The Roxy Pro Biarritz 2013 starts this Wednesday 10 July and we’re amped, here’s why…

1. The ASP Women’s Title race is SCORCHIO, much like the weather for most of us lucky cats at the moment. And super open too. Five events down, three to go with the Roxy Pro Biarritz followed by the Vans US Open of Surfing later this month and then the EDP Cascais Girls Pro in Portugal. 19-year-old Tyler Wright (above) is on fire with two events won including this awesome showing at the Roxy Pro Gold Coast. She’s lying in first but Carissa Moore is  breathing heavily down her neck. She also has two wins under her rashie at Margaret River and Bells Beach. Aussie ripper Sally Fitzgibbons and Courtney Conlogue from California are seriously in the mix too. And as ever we’re excited to see whether local advantage helps Pauline Ado and wildcard entry Lee Ann Curren.

2. Steph Gilmore is back. The five times ASP Women’s World Tour Champion had to sit out the last event in Rio injured but is now returning to the scene of her 2012 event triumph, which also helped her score her fifth title. Mathematically she’s still in with a shout of a sixth title but she’s going to have to go some. What a comeback that would be if she did. It was also confirmed that she’s signed for Roxy. Watch last year’s highlights here:

3. We heart Biarritz. The sky, the sea, the wall, the waves, the old town, the harbour, the Mary statue, the coffee, drinking Coke after a surf at the Cote des Basques beach, watching Aimee Fuller and the Roxy crew doing silly dancing in the streets…

4. They have fireworks! The best you’ll ever see, unless you get a summer job at Eurodisney, and the whole town hits the Port Vieux beach to watch them on the Saturday night. Ok maybe the fireworks are actually to celebrate the Bastille Day and not the Roxy Pro but either way they are very much there and THEY GO OFF.

5. And music! The bands playing on the Friday night include Betty the Shark, Queen of Diamons, Lili Flint and The Mellow, and you’ll be on the beach. Dancing with the sand between your toes and an ocean backdrop. Having surfed and/or watched surfing all day. Does life get much better than that?

Keep checking this site for updates and the Roxy Pro Event site 2013 here