Are the days of travelling to uncrowded and amazing surf destinations condemned to a naive utopian dream? We like to think not. As the old saying goes, getting there is half the fun, so we put out a few feelers and thought outside the Indo/Australia box to find out if there are still places that will provide adventure, fun and waves. Check it out, you may be surprised.
COLD WATER COMFORT
Winter is an amazing time for surfers. Quietly we watch the tide and wind shift from the safety of our cars and vans, waiting, hoping and sometimes praying that we can snatch a session here, the odd wave there. While the rest of the world goes crazy, the only banks we care for have been battered by constant swell. Biting winds, sleet and snow are reduced to mere trivialities by our neoprene armour. For us, the cold water is our comfort.
INTERVIEW: OLI ADAMS: FIGHTING BACK
Oli Adams wasn’t himself last summer. He felt tired and lethargic, he couldn’t surf as much as he was used to. His comp results suffered, and he became increasingly frustrated. Then he was diagnosed with a long-term illness which had been sapping his strength for eight years. This winter with medication prescribed and a renewed determination, Oli went off and spent two months on the North Shore in preparation for a comeback in ’09…
PUSH
The people who soar are those who refuse to sit back and wish things would change. They will not allow life’s circumstances to push them down and hold them under. The small band of big-wave surfers based in Britain and Ireland don’t begrudge the fact they didn’t grow up in Hawaii or some other warm haven. They set their sights, initiated plans and worked with what they had. By reading about their approach, you too can take control of your body and mind, learn to push your limits, and achieve your goals.
CRUNCH TIME
The North Shore has its own rules, its own laws, its own vibe. You misbehave, you get punched. You drop in, you get punched. You overestimate your own ability…well, that’s even worse ’cos then the ocean nails yo’ ass. Hawaii, the gladiatorial pit of ego, raw talent, testosterone, glamour and legend. Ben Mondy reports.
