Bubble surfing: Alex and Guillaume Mangiarotti found a creative way of staying safe in the surf

Meet Alex Mangiarotti and Guillaume Mangiarotti. They're two brothers from Hossegor, France.

One of the safety recommendations of the Covid-19 era is physical and social distancing. But how can it be applied to the surfers' lineup*

Alex and Guillaume figured out a way to enjoy the waves without putting themselves and others at risk of getting infected.

They went surfing inside a plastic bubble ball.

It wasn't easy. They had to get used to the motion and fine-tune the take-off moment.

"The idea came from seeing humorous images of people in bubbles in the street during confinement as a way of respecting the distance of more than one meter between two people," explained Guillaume.

Stay Safe

Above all, they wanted to have fun and spread a critical message - respect the beach access rules because nobody wants to see them closed as in Brittany.

And is bubble surfing hard to learn?

"It worked out, but it's complicated. Oxygen is limited, and it takes a second person to tow the bubble off," added Guillaume again.

Alex Mangiarotti and Guillaume Mangiarotti are known in the Landes region for their funny stunts - including wearing Santa Claus costumes - but also for riding big waves.

So, if you're not claustrophobic and have someone to help get into the waves, bubble surfing could very well be your best option for summer 2020.

Top Stories

The most successful competitive surfer of all time, Kelly Slater, rode what may have been the last heat of his 24-year professional career.

We can't choose our height, and 80 percent of it is genetic. But if you're into surfing, taller and shorter surfers feel noticeable differences in getting acquainted with boards, paddling for, and riding a wave.

Big wave surfing is an industry with an industry.

Ryan Crosby is the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the World Surf League (WSL).