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]The first Caribbean stage of the Qualifying Series (QS), the Martinique Surf Pro was created in 2015 by Nicolas Clemente and Nicolas Ursulet, two passionate surfers of high level aware of the assets of the Martinique coastline. Hailed from the very first edition by professionals, competitors and media for the quality of its organization and the excellent surfing conditions offered by the Basse-Pointe spot, the contest is renewed every year with increasing success. The MSP is organized under the auspices of the World Surf League (WSL) and is part of the Qualifying Series (QS) world qualifying circuit. Beyond the sporting aspect, the MSP is a multi-dimensional event that brings together arts, music, heritage and culture.
The martinican rendezvous is regularly distinguished on the international circuit. It was thus elected “best competition of the last 5 years” in 2015 and, in 2017, “better quality of waves to a QS” in the first semester, according to the WSL. The long and powerful right of Basse-Pointe (North-East of Martinique) has definitely conquered surfers who can express themselves fully by linking a maximum of maneuvers. In addition to the professionalism of the organization and the surfing conditions, the warm welcome and enthusiasm of the island’s inhabitants are also highly appreciated by the participants.
Contest of high level, the MSP brings to each edition more than a hundred surfers of twenty different nationalities. Test QS 3,000 (step 3 of 5 possible in the circuit QS), the event has a certain importance: the 3000 points won by the winner can make the difference to enter the Championship Tour, the elite of the world surf… Frederico Morais, Yago Dora, Joan Duru, Willian Cardoso and Ian Gouveia, who evolve or have evolved in the Championship Tour, have gone through Martinique Surf Pro.
Thus, with its celebrities, the finest QS and young talents, the MSP sports platform is each time higher. The arrival of the women’s competition in 2018 will undoubtedly increase the challenge and the already growing interest in the contest. In the end, the MSP always offers very nice show.
The winners of the MSP :
2015 : Joshua Moniz (Hawaï)
2016 : Frederico Morais (Portugal)
2017 : Ricardo Christie (New Zealand)
Total event, the MSP moves thousands of spectators each edition. Sports fans, tourists, curious families, schoolchildren and art lovers flock to follow the competition but also to enjoy the many events and the festive atmosphere of an event that gives pride of place to the culture and music. Concerts, performances, afters with DJs, fun workshops for children, craft village, air show competitions, exhibitions of local productions and showcases punctuate the whole week with highlights on the weekends. The martinican heritage is honored with bèlè shows and demonstrations of bwa flo (traditional “surf” of Martinique). The MSP always ends in apotheosis and music with the Surf Pro Night Party hosted by several renowned DJs, in a dream setting and a Caribbean and international atmosphere.
Web, social networks, TV, radios, press, the images of the competition go around the world. In total, over the first three editions, more than 150 million people (cumulated) were affected! An unprecedented media exposure for the event but also for the Martinique area. The MSP is particularly present on the digital, on its website and those of its various partners (on average 900,000 pages viewed on the WSL website), on social networks. The Facebook page of the event now totals more than 32,000 fans.
The MSP generates significant spinoffs for the town, the north of the island, Martinique as a whole, before, during and after the event. Creator of jobs, Martinique Surf Pro solicits seasonal and more than 100 martinican companies every year. Nearly 300 sportsmen, accompaniers and journalists coming from abroad are accommodated in hotels and at the inhabitants in the cities of North Atlantic. Traders, farmers, restaurateurs and artisans benefit from the event. At the tourism level, the international media exposure offered by the MSP enhances the destination Martinique, its nautical potential, and enhances the attractiveness of the North. Moreover, more and more tourists make the trip specially to attend the competition.
In general, Martinique Surf Pro contributes to boosting the economic fabric of the North thanks to our partner the CCIM and its actions Do You Speak Tourist? and Qualité Tourisme. More than 50 companies in the North were involved in these training actions, which benefited more than 100 employees.
Due to its island character and its location, Martinique is naturally a destination for sports and water sports. From North to South, the island offers many surf spots (and all its derivatives) for all levels of practice. The water is hot all year long and, good news, the spots are rather quiet. Little known and to be discovered during the MSP, there is a traditional Martinique surfing on the stormy coasts of Grand-Rivière and Basse-Pointe: the bwa flo. Initially practiced by the Amerindians who transmitted it to the slaves, it consists of riding the sea on a tree trunk. The bwa flo allowed the shipment of goods from boats to land.
