EUROSIMA SURF SUMMIT 2025: KEEP RIDING THE CHANGE

 

The 2025 edition brought together nearly 450 attendees at Belambra Club Les Estagnots in Seignosse for two intense days of conferences, workshops, and professional networking. In his opening remarks, Jean-Louis Rodrigues highlighted the turbulent context we face—slowing consumption, geopolitical tensions, shifting social expectations—and the urgent need for true agility to keep innovating without losing our DNA. This is where this year’s theme came in, Keep Riding the Change: not to endure instability, but to transform it into constructive energy and rethink our models in depth—from brands to retail, from environmental impact to AI, including culture and community experiences.

“The EuroSIMA Surf Summit 2025 was a huge success, thanks to the quality of the conference content, the level of exchanges during the round tables, and the strong participation, with 450 people over two days at this major event for our industry and region. Our 2025 program was structured around four pillars: brand models and identity / communities and culture / eco-thinking / innovation, tech and experience. We also paid special attention to workplace well-being and to mental health, which will be declared a major national cause in 2026.” — Jean-Louis Rodrigues, President of EuroSIMA

“This 24th edition of our European Action Sports industry gathering was a tremendous success! It means so much to the entire EuroSIMA organizing team: engagement from members, private and public partners, and media in favor of a dynamic, constantly evolving sector. It also reflects a genuine will to gather around common projects and important, sometimes divisive, themes for our industry in an uncertain economic and political context. We proved that we are determined to move forward together and carve out a path for a leading industry in our region, despite today’s uncertainties.” — Christophe Seiller, Executive Director of EuroSIMA

 

 

DAY 1 — OPENING THE GAME, CLARIFYING THE ISSUES

 

Jérémy Florès opened the Summit in conversation with Nicolas Dazet and Dave Mailman. The two-time Pipeline champion shared an unfiltered testimony: his years at the highest level did not always bring happiness, a tension he recounts in Dos au Mur. He admitted how liberating it has been to talk, to exchange, to “dare to say things.” Now retired but “busier than ever,” he is coach of the French National Team, contributing to their Paris 2024 Olympic success and confirming France as a major surfing nation. His approach to coaching is less about technique than psychology: “I rely on the athlete’s instinct, I try to understand their mindset and functioning, to give them maximum confidence.” With the Heritage Project, he wants to prepare the next generation now, targeting future stars for Los Angeles and Brisbane. “When we forget history, we go nowhere,” he sums up, convinced that transmission is the key to the future of French surfing.

 

 

“The Surf Summit wouldn’t be the Surf Summit without an ocean legend. Hearing Jérémy Florès speak so openly about the tension between high-level performance and the search for inner peace and happiness was both enlightening and moving. Equally inspiring: the joy and fulfillment he now finds in guiding the next generation toward Olympic titles and sustainable long-term careers…” — Cira Riedel, Founder of Greenroom Voice

 

Switching disciplines, Skateboard Culture was presented by Morgan Bouvant (ICON Entertainment) and Benoît Berger (Bureau Berger). This 600-page “bible” embraces the global history of skateboarding and its influence on art, music, fashion, and brands, blending archives, moodboards, and interviews (Tony Hawk & co). More than just a book, it’s a strategic tool to nurture narrative, identity, and brand imagination—extending into exhibitions and now a documentary in production.

 

 

The cross-analysis of Paris 2024 by Christophe Lepetit (CDES) and Frédéric Tain (sport-guide.com) highlighted the scale of the Games (4 million visitors, 12.1 million tickets sold, €7.1 billion total impact) and a paradox: collective euphoria does not automatically boost “sports & leisure” consumption, especially as state budgets shrink. The legacy will be built over the long term and across territories; the future lies in stronger structures, commercial innovation (AI, social commerce, local-to-local), and the horizon of the 2030 Winter Olympics.

With Yorgo Tloupas (Yorgo&Co), design took center stage as a cultural engine. His grammar of the logo—monochrome, flat, geometric, legible in small size, constructible, polysemic—is not just aesthetic, it’s structural. The blackcrows example shows how a clear visual language becomes living culture, extending from product to events, transforming a brand into a culture.

 

 

Finally, Olivier Desbiey (Head of Foresight, AXA) reminded us what foresight is: not predicting, but preparing, turning uncertainty into opportunity. Concrete examples—marathon heatwaves, wildfires on hiking routes, water stress for mountain biking—show that sport is a laboratory for the climate crises ahead. The Impact 360 panel (Aude Penouty, Justine Birot, Émilie Le Gall, Ainhoa Leiceaga) extended the point: 80% of the footprint of sports practices comes from amateur travel; athletes have a role as role models; communication must avoid greenwashing/greenhushing and be based on evidence. “Being sustainable means learning to anticipate.”

 

 

DAY 2 — TEAM CULTURE, BUSINESS OVERVIEW

 

The morning began on a human note with an interactive workshop led by Laurence Descamps (Ipesland), joined by Pauline Ado, Julie Sonier, and Vincent Lartizien. Together they shared keys to transforming negative thoughts and building mental resilience. Pauline stressed the importance of psychological support to manage fear and pressure. Julie detailed Volcom’s initiatives (sports, flexibility, Moka Care). Vincent reminded everyone: “The impact we want to have on others starts with ourselves.”

 

 

Cultural analyst and renowned podcaster (Vlan!), Grégory Pouy, gave a lucid talk on artificial intelligence. Against fears of massive job losses and exaggerated promises, he advocated a pragmatic approach: some tasks will be automated, but AI will never replace creativity, culture, or human depth. “Do you use AI to learn, or to avoid learning?” he asked, stressing that while AI boosts productivity, the real issue is what we do with the freed-up time. Quoting the Solow Paradox, he reminded us that technology alone does not guarantee productivity gains. For him, what matters is conscious leadership and preserving human values: critical thinking, imagination, compassion.

A key moment of Surf Summit 2025 was the roundtable on the French market, gathering Jean-Christophe Chetail (Oxbow), Philippe Cazeaux (Rip Curl), Cyril Arnaud (Tamarindo Surf Shop), and Jean-Louis Rodrigues (EuroSIMA), moderated by Frédéric Tain. Together they offered a clear-eyed view of a market weakened after the post-Covid boom: inflation, rationalization, and the decline of independent surf shops are reshaping the landscape in favor of multibrands and flagships.

 

 

Cyril Arnaud stressed the central role of retailers: “The surf shop is the last link in the chain to make brands’ stories exist.” For him, staff training and trusted rep relationships are key to credibility and loyalty. Jean-Christophe Chetail emphasized that a brand loses its image when it cuts itself off from specialty shops, citing Oxbow. Philippe Cazeaux highlighted the need to adapt margins and distribution models to support shops. Finally, Jean-Louis Rodrigues put this into historical perspective: in the 1990s, the industry went through similar phases of rationalization and professionalization—proof that resilience comes from evolving without losing its core identity. The consensus: authenticity, hyperspecialization, and reinforced cooperation between brands and retailers are the way forward.

Friday afternoon began with the Innovation Call for Projects Award, won by Newave. Founded by Ewen Mahévas and Hadrien Nauroy, the start-up reinvents the surfboard with a modular, dismantlable design: nine configurations from seven parts, transportable in a backpack. Patented and already tested, this innovation blends practicality with sustainability. Co-founder Ewen received an eco-designed trophy from Bordeaux-based studio Félix & Associés and an accompanying EuroSIMA program to accelerate development.

 

 

In just fifteen minutes, Jean-Charles Marchionni delivered the essentials: ISPO Munich 2025 (Nov 30–Dec 2) remains the key gathering for spotting trends and expanding networks (≈2,300 exhibitors, 55,000 participants, 114 countries). Practical tools: Retail Conference, Retail Lounge/Club, export focus, and matchmaking for qualified meetings. The message: simpler bridges between retailers, brands, and decision-makers, saving time and opening opportunities.

Fredrik Ekström, founder of Above The Clouds, brought it back to the ground: stop guessing and rely on facts. Based on The Future Series (3,800 respondents from the Nordics and Germany), his team explored three questions: what people want, what they really do, and what helps them act. He pointed out the “sustainability paradox”: high approval, low action. His solution: simple segmentation (convinced vs. sympathizers to activate) and adapting proofs, messages, and frictionless pathways. A decision tool ensures alignment between evidence, business results, and story. His line summed it up: “You can’t sell the outdoors without defending it.”

“Congratulations to the entire EuroSIMA team for such relevant content at this year’s Surf Summit. Special mention for Fredrik Ekström, who with a structured and academic approach showed how brand strategies must now take hold of sustainability issues—even if they seem less fashionable than two years ago.” — Jean Baptiste Coffin, Managing Director at Pyrénéance

 

To close the 2025 edition, Nicolas Dazet brought together two French references in content production: Laurent Pujol and Michael Darrigade. Pujol, a former pro surfer turned world-renowned aqua photographer, retraced his career and detailed his follow-cam technique—surfing and shooting behind the rider, inside the barrel. Darrigade, known as “Boula,” chief operator and director, shared his less linear path, starting with a first camera found by chance, honed across extreme environments from Nazaré to the Ukrainian front. The duo highlighted their collaborations with Julie and Vincent Kardasik, who united French talent around multiple seasons of 100 Foot Wave, ultimately leading to Emmy Awards.

 

 

INNOVATION AND SHARED MOMENTS

Beyond the stages and slides, the EuroSIMA experience unfolded in the in-betweens: lunches where talks continued, corridors where business cards became meetings, breaks to test prototypes, and the official evening at 70 Hectares & l’Océan, where conviviality worked as strategy, strengthening the community in ways KPIs never could. The Surfing Lounge highlighted useful innovations, circular approaches, and concrete services. Less buzzwords, more demonstrations and real exchanges: this is where lasting collaborations are born.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE 2025 SURFING LOUNGE

“The EuroSIMA Surf Summit is an unmissable and essential event for anyone wanting to take a step back to better engage in daily business, with top-level speakers across fields as diverse as marketing, HR, economics, AI, sports management, and mental health.” — Frédéric Tain, Journalist & Director of Sport-guide.com

 

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

Thanks to our partners for making this adventure possible, to our service providers for their commitment, to our speakers for the quality and sincerity of their contributions, to our volunteers for their energy, to the EuroSIMA board members for their guidance, and to the entire EuroSIMA team for flawless organization. And above all, thank you to all participants: your presence, exchanges, and curiosity are what make every edition vibrant. We leave energized, notebooks full of ideas, and eager to keep Riding the Change. See you in 2026—same spirit, new waves, and always the drive to do better together.