Anti-tourist fury has erupted in towns across France's Atlantic coast after an influx of new surfers from across the continent, including Britain, has provoked tension and violence in the water.
A so-called "surfing boom" has sparked a sharp rise in hotel bookings and house prices in the areas, tourism officials have said.
And some locals in France's best surfing spots have taken their frustrations towards the rapid changes to communities out on the tourists.
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|A so-called 'surfing boom' has caused a rise in hotel bookings and house prices in the areas
Maya Sauer, a German surfer, was competing in a university competition at Seignosse, a renowned surf town near the Spanish border, when she was hurled off her board by a local man.
Ms Sauer posted on social media that the man was with a “big group of freesurfers [who] yelled at us, insulted us and got physically aggressive.
“I totally understand that it’s frustrating when your home spot feels more crowded every year.
"But there’s a line. And violence, especially against women, should never, ever be part of surfing.”
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|Maya Sauer, a German surfer, was competing in a university competition at Seignosse when she was hurled off her board by a local man
The Sud Ouest regional paper has claimed that incidents between tourists and locals have started to kick off more often.
Olivier Tinot, a veteran surfer from the Hossegor area, told the outlet: “Sometimes, it becomes a battle."
Tensions have risen over the explosion in popularity of surf camps operated by British, Dutch, Belgian and German tour groups.
Native surf instructors have fumed that they now face competition from foreign guides with less rigorous qualifications.
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|Native surf instructors have fumed that they now face competition from foreign guides with less rigorous qualifications
A rise in surf-related accidents amid the tourist boom has even put emergency services under pressure.
According to the French Government, emergency personnel were called out to deal with 363 surfing incidents last year in the country's southwest, compared to just 143 in 2010.
Surfer Vadim Kamenka said: “Even away from the shore there are several of us on the same wave sometimes, and that can provoke accidents.”
Mr Kamenka claimed that the newcomers “pinch the wave you have been waiting for for 20 minutes, they bang into you - and sometimes that can cause injuries".
Mayor of the popular surf resort of Moliets-et-Maa, Aline Marchand, said: “These are big groups that occupy campsites and generate noise pollution.
“They come with their instructors, their teams do not speak French [and] are not aware of health and safety rules.”
According to the French Surfing Federation, the industry contributes €2.1billion (£1.81billion) to the country's economy each year.
Ludovic Falaix, a geography lecturer at Clermont Auvergne University, claimed that the boom in the surfing industry was causing “gentrification” to France's coastal towns.