Surf: 100 Greatest Waves

7/22/2019 Surf: 100 Greatest Waves

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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.



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.



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



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.



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.



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.



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.



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.



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



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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.

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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.

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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

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Surf: 100 Greatest Waves