a new photo festival dedicated to culture slides from all angles

Aphotography enthusiasts, fans of “sliding” culture, skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding: meet at the municipal casino of Biarritz, these November 22, 23 and 24 for the very first edition of the Board culture exposure (BCE) . The new festival, the first of its kind in France, aims to tell the story of these close links formed between those who play with gravity on the waves, on the slopes and in urban environments and those who document their prowess by suspending the moment in images to tell a universe.

It offers exhibitions, welcomes photographers from all origins, offers workshops (on registration), a Leica stand with equipment tests, conferences, a kiosk area with fanzines, books and specialized magazines for consultation or purchase, screenings and competitions in five categories awarded by a jury of professionals.

Finalists from 18 nations

Behind this festival, there is the photographer Kevin Métallier, a jack-of-all-trades enthusiast with a passion for skateboarding and surfing, and Greg Poissonnier, a media and image man specializing in “board culture”. Their idea, explains the latter, is “to offer a cultural event intended for a wider audience than that of die-hard practitioners and enthusiasts. We want to put these photos before the eyes of an uninformed public as well.”

At the heart of everything: photography. The basis of the event is the exhibition of the best prints in 50×70 format, from the international competition launched before the summer, in the following thematic categories: skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding or even “Lifestyle”, i.e. the illustration of an atmosphere or a moment of life linked to the practice of these disciplines. A category of the competition is also devoted to reporting. There, the competitors were able to propose a series of 5 to 10 images retracing an adventure, an event, a story, a trip or telling the story of an actor in “board culture”.

“It is a cultural event intended for a wider audience than that of die-hard practitioners and enthusiasts”

According to Greg Poissonnier, the jury, made up of experienced photography professionals from diverse backgrounds and experts in these disciplines, had to compose a selection from nearly 2,000 images received. Upon arrival, the exhibition shows those of around ten finalists by category. The best therefore, those whose look touched the jurors the most. They represent 18 different nations. Prizes will be awarded to the winners on Saturday evening.

Live competition

In addition to this dense sample of current creation, another exhibition, “History in the making”, brings together a selection of iconic photos by J. Grant Brittain (skateboard), Bud Fawcett (snowboard) and Tom Servais (surfing). “These are renowned photographers who documented the beginnings of these disciplines from the 70s and 80s. They are truly references,” underlines the co-founder of the BCE.

Also note the organization of two photo competitions, in the form of challenges open to all (registration required), Saturday morning. Five surfers and five skateboarders will play guinea pigs. The first will ride on the waves of the Grande Plage, the second on the modules specially installed on the square (withdrawal to the skate park in the event of rain).

It’s up to the photographers! “They will have two hours. It’s up to them to be creative. Participants must present their favorite photos to the jury by 4 p.m. at the latest. We already have 27 registered and among them are people who are not at all specialists but are taking the opportunity to try the exercise,” says Greg Poissonnier, curious to see what will come out of all this.

He also sees further. If the program is already dense for this premiere, the organizers’ wish is to anchor the event in Biarritz for the long term, to extend the duration of the festival and to expand the offerings in the future.