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VIDEO: See surfers ride the giant 'Belharra' wave

AFP/The Local
AFP/The Local - [email protected]
VIDEO: See surfers ride the giant 'Belharra' wave
Surfers came from far and wide to ride the famous monster wave called the Balharra in south west France. Photo: Gaizka Iroz/AFP

Big wave surfers hit southwest France on Tuesday as the Belharra monster waves crashed onto the Basque country's Atlantic coast, creating swells of up to 15 metres. See how they rode the waves in this video.

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The wave, one of Europe's highest, builds up over relatively shallow rocky coastal water more or less regularly, but primarily in autumn and at the end of winter, depending on wind speed and tides

From early Tuesday morning dozens of surfers tried their luck riding the waves, watched by photographers and video makers on as many boats.

The Belharra has been a must for big wave surfers for over 10 years and has reached 18 metres (60 feet) at times.

The coastal area close to the Spanish border was on Monday and Tuesday put on orange alert amid threats of flooding.

In Biarritz, a woman was swept away by a wave as she was walking along the coast near a lighthouse on Sunday. Police was also investigating the possible disappearance of a homeless man on a beach.

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