Free to roam the world in search of the best uncrowded waves, The O’Neill Mission has chosen the west coast of France for its latest adventure. From the wild and rugged coastline of the north around Brest to the renowned surf beaches of Biarritz and Hossegor in the south west, this coastline stretching over 1,000km long offers more than imagined by most.

O’Neill will bring 10 of the most dynamic surfers on the planet to Biarritz on May 17th 2008 from which point they will continuously explore every bay and beach of the French coast in the quest for perfect waves. They will not stop until May 25th. With the unique contest formula, there is no set plan. The O’Neill Mission is free to drive to wherever the charts inspire, wherever the crowds thin, and (hopefully) the offshore lightly blows.

It is just over a month until the world’s northernmost and coldest professional surfing contest makes its third appearance in the north of Scotland. With its long, clean, super-fast icy waves, the O’Neill Highland Open by Swatch attracts a host of the world’s best surfers to the small town of Thurso in Caithness.

For World Qualifying Series (WQS) competitor and last year’s runner up, Australian surfer Jarrad Howse, the Highland Open is an event that stands out from everything else on the gruelling WQS circuit. “I love the event,” says Howse.

“I think it’s the history of the place and the fact that it’s so different from everywhere else on the tour. Usually we’re in and around big cities and festivals but it’s so special that it’s in this little town of Thurso. It’s just so down to earth and so far removed from everything.”

It’s not just the location – at 59 degrees north – that makes the Highland Open so special. The winner of the event walks away with a unique prize in contemporary surfing – The Chieftain, a double-handed, limited edition Medieval Scottish war sword. The sword is a replica of an early Claymore, a sword depicted on ancient grave slabs in the Scottish Highlands.

O’Neill event director Bernhard Ritzer explains that “having the sword as a first prize means that the event is about more than money and championship points. We present the winner with the sword as a way of recognising Scotland’s unique history. It’s a symbol of why we’re here and why this event is so special.”