A SUMMER ON THE BEACH AT BISCARROSSE | TF1 | Reportages

It’s Biscarrosse’s trump card. Its beach. More than 15km of fine sand. A treasure that enables the seaside resort to increase its population, which each summer goes from 15,000 for the rest of the year to more than 130,000. Situated 35km south of the Arcachon Basin, the town has been able to draw visitors because of its profile, which is both family and sports oriented. And this is the slot occupied by two natives of les Landes, Julie and Christelle. The two young women have just opened a somewhat special bike rental shop just 300 metres from the beach. The fatbike¾ a bike with oversize wheels¾is designed for riding over sand. However, it’s a new activity for the tourists and the managers have to pay back a portion of their bank loan as early as September. Although the project is exciting, the season has to be good for the two young entrepreneurs. They won’t get a second chance. “Last year one of the rental companies went bankrupt, so, of course, that’s worrying,” explains Christelle.

To enjoy the beauty of the Landes coastline and all the activities on offer, people sometimes come from afar. This year, the Belgian Julie has persuaded her family to accompany her to the Biscarrosse campsite, where she is a regular. A first for her sister, Anne-Sophie, and her children, who are about to discover the pastime: “It’s a big first for us, Julie’s boasted about the merits of this campsite, so we’ll see if it’s as good as she said.” The business here is a family one. Jérôme and Nathalie, who took over 17 years ago, are already getting ready to hand over. For their daughter, Lorena, this is a special season. For the moment, the young woman’s job is to change the sheets in all the campsite’s bungalows: “This makes 4 years that I’ve been taking care of cleaning and the beds, it’s time to move on…”  A lucky coincidence, because her father has decided to trial her for part of the season in a job with responsibility.

This summer is also a first for Manon. Aged 19, she is taking her first step as a lifeguard. She would like this to be the start of a long adventure and why not make it her career. This young woman hasn’t chosen an easy path because the Biscarrosse beach and its waves can conceal some particularly dangerous traps for holidaymakers. And Manon is a tad apprehensive: “Anyone who says they’re not scared is lying to you, but I tell myself that in the heat of the action the adrenaline will kick in.”  A full-scale test to assess the young woman’s motivation and her steadiness in the face of dangerous situations.

Alexandre and Elisabeth have also set themselves a challenge. After several years as employees, the couple has taken over the management of the Biscarrosse beach grand hotel. “We invested 100,000 euros in improvements, so we must not fail in this first season as boss.” The hotel is fully booked, but to achieve their objectives, they need to attract more people onto their terrace restaurant that overlooks the beach. To do that, they are bringing in a new chef, a new menu and are trying to introduce a new event: a barbecue night, which they must persuade the customers to attend…