Europe on brink after surfing federation moves HQ from England to France in response to Brexit

The 100 Years' War redux.

British and French surfers awoke, this morning, with much uncertainty haunting hearts. The centuries-old blood feud betwixt the two proud nations threatening to explode. From ancient grudge break to new mutiny, where civil blood makes civil hands unclean.

Like, yikes.

The cause of the tension was not Marco Mignot being described as a “French Mexican” during the Lexus Pipe Pro broadcast but something much closer to home. Namely, the European Surfing Federation’s announced plan to move its headquarters from Penzance, in the district of Cornwall, across the Channel to France’s Lacanau in order to be “closer to European Union institutions post-Brexit.”

Jean-Luc Arassus, president, told The Times, “The federation is looking for funding to develop its activities and it makes sense to be headquartered within the European Union. But that’s not the only argument; Lacanau is very committed to promoting surfing and it is giving us an office in the town hall. We will inaugurate the new headquarters on Saturday by holding our annual general meeting there.”

While there is little doubt that French surfers will throw rose petals at Lacanau’s town hall during the annual general meeting, there is no clear read on what broken-hearted British surfers might do. A worst case scenario sees a re-ignition of the 100 Years’ War in which was triggered by a claim to the French throne from England’s Edward III.

Much blood shed.

Back to Marco Mignot, though. Were you inspired by Baby Pipe or did you curse yourself for ever getting involved with professional competitive surfing in the first place?

I found myself in the latter camp until Ian Gouveia’s interview wherein he openly wept about being back in the singlet. What a moment.