Surfer içinde July 2016 için içindekiler tablosu

The day this shot was taken, Canadian Pete Devries had planned to check out a secret spot, accessible only by boat, just up the coast from Tofino. But when he awoke that morning, his Jet Ski’s ignition was completely frozen over. Inclement weather is just one of the many factors often working against surfers in the region. “Finding and surfing different waves here is a lot of work,” says Devries. “The coastline is full of mountainous terrain, the roads are bumpy and winding, and you usually have to hike through difficult areas to get to the spot.” Luckily Devries always has a Plan B, in this case a perfectly rippable right on the edge of the forest.…

Big-wave riders do what they do because that’s their true passion. Surfing Waimea Bay in the late ’60s, there was no crowd and no cameras on the beach, and there was no money in big-wave riding at all. There were just a handful of guys like Barry Kanaiaupuni and Jose Angel who rode big waves because it was their passion. I think I’m the last remaining big-wave rider of that era. In Hawaiian culture you don’t really talk to your mentors; you just watch what they do and keep your mouth quiet. Then you go home and practice, practice, practice. That’s how I learned from Eddie. I watched him for two years before I paddled out at Waimea. I was a scaredycat, but I watched where he was sitting and…

San Francisco is a broody, moody, beautiful place—“a golden handcuff with the key thrown away,” as Steinbeck put it—and no one knows that better than the area’s faithful, fierce local surfers. The City by the Bay’s longstanding territorialism might seem unnecessary most days, as unpredictable winds, massive tidal bores, and raw swell keep the uninitiated scratching their heads. But in those magic moments when all things come together, it’s no wonder San Francisco natives hold this point close to their hearts.…

I like my surf destinations to be one direct flight away from San Diego International Airport. Double points if they have water like a low-simmering Jacuzzi, decent restaurants a stone’s throw from the main break, and nearby vacation rentals that average at least four stars on Airbnb. Uncrowded, barreling surf would be a cherry on top, but for me, wave quality is a distant second to convenience. There, I said it. Is that sacrilege? Probably. In our culture, the headaches you’re willing to endure for the sake of waves are a kind of social currency. I may have a negative balance, however, because I’ll be the first to admit that I’m pretty soft-core when it comes to surf travel. Sure, there’s something to be said for going on a perilous…

When we decided to go to Liberia in search of surf just a few months after an Ebola outbreak in the region, we accepted a certain amount of risk. What we didn’t realize, however, was the lethal virus that had ravaged West Africa didn’t pose the most immediate threat to our well-being. No, it seems that Christopher will kill us first. Christopher is a taxi driver, and the owner of the battered 1998 Nissan station wagon we are hurtling toward Monrovia in. He clenches his jaw compulsively each time he pushes the clutch in and jams the gearstick down. The Nissan’s engine begs for mercy as the RPM gauge shoots into the red and we swing out past the trucks, busses, and beat-up sedans lining up in front of us.…

Long ago, during a particularly merciless winter in the North Atlantic, a battered fishing ship sank off the coast of Iceland. Five fishermen leapt overboard in an attempt to swim for land, but, one by one, hypothermia overtook them and their bodies descended like stones five miles from shore. Eventually only one man remained, and it seemed that each stroke would surely be his last. But after swimming for six grueling hours, he finally set his bare feet onto a snow-covered beach. As the sun set, he stumbled through the sprawling white expanse until he spotted the light of a farm in the distance. After his rescue and physical examination, doctors flew him to London for further testing. It was found that an unusual medical condition saved him from an…

Searching for waves along inhospitable coastlines is all well and good, but let’s be honest: most of us would prefer to avoid things like political unrest, viral outbreaks, and frigid water temps on surf trips. That’s why, for decades, Costa Rica has been the go-to destination for surfers seeking a quick and easy escape. The coastline is a warm-water playground filled with easily accessible sand-bottom barrels and rippable wedges. So when Yadin Nicol and Dillon Perillo got an itch to get out of Southern California for a few days and into some quality waves, they jetted south. “Australians have Bali for those quick and easy trips, but Costa Rica feels like that place for Americans,” says Nicol, pictured here welcoming one of the country’s open tubes with open arms. “We…