surf: 100 greatest waves
Post on 10-Feb-2018
222 Views
Preview:
TRANSCRIPT
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 1/16
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 2/16
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 3/16
8
Surers are notoriously,even ridiculously secretive about sharing
the discovery o good waves—rom a local sandbar that might
work or only a day or two,to an isolated, malaria-drenched
cove in the jungles o Sumba.
I have a riend w ho’d spent time in Barra at least three years
beore the 2006 Rip Curl Search event scored what’s oten
reerred to as the best sur ever seen in a World Tour contest,
and showed it to the masses. He’d explored the region or a
ew months,and one day I ran across him back home.We got
to chatting about how his trip went,which at some point led
to a question about how the waves were.This may sound like a
simple query—it’s not.For two surers, it’s a laughably delicate,
complex social transaction.Like I’d done thousands o times
beore,my tone eigned just the right amount o indierenceso as not to arouse suspicion.His response was casual.“Oh, not
bad.”It may have been the biggest understatement ever.In
act,he didn’t even tell his own brothers,also die-hard surers,
or more than a year (and ater another trip down there),
that he’d stumbled upon the best waves o his lie. He didn’t
discover the wave,but I know that on that very rst trip he
spent more time going down dead-end dirt roads,digging his
truck out o the sand in triple-digit heat,and being robbed by
banditos than he did surng perect waves. Sur exploration
(and by denition,going out into unamiliar territory) is a high-
risk,low-rewards pursuit.You start to understand why someone
would want to hold hard-earned cards close to their chest.
Ultimately,good things are meant to be shared .. .eventually.
There’s only so many times you can get barreled alone beore
you get bored with it being an entirely sel-refective pursuit.
So while you drool in amazement over the ollowing pages
(and ater editing sur magazines or more than a decade,I
don’t believe a book exists with as many diverse,incredible sur
images rom across the world),it’s worth noting that many o
these breaks and regions have been brought to our attention
as a result o people that have put in an extraordinary amount
o work discovering and pioneering them.
To paraphrase Daniel Boorstin,travelers are active—they
seek experience and adventure—while tourists are passive,
expecting interesting things to happen to them.It’s thanks to
surers who were travelers,and not tourists, that many o thesewaves have been brought to our collective attention.In some
cases those people have dedicated their lives to a wave,
and to the noble pursuit o keeping the area pristine.Without
these travelers to either seek out new places and waves,or to
sur ones previously thought impossible,the world would be a
much more boring place.From Phil Edwards surng Pipeline or
the rst time,to the intrepid duo o Kevin Naughton and Craig
Peterson who traveled or more than a decade discovering
spots throughout Morocco,Ireland,Mexico, Fiji,and beyond,
here are 100 celebrations o that pioneer spirit.
—Casey Koteen
Introduction
Jay Thompson,Burleigh Heads,Australia.
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 4/16
16
UNITED STATES
Great Lakes
We know,putting a spot from the
Great Lakes in this book seems a little
ironic at best,but it takes all kinds,and
if you’re after a fresh-water surfing
experience,it doesn’t get much
better (or colder) than this.Minnesota
is far better known for ice fishing and
A Prairie Home Companion than surf,
but there are good days every year
for those willing to look and brave the
elements.The Great Lakes are huge,
stretching across eight states.The
most consistent is Lake Superior,which
not coincidentally happens to be
the biggest.Stony Point near Duluth
is one of the most famous breaks, but
given the small surf community,there
are certainly more to be discovered.
Lake Superior is also the coldest of
the Lakes,with average water temps
ranging from 60°F/15°C down to low
30s°F/0°C from September through
December,which is when you want
to go.Beyond that,it gets ridiculously
cold,and you just might see a chunk
of ice floating by.
Frigid,fresh water surf awaits in Minnesota.
UNITED STATES
Long Island, New York
You’re not likely to find a regional
dichotomy in surfing as pronounced
as New York.Pulsing New York City
is a metropolitan mecca,but the
east end of Long Island is renowned
for salty New England–style charm.
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 5/16
38
UNITED STATES
San Diego County, California
Orange County may hold the title o
worldwide capital of the surf indust
but there’s little doubt that San Dieg
has it beat (and most of the rest of
the state) when it comes to a mix
of pure wave quality,diversity,and
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 6/16
50
MEXICO
Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca
Known as the “Mexican Pipeline,”
Puerto Escondido packs one
hell of a punch.Home to several
breaks,“Puerto,”as it’s known,is
most famous for its bone-jarring
beach break,Playa Zicatela.With
an offshore canyon funneling
south swells into the hard-packed
sand bottom break,Playa
Zicatela can get up to 25-foot
(8-m) and still hold shape.With
offshore winds grooming the
waves just about every morning,
it’s best to get out into the lineup
early,when oftentimes you can
find a peak to yourself.Another
trick is to surf when the wind
comes up around 11:00 a.m.,
when the beach break becomes
a rippable,skate park with ramps
galore.If a thick-lipped beach
break sans channel seems like
too much to handle,fret not:
there’s a perfect left point known
as “La Punta”on the southern
end of the beach,which is a
quick taxi ride away and is usually
half the size of the beach break.
Packed with bars,restaurants,
and discotheques,the little
puebla that Californian surfers
first stumbled upon in the ’70s has
grown into a bustling city with a
Wild West vibe to it—meaning be
careful at night and don’t make
yourself a target.Despite the
occasional dust up or robbery,
Puerto is the go-to spot for
surfers looking to test their mettle
against one of the heaviest
beach breaks in the world.
Raw power at Playa Zicatela.
Right,Koa Rothman.
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 7/16
68
CARIBBEAN
Barbados
In the sleepy town of Bathsheba,on
the east coast of Barbados,lies one
of the greatest waves on earth: Soup
Bowls.If we compiled a “10 wonders
of the world”list of surf spots,Soup
Bowls would undoubtedly make it.
Need proof? Just ask Kelly Slater,
who claims the wave as his all-time
favorite.And it’s no wonder why: at
8–10 feet (2.5–3 m),Soup Bowls turns
into a mutated,backless slab—a
right barrel so unique it’s unrivaled,
incomparable to any other on the
globe.In February of 2005,Slater had
a session so amazing out there he
claimed he’d “live it over and over for
the rest of my life if I could.”
But what makes Soup Bowls even
more special is its consistency,and the
ability to turn a two-foot windchop
into a steep,highly shreddable “bowl.”
It is the most aptly named wave in
the Caribbean,and thanks to its vast
eastern exposure,it’s surfable on
almost any day of the year.
Brian Toth.Right,Cory Lopez.
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 8/16
90
SOUTH AMERICA
Northern Peru
If you’re a fan of hollow,sand bottom
left point breaks,northern Peru is
heaven on Earth.With a landscape
that can only be described as
lunar,the area around Mancora
isn’t what you would describe as
inviting—except for the surf.Left
points that break over sandy bottoms
litter the area,and on a big north
swell,rides of more than 100 yards
(90 m) are considered short.Spots
like Cabo Blanco and Mancora are
the marquee names,but given a
substantial north swell,around every
bend in the dirt road there’s another
draining left.
History points at Peruvians as being
some of the first people to ever ride
waves on woven reed “surfboards,”
and the surf history in the region is as
deep as anywhere.While the locals
can get a bit territorial,with the right
attitude and right-place,right-time
bit of luck,some of the best high-
performance waves in the world can
be found in the inhospitable climes of
northern Peru.
Northern Peru may have the highest
concentration of epic lefts on the planet.
Both images,Clay Marzo.
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 9/16
108
EUROPE
Ireland
Irish surfing is hopping farmer’s
fences and running through fields
of grazing livestock to reach the
paddle-out spot,catching a rare
wave going off during a two-hour
window,and watching the madness
unfold at a life or death session at
Mullaghmore.It’s being at home in
a cold ocean of dark, heavy water,
and being comfortable with the
country’s potential for even darker
and heavier weather.It’s a land of
gorgeous women,big smiles,old
stories told in thick accents,and
warming up with a Guinness.This is
a land where hardiness,dedication,
and commitment are as crucial to
maintaining a surfing life as wax,
wetsuit,and board.The range and
quality of surf on offer is incredible,
and the spread of beach breaks,
rivermouths,reefs,points, and slabs
that each turn on with a slight
variation in swell and wind direction
means there’s a million more waves
to be discovered through exploration
than through online research.Irish
surfing is world-class,bountiful,and
unforgettable.
Ireland’s heaviest slab is one of the thickest
waves on the planet.Alex Gray.
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 10/16
138
INDIAN OCEAN
Telo Island, Indonesia
Sitting smack-dab between world-
famous Nias to the north and Siberut
(northernmost of the Mentawais)
to the south,the Batu Islands are a
worthy and lesser-surfed Indonesian
archipelago,recently made easy to
access with the launch of surf camps
on tiny Telo Island and the surf boat
charter business out of Padang,on
the Sumatran mainland.The three
main Batu islands are Pini, Tanahmasa,
and Tanahbala,and there are 48
smaller islands,mostly uninhabited.
There is potential for epic waves
everywhere here,though most Batu
surf tourism occurs on consistent Telo
Island,a sensible and comfortable
base to surf perfect,fun waves like
Max’s Right/Left,Pinnacles,and
GT’s.That isn’t to say there aren’t
more challenging waves nearby,like
DC’s,a heavy right.There is typically
somewhere to surf around Telo,and
a boat certainly opens the options
for accessibility,but you can also just
book one of the surf camps and call
it good—because good waves are
what you will get.
Consider the Batu islands a less crowded
(for now) version of the Mentawais.Left,
Dean Morrison.Right,Alex Gray.
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 11/16
168
PACIFIC OCEANNew Caledonia
Grande Terre is New Caledonia’s
mountainous,cigar-shaped main
island and the South Pacific’s fourth
largest,located in the sunny Coral
Sea east of Australia,north of New
Zealand.Here lies seemingly endles
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 12/16
200
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 13/16
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 14/16
222
GETTING THERE: SpiritAirlines offersdealsto Puerto Plata
from FtLauderdale,Florida,and roundtrip ticketscan often
befound for cheap.If you plan to ventureout of Cabarete(highlyrecommended),renting a caris necessary.
BESURE TO BRING:Acouple of shortboardswill suffice
mostof theyear,asthe DR isn’tknown foritsbig-wave
spots.However,a coupledo springto lifeduring largewinterswells, so check theforecastsand adjustaccordingly
beforeembarkingon a trip.
BEINFORMED: Windguru.com and magicseaweed.com are
good forecastingtools,and wannasurf.com hasplenty of information aboutthevaryingsurf breakson offer.
SAN JUAN,PUERTO RICO
THEBASICS: Puerto Rico,traditionallyknown as“Borinquen”to thenativeTaino Indians,or “La Isla Del Encanto” (The
Isleof Enchantment)to itsmanytourists,is located in theCentral North Atlantic Ocean.
WHENTO GO:October to March isprime timefor surf in
Puerto Rico.Thatsaid, Septembercan beepic dependingon tropical activity,and April and even Maycan sometimes
deliverthe goods.
THEMOOD:In thedead of winter,even Florida can feeldownrightfrigid. Notso in Puerto Rico.And despiteits
location amidstdozens of island nationsthatare classified
asinternational destinationsand requiretheassociatedpaperwork,Puerto Rico ispart of thegood ol’U.S.of A.
Thatmeansyou’ll havethesame currencyand conviencesalongsidean endlesssupply of Latin flavorand culture.
GETTING THERE: Mostmajorairports alongthe EastCoasthavenonstop flightsto San Juan,and manygo straightinto
Aguadilla,which issmack dab in themiddle of themosthighly-surfed coasts.Onceyou touch down you’ll need
wheels,and it’scompletelysafe to rentfrom Hertz,National,orAvis and head on yourway.If you plan to bearound for
morethan a coupleweeks,you mightas well buya used carand saveyourself somecash.
BESURE TO BRING:Trunks,sunscreen,and all theotherstuff you’d bringto a warm-waterlocale,plus a step up or
mini-gun ’causeit can getjuicy.Surf shopsabound andyou’ll neverbe farfrom oneif you’reon thebeach.But the
mostimportantthing to bringisa good attitude.ThePuertoRicanslocalscan be a pleasureto surf with,if you behave
likea visitor.Carryyourself likean obnoxioustourist,and itcould bea rough trip.
NORTHWEST PUERTO RICO
THEBASICS: Thenorthwestcorner of Puerto Rico—generally
considered all points,beaches,nooks,and crannies
between thetownsof Rincon and Isabela—isthe most
sought-after20-mile(32-km) stretch in theentireCaribbean,and forgood reason.
WHENTO GO: Between Novemberand April, you won’tbe
disappointed.Duringthat six-month timeframe,cold fronts
consistentlydrop off theEastCoastand into theAtlanticOcean,churningup solid north swell trainsthatmarch
directlyinto Puerto Rico.
THEMOOD: Thearrayof surf spotslitteringthis area make
ita satiatingsurf destination foreveryonefrom saltyoldsurf dogsto younggrommets.Alongthis stretch you’ll
find family-friendlywaveslike Domesand Maria’s,heavy
watervenuesli keTresPalmasand Wilderness,sand-packedsuckoutslikeGas Chambersand Crash Boat,and consistent,
everydayreef breakslikeMiddles and Jobos.
GET
dire
Onlymea
rem
BESU
emegian
trun
TO
THEB
Islanand
(22k
wide
caysas“n
turq
Bay,
Lowbrea
time
WHE
isthepres
seab
oceaCari
even
Unli
to tIf the
don
THEM
Garda gu
you
moo
App
GET
Islan
fligh
and Tort
BESU
so a
Brinwint
warm
imp
heremos
rum
B
THEB
Lessin th
wav
cond
WHE
east
butd
trad
miss
2
3
4
5
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 15/16
232
Novemberrollsaround, therains begin to fall,and the
southeasttradesslowlyswing around to blownortheasterly,
groomingCoral Coastwaves,which in springcan be
surprisinglygood and blissfullyempty.
THEMOOD: You justcan’tgo wrongwith Fiji.Viti Levu is
thearchipelago’shub foreverything,including thesurfing
community,and justnorth isthe Namotu area,aswell asnumeroussurf zonesalong Viti Levu’sprettyCoral Coast,
eastward all thewayto Suva.
GETTING THERE: Mostflightsland at Nadi International
Airport(NAN),on thewestside of Viti Levu,notfar from
Tavarua.AirNewZealand and AirPacific offerdirect daily
flightsfrom LosAngeles,Honolulu,Auckland, and eastAustralia.You can also flyfrom Australia directlyto Suva.If
you’renot stayingatan all-inclusiveresort,renting a carcan
beuseful.Drivingisdoneon theleftsideof theroad.
BESURE TO BRING:Fiji epitomizestheSouth Pacific,and
when you think of theSouth Pacific,whatdo you need
there? Boardshorts,tropical wax,light clothing,a few
barrel-tuned boards,and plentyof sunblock.A surf hatandreef bootiescan behandy,too.Money,too, becausethose
South Pacific resortsain’tcheap.
TONGATAPU,TONGA
THEBASICS: Tongatapu Island sitsin the warm South Pacific
Ocean south of Samoa,between Fiji and French Polynesia,1,875miles (3,018km) eastof Australia.
WHENTO GO: If you wantall-dayoffshorewind and
left-handers,go between Mayand Septemberto reapswellsthat comefrom theRoaring Forties.Thebest swells
arethose from stormsaboveNew Zealand—sincethe
swellshave to wrap from thesouthwestto faceHa’atafu’snorthwest-facingreefs.Itis also duringthese monthsthat
thesoutheasttrade windsoccur.From Octoberto April,
swellsfrom theNorth Pacific wintercan makeitdown to the
Ha’atafu area and makeforsomefine right-handers.
THEMOOD: Tongatapu isa unique and fun surfing
destination.It’seasyto reach,there’s a good surf camp
smack dab on Ha’atafu Beach,thewavescan beepic, thewind’soffshore,and theclimateis mild.Whatmore could
you want? Tonga itself isan interestingcountryand a
constitutional monarchy—theonly placein Polynesia to haveneverbeen colonized.The wavequalityis excellent,and it’s
yourchoice which direction orseason you go.
GETTING THERE: Comingfrom theUSA,you fly to Fua‘amotuInternational Airport(TBU)from Nadi on Fiji Airways.From
Auckland orSydney,you can flywith AirNew Zealand or
Virgin Australia.Oncein Tonga,you can renta carand
drivewest to Ha’atafu,oryou can makethingseasy and justarrange pick-up from thenicefamily who runsHa’atafu
Beach Resortor anotherresortyou chooseto staywith.
BESURE TO BRING:Thereare no surf shopson Tongatapu,so bringeverythingyou’ll need—especiallyreef bootiesand
a first-aid kitin caseyou get slammed onto thehealthycoral
reef (though theresortshave emergencysupplies).Sittingata lowlatitude, Tonga issubtropical,so you won’tneed a
ton of clothing;sunblock and hatsare alwaysgood.Pack
a wetsuitvest ora springsuit,too.Thetemps can get
surprisinglycool atnight.
‘UPOLU,SAMOA
THEBASICS: Therugged volcanic coastlineof ‘Upolu,Samoa’ssecond-largestisland,sitssmack-dab in thecenter
of thesultry South Pacific.
WHE
areA
eastseas
nort
Fall swe
THEM
barrSam
natio
land
locathan
GET
Inte
You
Onc
4WDnea
You
BESU
won
area
so b
becashal
hollo
R
THEB
archSou
Sam
WHE
vario
surf,
(Novfeed
sout
cond
austoffe
beh
THEM
less-
Coo
barrdram
Tah
islan
wavin sh
GET
aretInte
even
iseacarr
scoo
carif
follospot
BESU
theSadve
8
6
7
7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/surf-100-greatest-waves 16/16
President,CEO Terry Newell
VP, Publisher Roger Shaw
Executive Editor Mariah Bear
Editor Bridget Fitzgerald
Creative Director Kelly Booth
Art Director William Mack
Project Art Director Iain Morris
Senior Designer Meghan Hildebrand
Photography Coordinator Conor Buckley
Production Director Chris Hemesath
Production Manager Michelle Duggan
Weldon Owen would also like to thank Ian Cannon aKatharine Moore or editorial assistance. Suzi Hutse
and Sarah Edelstein provided design and productio
© 2013 Weldon Owen Inc.
415 Jackson StreetSan Francisco,CA 94111www.weldonowen.com
All rights reserved, including the right o reproductioin whole or in part in any orm.
Weldon Owen is a division o
Library o Congress Control Number on fle with
the publisher.
ISBN 13: 978-1-61628-545-6
ISBN 10: 1-61628-545-1
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
2013 2014 2015Printed by TWP in Singapore.
CASEY KOTEEN: Bells Beach, Central Costa
Rica, Coolangatta, El Salvador, Great
Lakes, Hal Moon Bay, Los Angeles,Los
Cabos, Mentawais,Northern Nicaragua,
North Shore Oahu, Orange County, Puerto
Vallarta,San Diego, San Francisco, Santa
Barbara,Santa Cruz, Saquerema, Southern
Nicaragua, and additional content.
MICHAEL KEW: Chile, Cloud Nine,Dubai,
French Polynesia,Iceland, Lakshadweep,
Madagascar, Maldives, Micronesia,New
Caledonia,Norway, Rapa Nui, Rarotonga,
Reunion, Samoa,Senegal, Sri Lanka, Taiwan,
Telo Islands,Tonga, Vancouver Island.
ZANDER MORTON: Barbados,British
Virgin Islands,Central Florida,Dominican
Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Northern
Costa Rica,Northwest Puerto Rico, Outer
Banks, San Juan.
ZACHARY PLOPPER: Bocas del Toro,
Cornwall,Mundaka, New Zealand,N orth
Eng
Sco
CRA
G-L
Moz
KIRK
Mar
Aus
Para
Aus
JUSPeru
Sho
JON
Nov
CHR
MA
Rio
WRITING CREDITS
top related