, saying I’m a free surfer and don’t work, blah blah blah — that I just surf and have the best life, haha. (I do have the best life at the moment, and I’m so grateful.) So, I wanted to prove them wrong, show that I can work and do something different and amazing. That’s when I thought of organizing a twin fin contest for a challenge because twin fins are cool, and it’s something different from what you normally see. I invited the best free surfers and twin fin riders from around the world, paying for their flights and accommodation for a week (to help with the jet lag), because these legends would never have come otherwise! I needed to treat them super well to make it happen and made sure to treat them the way I would want to be treated.
I’ve been to a couple of invitational contests, and they gave me an idea of what I wanted to do — but I did it in my own way, with a different approach to judging, because in the end, we’re all free surfers. This event was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done because everything was in my head, and I was the only one who could make it happen.
The level of surfing was just amazing. If we had to pick 2nd, 3rd, and 4th, it would’ve been impossible, haha, because everyone had a standout part, pretty much! But in the end, there’s always that one person who stands out, and this time it was Victor Bernardo, who surfed amazing on both sides with style and flow, making everything look easy. And Ainara Aymat killed it backside(they win 5k each ). But I could tell that some of the free surfers who don’t normally ride twin fins were struggling sometimes, haha. In the end I meet some news peoples and we add the best time ever and this is what surf is about!”
