Sauveterre becomes a pit lane!!!

---

SHARK EXTREME explained!!!
Our quiet, beautiful and tranquil new home became a pit lane this Sunday! There has been a sign on a roundabout near the town for ages now - SHARK EXTREME 26th NOV - it has been puzzling us for a while so we looked up their website the other day and it turns out to be a 3-4 day event with teams competing in all sorts of extreme sports events covering the Pays Basques and finishing in our quiet town ... QUITE!!!

I popped my head out of the door to go and get some bread for the morning and walked into the town square, nothing really happening, was the start of another beautifully sunny day, a single van appeared and started to unpack a small marque for its bikes, a couple of scruffy looking Herbert's with ripped jeans and cool surfer/biker t-shirts. Thought to myself must be a fairly small event. Got my bread and ventured back home.

A lovely english couple we had been introduced to who lived down the road arrived for a late morning coffee, they had driven through the square a few hours after I had gone out for bread and said it was quiet lively? We all decided to venture into town to see what was going on.

The rest of the world of MOTO had arrived! The town square was now a noisy pit lane for all types of bikes - mountain bikes - enduro - and motocross - very cool!

There were meant to be 3 events for the day - extreme Kayaking, but due to the power of the river at the moment it was cancelled and deemed to be too dangerous - All terrain bikes and the grand finale a group of about 50 nutters blasting around a man made death trap, sorry I mean track, carved into the countryside with horrific obstacles in their way, the winner seemed to be who ever could jump the highest, get muddiest, chug out the most smoke and make the most noise, it was a close race!!!!

We sat around in the heat of the sun, I had to wear shorts, it was actually quite hot - these guys showed no fear, nor did the crowd, you could actually reach out and touch them if you wanted to as they leaped through the air. It was a very cool day. Apparently this event has been running for around 6-10 years and gets bigger every year. I can see why, it was as good as any event I had seen on television and judging by the way the crowds were waiting outside some of the trailers and large team lorries these guys were pretty special.

Will certainly be looking forward to this event next year.

After the race had been won and everyone was feeling particularly macho, we decided to dump the camera, get changed and pop to the local bar to soak up some of the atmosphere with the bikers and the locals!!!

What followed that evening was the end to a perfect Sunday, french lessons, mad bikers and the local rugby god, but that's another story which is probably going to need proper piecing together and vetting before we put it up on the blog as everything is still a little blurry!

until next time - enjoy the pics

Ben & Helen

---

Photos

Saveterre-de-Béarn
Our quiet town about to be Shark attacked!

Saveterre-de-Béarn - pit lane!
One of the teams takes a place in the square

Saveterre-de-Béarn - eglise
Even the area around the ancient church becomes a rammed with Motocross bikes!

cool for kids
The locals were loving it!

returning to the pits
One of the all terrain bikes limps back from a hiding!

the course
Just part of the testing SHARK EXTREME course

and they are off...
50 bikers in a Le Mans style start - chaos!

ah peace in the country!
Noise and smoke

lift off
cool jumps everywhere on the course

airborne
look at me gooooooo.

up close and personal
we were just feet away from these nutters

heavy landing
this chap thinks one wheel is better than two?

between a rock and a hard place
it was a mad scramble over this

coming through..........
this mad man thought it was easier to go over people rather than around them!!!

push me pull you
sometimes it was just easier to walk!

follow me over hereeeeeeeee
bonkers

on the rocks
these guys certainly needed a drink after this race!!