RiF010 opens with surf festival Rotterdam Surf Open

With the free-to-attend Rotterdam Surf Open, RiF010 will open on 6 July. It is an annual surf competition for children and amateurs as well as professional surfers. RiF010 will be officially opened by alderman Faouzi Achbar. The spectacle can be watched all day from the quay. There will also be performances by Rotterdam party band Convoi Exceptional, Pat Smith and Longo Longo with infectious afrobeats. Billy Ray de la Haye and Bootsy Paul will be behind the turntables.

From schoolchildren to pros

At 10.30 is the start of the Rotterdam Schools Competition for children and the longboard competition. Several pro surfers have already signed up through sponsors O'Neill, Red Bull and Breitling. From Team O'Neill, Ben Skinner will participate, 3rd at the World Longboard Championships. The Dutch longboarding champion will also participate in this surf competition. At 12.00, the official opening by Alderman Sports Faouzi Achbar.

At 14.00, there are the shortboard competitions for under-18s, followed by the open surf contest. Then it's the turn of the international surf professionals. Participants compete for a spot in the pro contest in addition to winning in their own category. It is therefore possible that a Rotterdam native or young talent will compete against an international surf professional in the final.

During the races, a certified jury is present to judge the surfers. Sports commentators Erik Ringelberg and Thomas van Bemmelen explain to the audience how the races work.