Over the past few years, wheels and waves in biarritz,France, has established itself as a calendar highlight for the growing numbers of motorbike enthusiasts. It’s a mashup of the hedonistic biker spirit in all its various guises, and the surfing culture of the seventies. Indian motorcycle has been part of it every year, accompanied by its ambassador of choice, Dimitri Coste.
Dimitri Coste is a talented photographer, artist, amateur motorcyclist and globetrotter who grew up immersed in the world of cycling and motorbikes. His artistic output spans shoots for fashion magazines, images for big brands, star profiles – and occasionally a working relationship turns into friendship, as it did when he immortalised Johnny Hallyday’s last road trip across the USA in 2016
behind the handlebar of an Indian Springfield.
Coste grew up riding BMXs and had reached the top of his game when he came across Bruce Brown’s cult film “On any Sunday” – and his life was changed forever. This remarkable and visionary 1972 documentary tackles all the philosophical and cultural equations involving
motorbikes, and also features Steve McQueen hanging with his friends under his occasional pseudonym Harvey Mushman, along with American champion and six-time Baja 1000 winner Malcolm Smith, who was inducted into the AMA Hall of Fame.
“It was the first time I’d seen flat track racing,” recalls Dimitri. “I fell in love with the beauty of the discipline in all its aspects – the riding, the curves of the bikes, and the style of clothes. The fact that it was unknown and totally non-existent in Europe made it seem even more glamorous to me.”
So he got hold of a BSA, removed the front brake as required by the rules of flat track racing, and skipped over to England every time he had the chance to take part in local dirt track races. In France he found the same spirit at the Norman Scramble and other trials in Normandy. As an amateur racer without borders he signed up to the legendary Catalina Grand Prix in California, a race that was first set up in 1950 on Santa Catalina and runs for 100 miles around the island. To everyone’s surprise, he triumphed in the race. He gets around all the major events where fans of motor racing gather, including the famous Pikes Peak in Colorado.
When Wheels and Waves was born in Biarritz in 2012, Dimitri was there from day one. It was just the kind of event he’d been dreaming
of for over a decade.
“This meetup is the only one of its kind in Europe, it never disappoints. I always have a fantastic time – I don’t care if it rains, I don’t care if I get to ride or not. The W&W is an unmissable highlight of the year as far as today’s European scene is concerned. It’s a great mix of racing, partying, and good vibes. There’s no sectarianism – we’re all just there to enjoy the pleasure of racing. It’s a very broad church, and I find the variety of motorbikes quite interesting. It’s also an opportunity to meet cool people from all over the world.”
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