Aussie Beaches for Surfers

by Erik Olsen on

Even though most outdoors-minded folks are still thinking
about shussing the slopes, down south…that is WAY down south, the surf is up big time. In Australia it is
summertime, and the tasty waves are abundant. You probably are aware, if you do any surfing at all, that Australia is a
bit of a surfing Mecca. A couple of guys I know from my beach bum days always head to Australia this time of year,
living on the coast near Sydney and living on (literally) fish they catch and cash they scrounge up doing surf lessons.

So let us take you this morning to the Sydney Morning Herald
who’s writer Cameron Wilson offers its take on the ten best surf spots in Oz, or at least in New South Wales. Go much
further North and you might get minched by crocs. These may not be beaches with names familiar to you… i.e. Kirra
Beach, Coolangatta…but they are unmistakably Australian. 

Surf in Central America

by Erik Olsen on

Surf’s up in Nicaragua, a place you might remember we mentioned a while back as among the top global surf
spots in the world. Or at least it’s building that reputations. Things are changing rapidly there, we learn as people
(that is, Americans) are discovering it in droves. I passed through Nicaragua years ago on my trip through the
Americas. Tt the time it was hardly the kind of place that average tourists would enjoy. I liked it because it was
rough around the edges…actually it was rough right down to the center…but that was fine by me. It made
the place more interesting.

Anyway, back to surfing. I urge you to check out this site about surfing Nicaragua.

Babes in New Zealand

by Erik Olsen on

Slate’s travel pieces are too
few and few between. They only seem to pop up every few weeks or so, and yet, when they do, I always enjoy the stories.
What I like the most is that Slate let’s the writers breathe a bit. The dispatches usually take place over the course
of a week, and during that time the writers get to explore many aspects of a place, they meet different people and you
get to watch the transformation of the writer’s perspective from day to day. Compare that to a standard travel piece
which usually doesn’t have the kind of room to move.

Well, I just took a
read of the new series of dispatches out on by Elisabeth
Eaves, and it is one of the better pieces I have read in a long while on the Kiwi nation. Eaves heads to NZ with an
adventuresome friend Kristin who, Eaves writes, "has never met an outdoor solo sport she doesn’t like". Eaves
is no outdoorsy slouch, but she’s obviously got to push herself a bit given the fact she has chosen to land herself in
the outdoors capitol of the world. So the pair embark on a trip that includes hiking, sea-kayaking, on- and off-road cycling, windsurfing, and rock climbing. And then of course there’s the whole bungee
jumping thing.

The stories that unfold here are filled with humor and pain…like real
physical pain, and each one delivers a dose of insight into what New Zealand is all about: the gorgeous vistas, the
gaping space, the often kooky people. And of course, in the end, it also helps that both Eaves and her friend are,
well, rather good looking. Give it a read. 

Learning How to Surf

by Erik Olsen on

I recall that we’ve done a few posts here about learning to surf, and usually the tales are humorous narratives about how hard it is to get up at first, and then they culminate in the exhilarative thrill of standing on a board and riding a wave for the first time. Well, I don’t have something much different than that this time either.

The writer in this piece from Delta’s in flight magazine heads to Witch’s Rock Surf Camp, in Playa Tamarindo, Costa Rica, to learn how to hang ten. We learn a bit about the surf scene in Latin America, and we “lifetime” dream of learning how to surf. But it’s a flavorful piece and kinda funny. Definitely worth a minute or two, especially if you’re considering picking up the sport yourself.

Photo of the Day (1/18/2006)

by Erik Olsen on

Good to see our friend localsurfer posting again, and once again, as
with many of his photos, it’s all about surfing. This one is a shot of a very dedicated
surfer heading out in the freezing temperatures. He’s got a nice wet suit on with a hood, but you can’t help wonder if
the guy’s just a bit crazy.