Event: France

ASP World Qualifying Series - Rip Curl Pro

When:	15 - 24 Aug 2008 (annual)
Where:	Hossegor
Costs:	Free to watch
Opening Hours:	Check for tide and weather conditions on arrival

The Plage de la Graviere in Hossegor, one of the west coast's largest surf destinations, hosts the Rip Curl Pro, part of the ASP World Qualifying Series.

The waves here are mostly beach breaks, holding massive barrelling sections on clean days, perfect for a competition of the world's best surfers. Most of the tour's top ranked surfers take part, all competing for a slice of US$150,000 in prize money and points that count towards the overall title. Hossegor is not exactly quiet at the best of times, so the influx of competitors and spectators makes this a busy week.

Competitive surfing is organised by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP) along a two-tier system. The highest level is the World Championship Tour (WCT), where the top men and women compete for the crown of World Champion throughout the year.

The second tier is the World Qualifying Series (WQS), which has about 40 competitions per year. The top WQS surfers strive to make enough championship points to break into the following year's championship tour, but the events are also a great opportunity for local surfers to showcase their skills.