Photo of the Day (12.20.08)

by Brenda Yun on


I have a confession to make. I’ve been surfing my brains out lately, but as long as I’m working hard, I can play hard, right? The other day, I was surfing at Lighthouse, a shortboarding break by Diamond Head, on the south shore of Oahu, and it was one of those epic days when the wind was none and the waves were perfect peaks rolling in from the open ocean. About an hour into the session, it started to rain. I turned to my friend and told him, “I love it when it rains like this. The water looks like snakes.”

And here is the perfect “snake” of a groundswell. This awesome capture comes to us from localsurfer, who make North Devon, UK, his home. I love hardcore surfers like him who, rain or shine, snow or sleet, cold or freezing, can be found in the water living it up or on shore shooting these fabulous photos.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

Is There Trouble in Hawaiian Paradise?

by Brenda Yun on

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal might just be over-exaggerating the tourist slump that is taking place here on the Hawaiian islands. As the article puts it, “dozens of pool chairs and canopied cabanas sat empty… restaurants had plenty of free tables… In town, “50% Off!” signs hung in the windows of many souvenir shops.” I’m pretty sure this can be the case if you’re walking around anywhere on the Big Island on a Saturday afternoon because people aren’t interested in relaxing by a pool, eating at a restaurant, or shopping. I would hope they are doing more productive things like visiting the Volcano National Park, enjoying one of the island’s many gorgeous black sand beaches, or hiking around waterfalls near Hilo.

Although I don’t want to believe the article’s proclamation, “There’s trouble in Polynesian paradise,” I’m sure the tourist industry is feeling some effects from a poor economy and the closure of ATA and Aloha Airlines – two of Hawaii’s biggest airline carriers – earlier this year. My own observations of the state of Hawaii’s tourism is far more optimistic and maybe even idealistic. I like to believe that vacationers are taking advantage of some of the great money-saving deals and discounts on accommodations and travel packages. If there’s a silver lining to a cloud, it’s that this state, my home, has always been a paradise and will remain so to many visitors in the coming year.

The WSJ article does point out that the neighbor islands – namely Maui and the Big Island – are being hit the hardest right now. If it’s any indication on my island of residence, Oahu, a decrease in tourists remains to be seen. If tourists are willing to make it out to Honolulu and stay in Waikiki, a good portion of them would make the journey to at least one outer island during even a week-long visit to the islands.

Additionally, the winter time sees an increase of vacationers to the islands to witness some of the state’s most popular events, like the Triple Crown of Surfing (on the North Shore of Oahu, Nov. 12 – Dec. 20), the Honolulu Marathon (on Oahu, Dec. 14), the Maui Whale Festival (on Maui, February), the Waimea Town Celebration (on Kauai, Feb. 20-2), and the Merrie Monarch Festival (on the Big Island, April 12-18).

An artificial beach 300 meters from the real thing

by Jerry Guo on

There’s an absolutely amazing beach in Japan, filled with white sand, blue water, and a lapping wave. But this beach did not exist before 1993. It’s known as the Ocean Dome, the most popular artificial beach in an arena that’s quickly becoming fashionable. There’s now artificial beaches in Monaco, Paris, Rotterdam, Toronto, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

The heated beach can accommodate 10,000 tourists, even though it’s competing with plenty of other attractions on Kyushu Island – 1,500 kilometers south of Tokyo. The kicker is that there’s an actual beach, which looks decent, 300 meters away. Talk about stiff competition.

Of course, if I was in Kyushu, I would definitely want to check out this place. First of all, the weather’s always fantastic, since it’s situated indoors. Then, there’s the volcano. That’s right, there’s an artificial volcano that spews smoke every fifteen minutes and flames on the hour. If that’s not enough entertainment, professional surfers can be found riding the waves.

You gotta love the Japanese. Check out the link below for some great shots. Absolutely spectacular.

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The Triple Crown of Surfing: Reef Hawaiian Pro

by Brenda Yun on

The Triple Crown of Surfing got off to a mammoth start on Thursday with wave faces reaching over 20 feet for the Reef Hawaiian Pro at Ali’i Beach in Haleiwa. Each event in the Triple Crown undergoes a 12-day waiting period and usually takes 4-5 days to complete. Thursday and Friday saw big, clean conditions for both days, but the surf will wane over the next few days and the Men’s Final date and time is yet to be determined.

I headed to the North Shore on Friday for what was my first time attending a Triple Crown event, and I wasn’t disappointed. These surfing events are so packed with beach babes, film crews, and hot surfers that it is nearly impossible NOT to have a great time. I even saw Bethany Hamilton (the girl who lost her arm from a shark attack on Kauai), and she is MUCH taller than what you see in photos! She is at least six feet tall and is a statuesque young surfer girl.
As a spectator, however, it is best to go on the day of the final or on the day with the biggest waves. The waves were already backing off a bit (they were still well above overhead) and were a bit slow and crumbly for my viewing taste.

My good friend, Bernie Baker, is the contest coordinator and a judge for this and nearly all surfing events on Oahu, and was nice enough to pose with me in a photo between heats.

Surfing here in Hawaii is one of the many activities that happen year-round. Somewhere in these islands is a surfable wave. You just have to find it. There’s also a contest nearly every weekend — on the south shore of Oahu during the summer months, and on the North Shore during the winter. Check out Surf News Network for wave conditions on all islands, and the Vans Triple Crown website for livestream videos and other news about what is arguably the biggest annual event in the sport of surfing.

Kiteboarder Gets Whacked by a Whale

by Brenda Yun on

If you haven’t seen the footage already, here’s a clip of the now-famous Kiwi kitesurfer that had an encounter with a whale.

When I first heard this story, I couldn’t help but think it was another piece of outrageous sensationalism. Then, I thought about those times when I’ve surfed alone or gone free diving and remembered the real fear that crept into my mind: There’s a whole world in these waters — a world that is wild and unpredictable.I’ve heard many a story from my surfing pals about shark and whale sightings. My ex-boyfriend surfer told me about three encounters he had with large sea mammals that remain some of the most vivid and outrageous Ive ever heard: he was once pulled into the wave of the day by a playful seal; he surfed right next to a whale that was so big he thought it was a megalodon; he fought off two territorial elephant seals to secure his spot in a lineup.

These kinds of occurrences, though rare, get you so close to nature and the wild that sometimes you rethink your own existence.