International Day of the Francophonie: Surfing also speaks French!

On this 20th of March, the international community celebrates International Francophonie Day. An annual event dedicated to the French language and the values of cooperation, dialogue, and cultural diversity it embodies worldwide. For the French Surfing Federation, this date resonates particularly with the dynamics of sports cooperation it has been developing for several years in the Francophone space.

Francophone surfing structured around international cooperation
In this spirit of exchange and cooperation, the Francophone Surfing Union was created on March 20, 2022, on the occasion of International Francophonie Day.
This alliance aims to strengthen ties between surfing federations and organizations from countries that are fully or partially Francophone.

It has several objectives:

• promote the development of surfing,
• encourage training and sports exchanges,
• promote the use of the French language in international competitions.

The Francophone Surfing Union currently includes France, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Tahiti, and Mauritius. It has already organized three editions of the Francophone Open, the first in September 2023 in Capbreton, the second in November 2024 in Reunion, and the third in December 2025 in Durban, South Africa.
The president of the French Surfing Federation, Jacques Lajuncomme, also serves as the president of the Francophone Surfing Union. In late 2025, he was elected president of the Francophone Association of National Olympic Committees (AFCNO), further strengthening the connections between sports and Francophone.

An exemplary cooperation between France and Senegal in surfing
The Francophone surfing dynamic is also reflected in the cooperation between the French Surfing Federation and the Senegalese Surfing Federation, both founding members of the Francophone Surfing Union.

This partnership is based on several axes:

• training of leaders and coaches,
• development of sports structures,
• cultural and sports exchanges among young surfers.

This collaboration takes on particular significance as the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 are set to take place in Senegal, a first for an Olympic event organized on the African continent.
In this context, Francophone surfing appears as a true lever for sports and cultural development, driven by a common language but more importantly by a shared willingness for cooperation.

Surfing, a universal language that also blends in French
Through its international initiatives, the French Surfing Federation contributes to fostering an open and dynamic sports Francophonie, where the French language becomes a tool for transmission, training, and sharing.
More than just a common language, Francophonie thus constitutes a space for exchange and solidarity, where sport and surf culture play a significant role in building bridges between peoples.

 

A global language on the rise

International Francophonie Day symbolically refers to March 20, 1970, the date of the creation of the Agency for Cultural and Technical Cooperation (ACCT), which is now the International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF).
Today, the French language is one of the main vectors for international exchanges. According to the report “The French Language in the World” published by the OIF, French has approximately 396 million speakers spread across the five continents. It is the fourth most spoken language in the world and one of the main languages for international communication. The OIF also estimates that 51 million people are learning French as a foreign language.
Projections indicate that by 2050, the number of French speakers could reach 600 to 700 million, mainly due to the demographic growth in Africa.
French is the 3rd language of the economy and business and represents an asset in establishing business ties.
65% of French speakers are in Africa, a testament to the linguistic dynamism of the continent. Based on current trends, French is expected to be spoken by 590 million people in 2050, with 9 out of 10 residing in Africa.
French is the 4th language on the Internet. New technologies and discoverability are major factors for the vitality of the French language in the digital space.