Sigh

One week ago today in the Canary Islands:

Click here to see what we've got at home right now. Sigh indeed!

Big again!!

The usual suspects were towing-in at Playa Gris today (Sunday). Too much wind for Belharra aparently. The peak of the swell is due for tomorrow morning and some classic XXL conditions are expected. I think there are a few nominations among the waves surfed today but there was only one set (IMHO) that could be a contender and the crews were way too deep to give it a go. Next time folks. I'm sure in the next 24h. we'll see lots of photos/videos from the session of today and tomorrow on the net.

(The first team checking a set wave from the jet-ski. Click to enlarge).

(One of the first rides of the session by Axi Muniain. Click to enlarge).

(Karramarro just before nightfall. A nice spot when the rest of the coast is way too big.Click to enlarge).

I'm flying off to the Canary Islands tomorrow. Hopefully I'll find a sheltered corner somewhere to surf. Cheers!

Amazing day...

...for some... and I mean that special breed of big wave riders. Today (Friday) Belharra, the big wave that lays dormant almost a mile off Saint Jean de Luz, in SW France, was surfed without the help of jetskis for the very first time. Sure it wasn't huge-gnarly-hollow Belharra... or rather it was huge but not humongous. Axi Muniain (first European surfer ever to reach the final of the XXL Monster Paddle Award), Yann Kazandjan (first European surfer invited to the Mavericks contest ever) and Pilou were the pioneers floating among a waltz of noise and jet ski fumes to catch a few elusive liquid monsters. They only rode a few waves, with Axi getting the biggest and Pilou getting the worst beating, and I'm sure we'll se the photos soon all over the media and the screens.

My hat's off to them!

(left to right: Yann, Axi, Pilou and Luc).

(In order to avoid getting blown out by the offshores and to stick the board down to the surface during a bumpy drop Axi has installed a system of mobile leads -2.200kgs. in total- along a curtain rail on the nose of his boards. Today was the first test and he is more than happy with the results).

(12'6'' and almost brand new. Check the leads rail system).

La vie en rose...

Go South, waaaaaaaaay South young man!!!

four

Last Friday, when I got home after a little surf in France, my body was in the shape of a "4". The cold got me -it had snowed some 20cms on Thursday and the air was like 2ºC when I was surfing- and blocked my lower back so much I could barely stand upright. All it has taken for my lower back to heal is to rest in the warmth of home and some gel.

This reminded me that I had seen some warming kidney belts in some mag and I managed to find them on the internet. They are the poor man’s version of Rip Curl’s heated wetsuits… which, if I’m not mistaken, comes with a price tag of some 1,000USD in the US (ouch!). As we still are in early winter I’m seriously thinking of buying one of those heated kidney belts.

Have any of you tried them (or do you know someone who has)?

Cold water is also known to produce another effect on our bodies, as George Costanza found out in this Seinfield episode:

Nothing a hot shower can cure though…

First surf of the year...

Not for me, but for these blokes. Very tiny waves at home this morning but at the low tide you could get some funny lefts at La Zurriola, especially on a mal. I walked the dog on the beach for a couple of hours instead. There'll be plenty of other opportunities to surf this year, i'm sure.

Here's wishing a Happy New Year to everyone!