Recently we told you about Expedia’s Flip Flop Report and let you know the lowdown on beach behavior from around the world. We learned that the average beach vacation lasts 7.7 days, Germans are the most likely to sunbathe nude and Indians think it’s important to find new locations for beach destinations.
So how about those travelers looking to enjoy the beach in a truly unique beach destination? While you’ve probably seen pristine white beaches with azure waters and picture-perfect surroundings, what about a beach made of glass? Or the world’s largest indoor beach? How about a beach littered with mysterious indigenous rock carvings? These are just a few of the many unusual beaches you’ll find in the gallery below.
While rooftop lounges, bars and pools are common, have you ever heard of a rooftop bike club? Holland-based NL Architects is bringing Dutch bike culture to southern China with a new concept in cycling.
The rooftop velodrome is actually part of a resort in Sanya in the Hainan province, and will feature a pagoda roof with curves and inclines to increase cyclists’ speed and velocity. Moreover, underneath the track are restrooms, a glass-enclosed cafe and a bike rental area. To get downstairs, a large staircase sits in the center of the track, which appears to float in the air.
Completion of the rooftop bike club is set for the end of 2012.
There’s no denying stand up paddling is one of the fastest growing sports on the planet. Unheard of 10 years ago, waterways from Lake Tahoe to the Mekong River are now home to dedicated groups of paddlers who are stoked to walk on water. Aside from being a challenging workout, what makes stand up paddling so immensely popular is the versatility of the sport, which allows it to be enjoyed in a wide array of conditions. Whether it’s gliding along a placid lake at sunrise, pulling into an eight-foot barrel, or flying along on a classic downwinder, there’s a stand up board to match your mood.
For those not familiar with the concept of a downwinder, it’s a point-to-point excursion where the paddler keeps the wind at their back and navigates through the constantly morphing ocean swells. Throughout the paddle, the main goal is to position yourself properly on one of the rolling swells and use the energy to literally surf the wave until it fizzles out and dies. Ideally, a downwinder should consist of more surfing than paddling, and the stronger the winds, the larger the swells are, and ultimately the better the ride.
While there are a number of runs across the globe that meet the criteria for an epic downwinder, none are more notorious and better suited for the sport than the famed Maliko Run on the north shore of Maui. While it’s highly recommended to acquaint yourself and get comfortable with the sport before attempting a run such as Maliko, here is a “how-to” to give you something to shoot for.1. Get a good stand up board and a light, carbon fiber paddle
As mentioned above, there is a proper stand up board for every activity you plan to undertake. The same board that you would use for stand up surfing an overhead reef break is not the same board you would use for an epic downwinder. As you are going to be navigating open ocean waves and needing to cover a fair amount of distance while paddling, a longer and more narrowly shaped board is preferable for a downwinder such as Maliko. At a minimum you should have a 12-foot-6-inch stock stand up board, although anything 14 feet and over is a better choice. Want to get real professional? Spring for an F-16 downwind board that’s tapered in the nose and specifically meant for catching swells. While a carbon fiber paddle isn’t essential, your arms are going to be feeling it by the end should you opt to use anything heavier.
2. Take a few practice runs elsewhere.
Just as you wouldn’t attack a double black diamond run or attempt heli-skiing immediately after your first lesson outside of the lodge, so goes the same for stand up paddling. The Maliko Run usually puts the paddler over one mile offshore depending on the wind direction, which is a terrible place to find yourself if you’re struggling and don’t know what you’re doing. If you can put the wind at your back while close to shore and paddle for at least a mile without falling, you might be ready for Maliko.
3. Find a partner
The same way you wouldn’t (or shouldn’t) go scuba diving or mountain climbing solo, so goes the same for when you put yourself at the mercy of the ocean a far distance from shore. Not only is having a partner a safer option for doing the Maliko Run, but it’s a lot more enjoyable. Although the sensation of stroking solo through the deep blue Pacific can be immensely calming, it can get a little bit lonely offshore, and having a partner there to share the moment with you is a markedly safer and a more enjoyable experience.
4. Wait for the right conditions
It should go without saying, but one of the chief ingredients of a downwinder is a good amount of wind. If you go out on a calm day you’re going to be in for a brutal paddle. Twenty knots of wind will be enough for a nice paddle; get over 35 knots and you’re in for a fast-paced screamer. The Maui trade winds are at their strongest and most consistent during the summer months of May through September. Also, since the Maliko Run is located on the island’s north shore, the winter months of October-April can bring surf that tops out at over 30 feet, turning the run into a death wish that only the most talented watermen should ever attempt. While it’s possible to tackle an extreme Maliko Run in the throes of a massive winter swell, it’s most likely best to stick to the summer months of steady winds and calm waters.
5. Drop a car
Such is the crux with one-way sports (such as whitewater kayaking), seeing as if all goes as planned you are going to end the day in a different place than where you started your journey. Although it may have taken you anywhere from 1.5-2.5 hours to paddle from Maliko Gulch to Kahului Harbor or Kanaha Beach Park, it’s only going to take you 20-30 minutes to drive back there. Without the car, however, trying to hitchhike with a 14-foot board suddenly becomes an unenviable task.
6. Paddle out at Maliko Gulch
A rare protected cove on the otherwise exposed coastline of Maui’s north shore, Maliko Gulch is the same place where many of the world’s best tow surfers launch their jet skis for a tow surf session out at Jaws. Drop your board in the water and paddle through the protected gulch until you reach the tumultuous ocean swells awaiting you on the outside. Depending on the direction of the wind you’ll have to paddle at least a half-mile offshore to get a good angle on your end destination. If the wind is from the east you will have to paddle further out than if it is blowing from the north (rare) or northeast (more common).
7. Bring a leash and let someone know where you’re going
Nothing’s worse than losing your board while over a mile offshore and in 500 feet of water. Save yourself a terrifying situation and wear a leash, preferably around your upper leg to avoid it creating drag in the water. While hopefully it will never come to it, if someone knows you’re doing the Maliko Run and you still aren’t back by dark, it’s better than swimming aimlessly offshore (or worse) and not having anyone know that you’re there.
8. Shoot for Kahului Harbor or Kanaha Beach Park and enjoy the ride
You’ve done all the hard work of training, dropping a car and driving all the way to Maliko, so now it’s time to reap the fruits of your hard work and enjoy the epic ride. If the conditions are right you could literally just sit on your board without paddling and still end up near your destination, but that pretty much defeats the purpose of tackling one of the world’s best downwinders. Why not make a workout of it and test your balance and paddling skills by navigating your way through the heaving open ocean swells, which, if played properly, can get you an adrenaline-inducing ride.
As a tip, when you’re paddling you should keep your weight a few steps forward of the middle of the board, and once you’ve caught a swell you should back up a few steps so as to avoid the dreaded “pearl dive,” a move where the nose of the board dips beneath the water and you end up taking a deep water swim. Do your best to stay out of the water, keep up your momentum and you’ll be entering next year’s Naish Maliko Race before you know it.
It’s raining in Miami, and we’re sitting inside of the Camper pavilion waiting for the weather to clear, Josh with his forehead on the table while I make idle conversation with the woman across from us.
“It’s embarrassing,” she says, gesturing to the low turnout for the day of in-port racing, though considering the weather, I imagine there were several factors in play. Still, there’s no doubt that the race village here in Miami feels different from the one in Alicante. In Spain, where the race started in November, you could power a blender on the electricity buzzing through the atmosphere.
Here, the crowds and the teams seem more reserved, with visitors scampering to find cover among pavilions or in the tents set up by the various sponsors. When we head in to the media tent to pick up badges, a familiar face greets us from Spain, an old friend who puts down her mobile phone to catch up on gossip. She smiles. We’re the only ones checking in.
Midway through this marathon of a race, the atmosphere here is heavy with fatigue and determination. Over 30,000 nautical miles have been sailed around the world to this point so far, and teams still have to cross the Atlantic Ocean before they reach home. As soon as the boats pull back into port in Miami on Saturday, the shore crew is hard at work turning over the boat for the next day of sailing. Bunks are being hosed down, masts are being rigged, sails reconfigured. Frankly, there’s little space for celebration and the crowd seems to respect that.
Still, it’s easy to see the hope and determination still coursing strongly through many of the sailors. We meet up with our old friend Nick Dana, the Media Crew Member (MCM) on Team Abu Dhabi’s Azzam who’s bearded, tanned and about six years older than he was in Spain last November. There’s nothing but hunger for the race in his voice, however, and as he wanders through the ship with us, he tells us of his excitement for the next leg, excitement to be in his home country and excitement to kick this next leg in the teeth.
We leave the ocean racers in the late afternoon heat and drizzling rain of Miami, quietly rigging the boat and preparing for the next leg. Josh and I will be tucked safely away at the downtown Marriott tonight, while tomorrow the crew will be filed away into their carbon fiber bunks as the ships sail eastward. Divergent now, our paths will cross again soon.
“Ladies, be careful,” warns Juan, our guide for Cajas National Park in Ecuador. “This forest is known to have evil elves.”
We are currently in the Quinoa Forest, which we are told, at 13,124 feet high, is the highest forest in the world. Because I’m from New York and don’t believe in elves, the warning does not scare me. However, there are various legends revolving around the forest that stem from Incan beliefs.
For one, elves, or chuzalungu in Cachua, the native Inca language, live in the forest and kidnap women and children. In my opinion, this may have stemmed from the highlanders being short, and if anything bad happened to a woman or child, the wrongdoer may have been mistaken as being an elf.
It’s not surprising so many mystical legends exist here. Walking through the Quinoa Forest, you’ll feel like you’re hiking through some kind of bizarre fairy tale, as you climb over twisted trees and tangled roots. In reality, the jungle gym-like terrain is due to the three feet of soil.Another legend is the Quinoa Forest is home to talking animals. This also stems from the Incas, probably because at that time they didn’t understand the talking macaw. To the Incas, a talking bird would have been preposterous. However, it created a belief that the forest was full of animals that could speak their language.
Finally, there is the legend – or possibly fact – that spirits roam the forest. The reason I say “possibly fact” is that many people have actually died here, from altitude sickness, getting lost, starving or freezing. According to Juan, 20 tourists have died since the boundaries of the park were created in 1979. Furthermore, many locals, including a 10-year-old boy whose skull was later found in a nearby lake, have lost their lives among the dark shadows of the Quinoa Forest trees.
For those who want to learn more about the Quinoa Forest and its many myths and legends, there is currently an Ecuadorian movie being made at the location. I’m not sure of all the details, but the premise has to do with a tourist getting lost in the woods and running into elves, spirits and other mythical characters.
