We’re Bringing Surfing To The Alps

Mountains and waves. Those two things make up Quiksilver’s logo, and they make up most of our dreams.

And they just came together in one of the world’s most beautiful places.

Quiksilver partnered with Alaia Bay in Sion, Switzerland to bring surfing to the Alps. That means world-class snow and world-class waves will be accessible in the same place — and they may or may not come with a fondue.

The waves at Alaia Bay powered by Wavegarden are suited for all skill levels, from beginners to, well, Zeke Lau. He recently jumped on the opportunity to get some waves and experience Switzerland, leaving behind his boardshorts and the tropical waters of Hawaii for a 5-mil and a change of scenery.

Well, that’s not entirely true — Zeke actually brought his boardshorts and even surfed a wave in them, regardless of the water being 6° C/42° F. He rode an Alaia on that wave, which was the go-to board for ancient Hawaiians. Little did they know how far their beloved pastime would come, how far Natives like Zeke would take it.

“This was one of the best trips of my life,” Zeke says. “The place was incredible. I’m so used to seeing beaches and palm trees from the lineup, but this was a whole different world.”

Zeke has enjoyed many a wave pool in his day, but raved about Alaia Bay. “Some wave pools don’t feel the same as a natural wave in the ocean, but this one did. And it was so cool to work on an air wave with the Alaia Bay crew. It was crazy, having the same section to hit over and over again. I also could have surfed the barrel wave all day long. It was so fun.”

And, as we said, you don’t have to be at Zeke level of surfing to experience this level of fun. This clip features Zeke alongside Yago Dominguez, Maria Riera and Jenna Bleu. Maria and Jenna got the first barrels of their lives on the trip. Yago, on the other hand, was coming back from 8 months out of the water with an injury. The range of waves at Alaia Bay helped him get back into form much quicker than what would have been possible in the ocean.

You can’t go wrong here — especially when the Matterhorn is only a quick train ride away.

Alaia Bay opens to the public this spring, and Quiksilver built a surf shop there to set you up with everything you need to surf the Alps.