Wednesday, March 25, 2026 – Salles du Trinquet, Soorts-Hossegor – ©Guillaume Arrieta/EuroSIMA

2026 SPORTS AND WINTER SPORTS CAREER FAIR: AN INDUSTRY THAT RECRUITS, EVOLVES, AND INSPIRES

 

On Wednesday, March 25, France Travail, EuroSIMA, and UESC Nouvelle-Aquitaine, in partnership with the City of Soorts-Hossegor, the MACS Community of Communes, and Wave Radio, organized the latest edition of the Sports and Board Sports Careers Forum.
With approximately 300 participants, 19 booths representing companies, training centers, and organizations, and a roundtable discussion featuring several professionals with inspiring career paths, the event once again confirmed its role as a unique job fair for the industry.
At the opening of this 2026 edition, Jean Louis Rodrigues, President of EuroSIMA, reiterated the event’s core purpose:

“Every year, we organize this major event focused on employment, which is a unique occasion in the industry.”

He also highlighted the very tangible results of the previous edition, with 80 contracts signed last year, including permanent, fixed-term, and seasonal positions. This is further proof that this forum is much more than just a networking event: it serves as a genuine bridge between talent and companies.

 

 

DES PARCOURS INSPIRANTS AU CŒUR DE LA TABLE RONDE

Hosted by Élise Laven (Wave Radio), the round-table discussion featured four professionals sharing their experiences, backgrounds and advice.

In his opening remarks at the roundtable, Christophe Seiller, Executive Director of EuroSIMA, highlighted the richness and diversity of the local ecosystem:

“We have a wide variety of businesses in the region: large corporations, startups, nonprofit organizations, distribution companies… The purpose of this roundtable is to highlight the career paths of four key figures in this industry.”

 

 

Through the stories shared by Julie Kardasik, Raphaël Delfour, Ingrid Cazottes, and Alexandre Berthonneau, a clear message emerged: there is no single path to success in the sports and board sports industry.

 

JULIE KARDASIK: TELLING THE STORY OF SURFING IN A DIFFERENT WAY

Julie Kardasik, co-founder of the audiovisual production company LK RTEL, has had a particularly unique career path. Founded 18 years ago, LK RTEL has made a name for itself in the surfing world thanks to its distinctive cinematic approach.

Yet nothing seemed to point her in that direction. After studying modern literature, she turned to teaching and worked as a French and history-geography teacher for four years. It was while working on her first documentary that it all clicked.

Her passion for writing, people, stories, and storytelling gradually led her to the world of film and television. She taught herself through reading, attending conferences, continuous learning, and working alongside her partner, who comes from the film and television industry. Her background in literature and cinema now informs her work in pre-production and screenwriting.

She admitted frankly that she has never surfed. For a long time, she almost felt ashamed of it. But she has a strong connection to the ocean, and that has never prevented her from developing a genuine understanding of that world. 

Julie Kardasik also spoke about her journey in a field that remains very male-dominated, though she never let that hold her back. She feels she entered the scene at a time when women’s surfing was becoming more mainstream and brands were more open-minded.

With LK RTEL, they had a simple yet strong ambition: to bring a cinematic flair to the surf productions of the time. In particular, they worked with Quiksilver for many years, enjoying a great deal of creative freedom:


“We had free rein, a substantial budget, amazing athletes like Kelly, and we were given complete creative freedom. Today, our resources are more limited.”

She also emphasized her desire to break surfing free from its constraints and the image that holds it back:


“The more mainstream a sport becomes, the better it is for the sport, despite the excesses and the dilution of its core spirit.”

His advice: get training, do internships, gain as much experience as possible, build a network, and above all, don’t let yourself be pigeonholed. Even without attending a prestigious university, it’s possible to carve out your own path.

 

RAPHAËL DELFOUR: TURNING A DREAM INTO A SALE

Raphaël Delfour, European Trade Marketing Manager at Rip Curl Europe, described a role that bridges the gap between marketing and sales. For him, trade marketing involves “Sell Better with Tools” and turn that dream into a sale.

A former professional snowboarder, he earned a Master’s degree in Sports and Tourism Economics in Grenoble while maintaining his status as a high-level athlete.

After gaining his first freelance experience as Team Manager for Rip Curl Ski & Snow—constantly on the road with the team shooting films—he joined Rip Curl full-time in 2011 in the Landes region. From there, he gradually worked his way up the ranks and is now involved in a wide range of projects. At Rip Curl, he has long been nicknamed “Mr. Mountain.”

 

Raphaël emphasized the importance of hands-on experience in his learning, far more than academic training alone.

Raphaël also shared his approach to hiring: he looks for candidates with a wealth of life experience, whether it involves sports, travel, career changes, or unconventional experiences.

On the topic of CSR, he emphasized that Rip Curl has been a B Corp for a long time and has a manager dedicated to these issues. For his part, he tries to prioritize local partners for in-store displays, avoids single-use items, and thinks more in terms of sustainability.

 

INGRID CAZOTTES: BUILDING BRANDS, CREATING STORIES

Ingrid Cazottes, Brand Manager at French Albion for the SAXX Underwear and Business & Pleasure brands, provided a very practical perspective on the development of international brands in the European market.

She is a graduate of the CNPC program, completed her work-study program at Quiksilver, and then held a sales position at Roxy—an experience she considers to have been highly formative, particularly due to its hands-on, field-based nature. She then took a detour into the real estate industry before returning to the world of board sports through French Albion.

Today, the company has 12 employees and 3 work-study students, and is committed to continuing to welcome new work-study students.

 

She explained that their role involves supporting North American brands in the European market by adapting American marketing strategies to the realities of the French market. French Albion works across a wide range of sectors: architecture, pharmacies, hotels, running… It’s a diverse and exciting environment. There are exceptions, such as Sun Bum, where the team directly manages marketing for France.

For her, what matters in building a brand is also the story it has to tell.

She also acknowledged that artificial intelligence could save time on certain tasks, but she reiterated a key point that stood out during the roundtable discussion:

“You have to know how to make yourself indispensable, irreplaceable.”

 

ALEXANDRE BERTHONNEAU: PASSION AS THE THREAD THAT UNITES IT ALL

Alexandre Berthonneau, Head of Merchandising for Billabong Men, has been with Billabong Europe for 15 years. His role now encompasses merchandising in the broadest sense, with a strong strategic focus and a deep understanding of product management.

After earning a DUT in marketing techniques, he decided to take a gap year in California. While there, between Los Angeles and San Diego, he sent out résumés to his dream brands and landed three opportunities, including positions at Volcom and Nixon as a marketing assistant.
He put it simply: he lived out his childhood dream.

Back in France, he completed an internship at Salomon, followed by his first job at a ski rental shop. At the end of that season, he moved to Capbreton, worked as a sales associate at a Billabong store, and continued to send out numerous job applications in the region. Eventually, a contact he’d kept in touch with from California put him in touch with Hoff Distribution, where he spent four years developing proprietary products for the group’s brands.

He then returned to Billabong, where he gradually worked his way up to his current position.

When it comes to hiring, he prioritizes candidates who are skilled, experienced, and have a genuine understanding of the product, rather than those who rely solely on their network.

On the topic of CSR, Alexandre emphasized that eco-design is now a key focus in Billabong’s product development process.

When it comes to AI, he acknowledges its usefulness in certain areas, particularly in design, while cautioning that:

“Be careful: if you rely too much on AI, you won’t develop your own skills or expertise.”

 

AI, CSR, SLIDING CULTURE: THE CHALLENGES FACING THE INDUSTRY

Throughout the roundtable discussion, several key issues were raised:

 

Artificial Intelligence

The overall takeaway is that AI is a revolution, but it must remain a tool. It can save time, help gather information, prepare presentations, or draft certain types of content. But everyone agrees on one point: it must not replace humans or lead to a loss of expertise.
The key takeaway was this: knowing how to use these tools without losing what makes us unique.

 

CSR

The discussions also revealed that environmental issues are now fully integrated. Even when certain activities, such as audiovisual production, remain difficult to reconcile with high CSR standards, the issue is very much present and has become part of companies’ day-to-day operations.


 

Culture is shifting

Finally, one point stands out clearly: beyond technical skills, companies are looking for people who can understand not only the products, markets, and uses, but also the cultural norms of the sports industry. Authenticity, approachability, vision, curiosity, and an understanding of the field: these are all qualities that drive hiring decisions today.

 

 

19 BOOTHS FOR RECRUITING, NETWORKING, AND CAREER GUIDANCE

The afternoon continued with the job fair, the highlight of the event. There were numerous and open exchanges between exhibitors and visitors: young people exploring their career options, students, people looking to change careers, and job seekers looking for an internship, a work-study program, seasonal work, or their first job.

The 2026 edition featured 19 booths: RIP CURL / KMD Brands, OXBOW, ONETURN / VOLCOM, BOARDRIDERS, MC BOX EVENTS, MELLOW SEA, ALLTROC, NIXON EUROPE, COOL Shoe Corp, 360° SURF, ZANZIBAR PRODUCTION, PYRENEX, ASPOM, PARLEMENTIA, FRENCH ALBION, CAMPUS LANDES, EKLORE-ED, SPORT PROJECT, SYNDICAT MIXTE DE GESTION DES BAIGNADES LANDAISES

 

 

The 2026 Sports and Snow Sports Careers Fair once again demonstrated the vitality of the industry. Yes, the snow sports sector is hiring. Yes, companies are looking for qualified candidates. But beyond the job openings, what came through throughout the day was also a desire to pass on a culture, certain standards, and a way of working.

See you in 2027 for the next edition!
 Until then, check out career opportunities in the industry at: eurosima.com/jobs

 

 

>> Click here to see photos of the event