On the the round one, we were blessed to see a lot of good wave rides.
A wave worth remembering is the Matt Wilkinson insane rodeo flip and the Gabriel Medina’s perfect 10 score on his wave. That was the first 10 of the competition and we hope to see more waves like this one on the later stages of he contest.
Continue reading Rip Curl Pro Portugal 2012 – Mirage Daily Highlights, Round 1
Today was a lay  day on the Rip Curl Pro Portugal, cause of the bad wave conditions.  The swell was acctually not so bad, but the strong onshore winds made the strong short break wave to a strong close-out wave. Still some locals were surfing the waves at the Supertubos.
Continue reading John John Florence Surfboard on Repair
These last days of surfing in Peniche were not blessed with to many good waves, with some exceptions on some days. Only one day was surfable for the whole of the day. But even on the bad wave day, you are able to make progress.
Continue reading Fun Surfing Portugal
Before my surf trip I decided to put the SharkSkin wet suit to the test in a very cold water of the Sava River and realize my idea about paddle training on an flowing river against the stream.
Continue reading River Surfing – Paddle Training
The problem of not being able to surf on the wave-less days by the Ocean was solved in the 60’s, by the surfers of California. Thanks to them, now even people, leaving in the wave-less countries without the Ocean to do any kind of wave surfing, to do something like that and get stoked without the waves.
Since than the whole industry developed into many varieties of the basic idea to put 2 pairs of wheels wheels on the bottom of a wooden plank.
Now we have short-skatebaords, long-skateboards, speed-skateboards, trick-skateboards in many different shapes, varieties and abilities. And they all offer a kind of sensational pleasures of riding a board.
And lately, the company Carver Skateboards have released their carver- C7 boards, which is actually moving like a surfboard on a wave. This video, should give picture the right image about what I have to to tell you.
It’s a truly fun experience to be riding the Carver C7 skateboard. You never have to step down from the skateboard, you just pump it, the same way you pump the surfboard to gain speed. The secret of the carver C7 is the front axis, which moves over an almost 180 degree angle. And the suspended spring below the axis allows the skater to pump the skateboard rather than pushing it with the legs.
It also allows to a skater to ride this board on a wall and make a sharp turn, with wheels completely on the ground. Kind of a wall ride. The body movement is exactly the same as by making a top turn on the wave.
And the feeling is almost exactly the same stoke as in surfing the wave. And the watery-blue half-pipe ramp gives an even more similar sensational feeling.
Except in the case when you fall . . . it’s still much softer to land in the water, than to the ground. Altough with carver surfing, you dont have to paddle to the line up again.
But in any case, surfing the ocean or surfing the ramp,
by the end of the day, you will definitely have pain in the body
and in dreamy heaven in the mind
Supertubos surf spot, between Conscolescao and Peniche in Portugal is the most amazing wave i have met in person, so far. It’s a short break wave, that break heavy and super fast onto a very shallow water on a sandy bottom shore. It’s a steep, fast, tube making and super awesome wave . . . Supertubos.
Ever since we were on a Rip Curl PRO Portugal, ASF World Tour event in October 2011 and saw the wave experts take on those 4-5 meter monsters, I is my wish to surf it too. Much smaller swell tough 😉
Supertubos is a world known wave and there is a lot of locals surfing it on a good wave day. A lot of really skilled surfers and bodyboarders in the water on such days. Definitely not the time for a first-time Supertubos master-in-training to be at that place.
So, we decided with my friend, a very skilled body boarder, Diego, that on every early morning when the Supertubos will be working, we will wake up early and beat the pro crowd, to be be able to learn the wave.
We’ve got our first chance on a Saturday June 2nd, 2012. The forecast for that day was 2.5 to 3 meter swell with crosss-offshhore winds. Perfect conditions for Supertubos. We woke up at 6 am and drove to the Supertubos, which is located about 5 minutes from our surf house Tribu.
At 6:30 a, as I was entering the massive breaking waves, I saw Diego, already riding his first super tube of the day. Just an great morning sight, to see your friend in the Barrel fro the side. It was just great motivation to make 2 epic, late duck dives to get to the line up. A plus side of this surf spot is, that you are able to get to the line-up really fast. Only one or two duck dives. But these duck dives, phuuuu!! When you make it the lip smashes on your feet, launching you through the other side of the breaking wave.
I was very brave to take on the first wave, as it seemed so easy when Diego was doing it. I paddle on the wave, want to make a stand-up and the next moment I was falling, smashed the bottom and find myself almost on the shore. Auch. I waited for the set to pass and get to line up again. This time I was afraid. I was just floating in the line-up watching some 6 really good surfer taking on the waves. It was cool vibe in the line-up. We all respected each other, a real surfing spirit on that morning.
I took on the second wave, same story and the third one as well. But at my first try I really got smashed hard with my ass to the sandy bottom. I was really thinking about exiting the water. “But, man! You woke up at 6 am, put on the wetsuit and you are in the water. There is tubes like 5 meters away from you. What kind of a man is giving up after only 3 wipe-outs.” Just turn around and go again. This time I didn’t hesitate. I took the first wave that offered it self. I paddled hard and made a stand up!! WOoooooooo, I’m surfing on Supertubos!!
BUT! The nose of the board started sinking, maybe the wave was too steep for the board, as I was unable to get the nose over water, and the next moment I was falling to the sandy bottom again. This time hitting it directly with my back. I swear, it was like one giant’s hand smashing and pressing you to the bottom. It didn’t hurt at all at that moment, but sure did feel the pain the whole week after.
I kind of felt like this penguin guy, Cody Maverick from the surfing cartoon Surf’s Up. And my friends told me, that my Supertubos surfing looked like this 😉
I was totally stoked, and also covered in sticky sand under my wetsuit when we got back to the van. I was telling to my friends, how happy I am, that after 4 heavy wipe outs the board is still in one piece. I put the board in the board bag and put behind the van.We were having fun talking about waves, changed our clothes and drive the van forward from the parking, to return to the Tribu Surf House with Diego and Marina. On our way, a car started driving behind us, blending lights and honking the horn. Diego thought that there is something wrong with the tires of the van. But everything was fine, we just thought one happy camper is still in action from Friday night. Than he drove parallel to us, pointing to a surfboard he has in his car. I showed him thumbs up, thinking: “Ye, cool guy, you have s surfboard to.” And than . . . I look back, and my surfboard is missing in the van. OMFG!!! The guy has my surfboard.
We stopped on one side road and this guy Mark from South Africa (we’ve met in the following days on some surf sessions ), saw when we drove off and the board fell on the ground behind the van. I am so thankful that such a nice person saw this event, that he drove after us with my board. What a guy.
So this day was a triple lucky day in the beginning already. I’ve got 4 wipe-outs and was still in one piece. So was the board. And I accidentally re-found my surfboard, thanks to the South African surf Spirit. Thank you Mark.
And thank you . . . God? That I didn’t drive in reverse from the parking. Even Mark wouldn’t been able to help me in the case of driving the van over my board . . .
Later on that day we’ve got 4 more really nice surf sessions on Baleal beach with mini-malibu boards. Was so much fun.
And soon, I will take the teachings of the Supertubos wave, with added experience, skill and strength to master this monster that has overmastered me on this day.
You can only loose in any situation, when you give up. I don’t know, how really great must it be, to actually be standing on a surfboard, surrounded by nothing but a tunnel of ocean water and moving along it as it disappears behind you and appears in front of you . .
And no wipe-out, I don’t care how hard and pianful it might be, can ever stop me from getting what I desire in any area of life.
Supertubos, you are no exception.
Aloha
It’s been 5 days I have been in my home, waweless counry of Slovenia. It has been raining every day since I’ve returned . . . which infarct was great, as I needed a really deep rest after all the great moments of traveling around.
Still I started missing surfing even before I’ve gotten rested.
So on Saturday I checked the Slovenian secodn hand online shop Bolha.com for my luck in finding a wave shortboard in a Central-European waveless country. . . And I found one. Actually there were two altogether, but this one was almost what I was looking for. It’s a 6.3 fish tail, 21 wide and 2,3/4 thick. I was looking for something like 18 wide and less than 2 1/2 thick.
But it’s either this today or nothing. So I call the guy and within 4 hours we were on the other part of Slovenia with my friend Domen, buying the board. We had a nice chat with the seller. There’s really not that much surfers in our little country and you know . . . surf-minds think alike.
It started raining that day, so we just had a nice day with surfer Domen. And than on Sunday afternoon…. finally! Some sunshine.
I immediately drove to lake Bled, get out the board and get into the water. And as it was Sunday after noon, there was a lot of people walking around the lake. Walking to the water was quite interesting. All the people were looking at me like I’m from another planet.
Well somedays ago I use to just don’t care about what other people think and just do my stuff. But that’s not really fair. Now I try my best to have deep sympathy for them. As for someone, whose peak experience of the week is to go for a walk around the lake, with his girl-friend he has to lie to to keep, and has to work extra hours to pay for his debt for the car to impress his/hers friends, and passes judgment to someone who is just doing what they like . . . well in my opinion he has a bigger problem. There’s really no need whatsoever that his opinion or whatever he/she does can influence my happy moments. I just surf.
And being in the water on a surfboard after 10 days was just amazing. Such amazing feeling of sliding trough the water with nothing but water all around you. Perfect.
And despite the fact that there were no waves . . . just this feeling of lying on a surfboard in the water, paddling in the position and sliding trough the water, felt just like surfing in the Great Ocean.
And while eating pizza afterwards, the same feeling of pleasant exhaustion in the back, the neck, the shoulders and the arms, occurred as it does after every day of surfing at the Ocean.
I think that , since I came to Slovenia 6 days ago, this was the most pleasurable feeling day, so far . . .
Keep Surfing
Aloha
Deep Soul Surfer 