1543 mots | Temps de lecture : 7 minute(s)
Wheels & Waves: the iconic motorcycle, surf, and art festival
Summary
- The origins: the Southsiders and Biarritz
- Motorcycle, surf, skate, and art: the great mix
- Punk's Peak: the legendary hill climb
- El Rollo and Artride: flat track and creation
- The Village and the Wheels & Waves spirit
- The European neo-retro wave
- Summary table
- FAQ
The origins: the Southsiders and Biarritz
It all began in 2012, in the heart of the French Basque Country. A group of enthusiasts of old machines, gathered under the name of the Southsiders collective, organized an exhibition of vintage motorcycles around the Château de Brindos, near Biarritz, before riding together to the Pyrenean passes and Spain. This first edition gathered about 400 people: the core of a movement that would take over everything.
The café racer and neo-retro look of the festival relies on the leather jacket, which makes the jackets and coats collection directly relevant.
The idea is simple and sincere: celebrate the first beautiful days of spring by riding motorcycles with friends, in free and uncrowded spaces. The Southsiders, originally three friends, cultivate a strong taste for vintage motorcycles and the café racer style, a subculture born in 1950s-60s England. Where other gatherings focus on chrome and large displacement, they champion stripped-down elegance, the rock'n'roll and leather spirit, and the beauty of handmade customization.
Motorcycle, surf, skate, and art: the great mix
What makes Wheels & Waves unique is its rejection of categories. Very quickly, the festival goes beyond a simple biker gathering to embrace a whole culture of board sports and freedom. On the Basque Coast, motorcycles naturally meet surf, skate, BMX, but also art, photography, and live music. The same audience moves from the waves to the saddle without ever changing their mindset.
As for two-wheelers, the festival has become a showcase for the major trends in modern custom: café racer, of course, but also scrambler, brat style from Japan, and minimalist bobber. You can see transformed Triumph Bonnevilles, naked BMW boxers, and 70s Japanese bikes cut with a knife. Each machine tells a story, that of a customizer, a workshop, a vision.
🧥 To ride in the spirit of Wheels & Waves, nothing beats a good timeless leather: discover our selection of biker jackets and coats.
Punk's Peak: the legendary hill climb
If one image had to be chosen from the festival, it would undoubtedly be Punk's Peak. Created in 2013, this hill climb race takes place on the heights of Mount Jaizkibel, on the Spanish side, above Hondarribia, with the Atlantic Ocean as a backdrop. The format is as simple as it is spectacular: a 400-meter sprint, standing start, machines launched in pairs in direct elimination.
All categories rub shoulders, from pre-war classic motorcycles to modern custom builds, in a joyful mix of smoke, decibels, and patina. The spirit is reminiscent of great hill climbs like Pikes Peak, but with the added Basque laid-back attitude: here, people come first and foremost for the pleasure of the ride and the beauty of the scenery, not for the fastest time at all costs.
El Rollo and Artride: flat track and creation
Another highlight, El Rollo brings the energy of American flat track to a dirt track, long held at the San Sebastián racecourse in Spain. The principle is open and good-natured: categories by era (pre-1950, pre-1975, pre-1985...) and a famous "inappropriate class" where you race with whatever you have. Controlled slides, handlebars close to the ground, and sprays of dirt: dirt track, European style.
The artistic side is not left out with Artride, the festival's official exhibition, which brings together artists, photographers, illustrators, and customizers around motorcycle culture. Paintings, photographs, street art, and exceptional machines interact, extending the idea that the motorcycle is also an object of creation, like the motorcycles that have become icons of pop culture.
🖼️ Want to bring this universe into your home? Check out our motorcycle posters and prints for bikers.
The Village and the Wheels & Waves spirit
The beating heart of the festival is the Village, located at the Cité de l'Océan in Biarritz. There you'll find dozens of stands for customizers and brands, concerts, screenings, skate ramps, and a gathering atmosphere that is anything but stuffy. It's a place for encounters as much as for discoveries, where confirmed enthusiasts and curious onlookers mix.
Because, ultimately, the DNA of Wheels & Waves lies in a claimed relaxed attitude: no race for performance or show of force, but a brotherhood around the machine, craftsmanship, and the pleasure of riding. A state of mind that contrasts with major American gatherings like the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, while sharing the same passion.
🪖 The Wheels & Waves look also includes the helmet: explore our atypical and original motorcycle helmets.
The European neo-retro wave
In a few years, Wheels & Waves did much more than just grow: it became a catalyst. The festival accompanied and amplified the neo-retro and custom wave that swept across Europe in the 2010s, inspiring customizers, brands, and manufacturers. Major companies saw it as a reflection of an audience seeking authenticity, simple mechanics, and timeless style.
From a gathering of 400 friends, the event grew to over 20,000 visitors from all over the world, making Biarritz an international capital of character motorcycles every June. The 2026 edition, from June 10 to 14, marks the 15th anniversary of this adventure. Wheels & Waves remains true to its initial promise: a breath of freedom where the motorcycle is only a means, and the ride always the true destination.
Summary table
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Creation | 2012, by the Southsiders collective |
| Main location | Biarritz, Basque Country (Village at Cité de l'Océan) |
| First edition | Château de Brindos, ~400 participants |
| Disciplines | Custom motorcycle, surf, skate, BMX, art, music |
| Key motorcycle styles | Café racer, scrambler, brat style, bobber |
| Punk's Peak | Hill climb, 400 m sprint, Mount Jaizkibel (Spain), since 2013 |
| El Rollo | Dirt track race (San Sebastián racecourse) |
| Artride | Official art exhibition of the festival |
| Attendance | Over 20,000 visitors, international reach |
| 2026 Edition | 15th edition, June 10-14 |
FAQ — Frequently Asked Questions
When and by whom was Wheels & Waves created?
The festival was created in 2012 in Biarritz, in the French Basque Country, by the Southsiders motorcycle collective. The first edition brought together about 400 enthusiasts around the Château de Brindos.
Where does the festival take place?
The heart of the festival, the Village, is located at the Cité de l'Océan in Biarritz, but the event extends on both sides of the border, into Spain, particularly for Punk's Peak on Mount Jaizkibel and El Rollo near San Sebastián.
What is Punk's Peak?
It is the iconic hill climb of the festival, created in 2013. It is a 400-meter sprint, standing start, contested in pairs in direct elimination on the heights of Mount Jaizkibel, overlooking the ocean.
Is Wheels & Waves only about motorcycles?
No. It is a multidisciplinary festival that combines custom motorcycles (café racer, scrambler, brat style), surf, skate, BMX, art with the Artride exhibition, and live music.
Why is the festival so important for custom culture?
Wheels & Waves played a central role in the rise of the neo-retro and custom wave in Europe in the 2010s. Having become international with over 20,000 visitors, it has inspired customizers, brands, and manufacturers.
