Soorts-Hossegor (; , , ) is a commune in the French department of Landes, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France, 20 km (12 miles) north of Biarritz. The town is on a plot of land with 4 beaches on 3.5 km of European Atlantic shoreline, and a lake.

Its inhabitants are called Hossegoriens. The area has been inhabited for a millennium, it became a pilgrimage stop off in the 14th century and has since become a well-known seaside resort as of the 19th century. The town's economy is centered around the sport of surfing, and the local beach is a world famous surf break. When possible, the town co-hosts the World Surf League yearly competitions along with the neighbouring towns of Capbreton and Seignosse. Since the 1980s, global companies have established themselves in the town's industrial park.

Name

In 1913, the town associated the toponym of Hossegor, from the name of its marine lake, with its original name of Soorts. The root of the name Soorts is probably close to that of Sorde, the verb or , , meaning "where there are sources". Related names are Sor (Ariège, Sort) and Sort-en-Chalosse (Landes) from the same Gascon etymon. The origin of Hossegor is more obscure: it may be an Aquitain or Basque name to be attached to the hydronyms osse and the adjective gorri, meaning "dry water".

History

The history of the town and inhabited area originated in the 11th century with the town of Soorts. The local church was built in the 14th century as a costal path to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. And, Bielle farm, the town's oldest building was constructed at that time.

In the 19th century, the town of Soorts began its transformation into a local hub. Starting in 1869, with the digging of the Hossegor pond canal towards the sea, which is 99 hectares in size today. Then in 1913, a stone bridge was constructed, connecting the ponds and lake. On April 1 of that year, thanks to an increase in tourism, the local government decided to add the name of Hossegor to the town of Soorts, thus creating , as it's known today. Also, the sports casino was built in the years of 1927-1931, in the same local Basque-Landes style. Many hotels were built at that time, such as Les Hortensias du Lac, a four-star luxury hotel with an extraordinary view of the marine lake, and the Mercedes, a three-star hotel near the city center overlooking the canal.

Development continued in Hoessgor after the art-deco era. A small industrial park was built, with the relocation of the headquarters of the European branch of the surf brand Rip Curl to the area in 1980, today followed by the HQ's for the surf companies Quiksilver, Billabong and Rusty.

Sports

There are many sports played in the town, such as swimming, tennis, horse riding and Basque pelote.

Surfing

right|thumb|Hossegor 2013 surf competition

The naming of Hossegor in the Gascon language is to do with the 'gouf of Capbreton', an underwater canyon thousands of metres deep and hundreds of kilometres long, this creates waves from the ocean on the Landes coast. It was in the 1950s when surfing became popular in the town. In the Landes region are several good surfing spots which are enjoyed when possible by the public and also professional athletes as part of yearly competition.

Since 1984, the French Surf Federation has its headquarters in Hossegor. As part of the World Surf League, there is a stage designated to the local Hossegor area for a surf competition. Depending on the weather, the competition is held at the end of September. Since 1987, the competition brings the biggest names in surfing, and the tour competition is split between the men's Quiksilver Pro France and women's Roxy Pro France events. The Hossegor coast has been one of the few world class surfing locations in Atlantic Europe, with beach breaks at Gravière and La Nord, Les Estagnots. Also, there's nearby beach breaks in Capbreton and Seignosse, which have shared the surf competition due to differing wave conditions. Another event takes place during Easter weekend: the sale of "spirit surf" clothes. More than 100,000 people flock to the craft zone, looking to purchase sports wear, or equipment.

Golf

It was in 1927 that the local golf course was built.

Jai alai

[[File:Jai alai Soorts-Hossegor Sporting 04.jpg|right|thumb|Hossegor's purpose built Jai Alai sports areana.

Climate

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Population

Twin town

  • Nazaré, Portugal.