Surfing Surfing

‘J-Bay’ as it’s known to of the greatest surfing to those beach breaks to famous points, and the good stuff rolls in. Mavericks (for big wave surfers locals, hosts the annual World who can master the complex wind to once-in-a-lifetime novelty El Porto, Venice Breakwater, only) just half an hour away. Surf League (WSL) surfing and swell directions. The whole spots, California has it all. While Zuma and Topanga Beach all californiabeaches.com event at Super Tubes during 3,000-kilometre coastline cops water temperature close to Los fill up rapidly, with local etiquette July, attracting spectators and plenty of the good stuff from Angeles ranges between 14.4ºC to be strictly adhered to. GOLD COAST Perfect break professional surfers from Antarctic lows, with Durban also and 20ºC, further up north, from South of the city, Huntingdon There are plenty of places to surf We know surfing is good for the body and great for the mind, but life today rarely allows across the world. The fast, right- providing some fantastic spots Santa Monica through County Beach, San Clemente, San Onofre in Australia, yet even the locals for two weeks chasing swell. Upward Curve packs up the board and heads to four of the hand point break consistently for beginners, intermediates and Line Beach, Ventura, Malibu (think State Beach and Old Man’s down under flock to the Gold world’s premier surf destinations, in search of the perfect break barrels along the west side of the advanced surfers alike. Point Break, Big Wednesday) and Surfing Area are a little more Coast. Seventy kilometres and bay for 300 metres in season and, surfingsouthafrica.co.za then up towards San Francisco, relaxed and make for some great four consistent point breaks occasionally different sections the swell gets cooler while the beginners’ spots. Further north, make this one of the world’s link up for a one-kilometre ride, CALIFORNIA surf heats up. Santa Barbara is where it all premier spots. urfingculture has changed. changed. It’s still about time with SOUTH AFRICA optimally reaching between four With 900 miles of Pacific And with half a million began – as documented in The ‘Superbank’ at Snapper Tube-hunters no longer nature – away from it all. South African waters get cold and ten feet on Hawaiian scale. coastline, the Golden State was Angelinos working the gig surf movies Gidget and The Rocks, made up of southern ➤ S hang out in beat up vans, And popularity is still on the so best to layer up for this one – Elsewhere, the Cape Peninsula created for surf. From sizable economy as freelancers Endless Summer. chasing swell up and down a rise. Surfing will become an although they are usually more and greater Cape Town area or entrepreneurs in arts, Things get serious closer to Below: Supertubes at Jeffreys coast line. Now considered Olympic discipline at Tokyo 2020, bearable through winter (June boasts Muizenberg, Long Beach, entertainment, fashion and San Francisco, with Santa Cruz Bay is one of the world’s most a ‘wellness’ activity, this where the best will battle it out to August), with warm swells Big Bay, Dunes, Off The Wall design; there is no shortage of – 90 minutes south of the city – famous surf spots – close to refreshing recreation comes hand- for the greatest accolade in sport coming through. and Dungeons, which offer some company when the stars align stretching into Monterey Bay and Port Elizabeth in South Africa in-hand with a skinny soy latte and – not just prize money (which is Regardless, the rewards are smashed avocado on sourdough. now gender equal). magnificent, with Jeffreys Bay, Weather radar smartphone apps Upward Curve heads to an hour west of Port Elizabeth, deliver real-time surf reports California, Gold Coast Australia, serving up the best surf in direct to hand, allowing the flexible Hawaii and South Africa – where South Africa. worker an opportunity to burst all four destinations regularly away from the desk and jump on deliver at least 100 days of the board. But surfing has not rideable waves every year.

Above: Scott has won a series of tournaments and obtained the World No.1 slot last year Below: Balancing family life with his career will be a new challenge for Scott

24 Upward Curve October-December 2018 October-December 2018 Upward Curve 25 Surfing

points Kirra, Rainbow Bay and Today, Hawaii is considered the Duranbah Beach, is home to the home of surfing, with the warm annual Quicksilver Pro surfing waters of O’ahu’s famous north competition and adds a bucket shore offering some of the best list location for serious surfers surf in the world, just one hour the world over. from Honolulu. That’s not to say A pure, hollow wave breaks the town beaches are no good, from the south end of Rainbow with Publics, Waikiki, Ala Moana Bay and, occasionally pumps for Bowls and Kaisers kicking out two kilometres to Kirra Beach. The some high quality, cruisy waves entry and take-off at Snapper can for all levels. be tricky (you have to time your The surf gets a little more leap from the rocks). extreme up the north shore, where Rainbow Bay offers great surf Three Tables Beach, Haleiwa and for beginners too, with one of the Banzai Pipeline draw advanced longest right-handers in the world. surfers who prefer a little more Currumbin and Duranbagh cater space to let rip. Jaws (Pe’ahi in for all levels. Hawaiian) is the biggest surf spot Perfect and reliable waves roll in all. The reef break was largely in all day at Coolangatta’s south inaccessible to surfers before the end, Greenmount, and further advent of tow-in surfing. This has south, The Pass at Byron Bay brought an influx of inexperienced – where surfing is a sport for surfers, angering locals who must everyone – offers an idyllic spot Gold Coast beaches are patrolled to Australia (in 1914), where he now share breaks and worry about for first-timers. year-round by professional showed locals how to ride waves injuries. Water temperature stays Home to the famous ‘Burleigh lifeguards and conditions suit on a heavy finless board carved between 22ºC and 27ºC, so leave barrel’, three distinct breaks all skill levels. from a piece of pine. The art of the wetsuit at home. attract surfers to Burleigh australia.com standing on a board, however, was gohawaii.com ■ Heads. In the right conditions, first recorded on James Cook’s they combine to create a quite HAWAII maiden voyage in Tahiti in 1769, Top: Tube-hunting is fair game astounding experience, for those Hawaiian Olympic swimming where it is believed to have been – the world over Left: Located who can ride out the fast barrels champion Duke Kahanamoku is central to everyday life for the on Oahu’s east shore, Makapuu that break over sand. responsible for introducing surfing Tahitian islanders. Beach Park is a great surf spot

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