INTERNATIONAL VERSION
APRIL 2017 | #22 Eduardo DÃaz
SUP in Norway
North Korea
Competition
Tarifa
Full interview with the Waterman from Gran Canaria
The beauty of a journey through the country of the glaciar white
Did you imagine North Korea as your next SUP trip?
All about the APP World Tour Maui Sunset Pro-Am
Fred Bonnef coming back to live again in the south of Spain
EDITORIAL
The art of enjoying unpredictability Not always everything goes as we expect, want or plan... From traveling around the world with a paddle on your boardbag you get to learn a little bit about this. We depend on the elements, we cannot aspire to completely control their strength, nor to predict them with total certainty. This teaches us to be flexible, adaptable to changes, eternal and untiring seekers, the best is yet to come, perfection does not exist. As yet.
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A clear example of this are the SUP surfers from the Spanish Mediterranean coast, artists of the seeking and not always finding what they wish. We bring you the particular perspectives of Saul and Alejandro, two riders from the unknown Costa Brava and Menorca. We say unknown because unknown are the impeccable waves and impassive surfing that we found in the photos they have sent us. An ode to unpredictability‌ and being ready for what the elements bring.
Markos Aristides Kern
You will meet Eduardo Díaz, one of the first Spanish watermen who jumped on a SUP board. In the interview he speaks about how this sport has guided him to what he is today and changed his way of life. The competition section is packed of action with the best racers in the world fighting for the victory on the first Race event of the 2017 APP world Tour, the APP Maui Pro-Am. Remember that now there is an overall world title across racing and surfing… So you will
be surprised with some on the names that leaded this competition! As you know, we like to feature travel stories to inspire you and make you expand your soul. We try to give tips and useful information to help out our readers to make true those trips that always wanted to do.
We hope to make you enjoy these stories and images so that you feel like traveling while reading ... Who knows? Maybe we get to motivate you so that you read our next issues while traveling with your paddle. ;) Keep SUPING
This time, you’ll find a few articles about very atypical and complicated destinations, shocking and beautiful experiences… Get ready for it!
Sarah Hèbert
SUPING Magazine
INDEX
14. 28. 44. 56. 62. 76.
Competition: APP Maui PRO-AM. Eduardo Díaz, the Waterman from Gran Canaria. Discovering Norway. White and Blue. Snapshot: Costa Brava and Menorca. SUP in... North Korea?! Fred Bonnef back in Tarifa
COVER
Eduardo Díaz
Gwen Marché
62 28 56
44 14
8
76
Fish Bowl Diaries
Bernd Roediger
STAFF
EDITORS
Emilio Galindo María Andrés PHOTOGRAPHERS
Gwen Marché, Markos Aristides Kern, Thorstan Indra, Fish Bowl Diaries, 808Photo.me, Rodrigo Jímenez Underwater, Lars Jacobsen, Tomeu Mir, Pablo Winddoses, Dan Petermann. COLLABORATORS
Eduardo Díaz, APP World Tour, Guillermo Carracedo, Fred Bonnef, Kai-Nicolas Steimer, Lena Albrecht, Saúl Martínez Horta, Alejandro Alguacil , Sarah Hèbert. TO GET FEATURED
If you are interested in collaborating with SUPING Magazine you can send us your material and / or your proposals to our e-mail. WE ARE SUPPORTING
Surf Rider Foundation Europe CONTACT US
maria.supingmagazine@gmail.com ADVERTISING
supingmagazine@gmail.com WEB
www.issuu.com/supingmagazine SOCIAL MEDIA
www.facebook.com/supingmag instagram.com/supingmagazine twitter.com/SUPINGMAGAZINE RESPONSIBILITY
SUPING Magazine is not responsible for the opinions, comments and ideologies of our collaborators. We believe in the free expression of each individual and we give the opportunity to express it, but we do not necessarily share those opinions. 10
Thorstan Indra
Shawna Cropas
COMPETITION... Maui Pro-Am
2º stop of the 2017 APP World Tour APP World Tour
Fish Bowl Diaries, 808Photo.me
The island of Maui, the birth place of modern SUP, doesn’t disapoint, and continues to offer magnificent conditions and beautiful landscapes in the second event of the APP World Tour in 2017. Racing divided in two disciplines: beach race and long distance! Day 1 World-class conditions aligned with the world’s fastest standup paddle racers for another paramount display of APP World Tour competition, as the first race event of 2017 got underway with the Day One Sprint Races at the Maui Pro-Am. As the morning’s sun rose over Haleakala and filtered through the event scaffolding at Ho’okipa Beach Park, a laundry list of standup 14
paddling’s biggest stars arrived to compete. The first race event of the APP World Tour stood to provide a litmus test for these competitors’ odds in the season to come. Round One kicked off with the Maui contingent showing strong, as local hero and current racing world champion Connor Baxter (Starboard) swept the opening heat advancing directly to the third round along with fellow Maui paddler Bernd Roediger and third-place finisher, the Australian Lincoln Dews.
808Photo.me
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Fish Bowl Diaries
Ethan Koopmans
Fish Bowl Diaries
Also finishing at the top their respective heats, the American Josh Riccio (F-One) and Australians James Casey and Toby Cracknell looked dominant, clearly showcasing their off-season preparation. While the top three contenders from each Round One heat advanced directly to Round Three, the remaining athletes took to the Round Two repechage for a second chance to advance. Along the way came a clash of the titans with fellow Starboard athletes, Italian champion Leonard Nika (Starboard) and rising Australian star Michael Booth (Starboard), tangling in the surf for what contest officials deemed an interference on the part of Nika. They resolved the dispute with a single-lap 18
head-to-head heat, and in the end Nika came out ahead and advanced to Round Three. As the Men’s field narrowed through Round Three, the Semi-Finals staged the day’s dominant forces. Hawaiian favorites Mo Freitas and Connor Baxter (Starboard) met the Maui conditions with poise to take the top seeds going into the finals, while the likes of Travis Grant, Leonard Nika (Starboard), Matt Nottage (Starboard), Ryan Funk, Slater Trout and Lincoln Dews were relegated to the consolation final. The top two contenders of the consolation final—Dews (1st) and Grant (2nd)—advanced to the Final event of the Mens to battle it out with the day’s top male contenders.
The Mens final commenced with a tightlymatched selection of eight of the day’s fastest paddlers gunning off the start inside the surf line at Ho’okipa. Among them, the Danish Viking Casper Steinfath took the lead ahead of Baxter and Freitas. Steinfath held his lead and muscled into a small bump after rounding the final buoy, surfing it to the finish for an overall victory for Day One, with Freitas finishing runner-up and Baxter claiming third-place for the day. Then there were the women. With a stacked list of seven of the world’s best all jockeying for the top overall performance of three heats, it could have been anyone’s day. After two laps through the Ho’okipa surf, Australian powerhouse Terrene Black
Fish Bowl Diaries
Casper Steinfath
“Steinfath held his lead and muscled into a small bump after rounding the final buoy, surfing it to the finish for an overall victory for Day One, with Freitas finishing runnerup and Baxter claiming third-place for the day.�
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Fish Bowl Diaries
Fiona Wylde, Terrence Black
Fish Bowl Diaries
prevailed in Heat One with current racing world champion Fiona Wylde (Starboard) just behind.
commanding points lead going into tomorrow’s Distance race on the fabled Maliko Run.
In the women’s second heat, Fiona Wylde (Starboard) came out on top with Terrene in second. Meanwhile, perennial title contenders Candice Appleby and Sonni Hönscheid (Starboard) had a bit of a shocker in the sprint races with less desirable finishes.
Day 2
Perhaps the most impressive underdog display came from Maui’s own Annie Reickert, the youngest women’s contender in the field. She put her local knowledge to good use for a first-place finish in the third heat, but it wasn’t enough to take the overall victory. At the end of the day, Black finished as overall champion ahead of runner-up Wylde for a 22
Day Two welcomed the second event of the Maui Pro-Am, an eight-mile distance race on Maui’s fabled Downwind Run from Maliko Gulch to the finish at Kanaha Beach Park. By early afternoon, the excitement was peaking in Maliko Gulch as the APP World Tour athletes lined up for the start of the distance race. The Maliko is widely known as the best downwind run on earth with the Maui trade winds supplying world-class conditions for bump riding.
However, today those trade winds were nowhere to be found, and as the contenders filed out of the Gulch into the open Pacific for the start hardly a whisper of wind was present to help propel them down the coast to Kanaha. These conditions made for an all-out flatwater endurance grind in sweltering heat, as well as an immaculate setting that showcased the incredible fitness of these paddlers as well as the pristine beauty of Maui. The performance of the day came from Australian dynamo Michael Booth, whose unparalleled athleticism inserted him at the lead of the pack from the start. Booth opted for an inside line and hugged the coastline in hopes of catching some bumps in the shallows.
Fish Bowl Diaries
Mo Freitas
“Booth opted for an inside line and hugged the coastline in hopes of catching some bumps in the shallows.�
808Photo.me
Sonni Hönscheid
“...three-time Molokai 2 Oahu champion Sonni Hönscheid got out ahead early in the glassy conditions and used her veteran knowledge and sheer strength to hold that position to the finish.” 24
808Photo.me
Meanwhile, Maui favorite Connor Baxter assumed second position among the men with Mo Freitas close behind in 3rd, and that remained the hierarchy through to the finish. With Freitas finishing second in the sprints and third in the distance race, and Baxter finishing third in the sprints and second in the distance race, the tiebreaker came down to the increased points weighting of the sprint race, placing Freitas in the top position overall with Baxter runner-up. Casper “The Viking” Steinfath filled out the last position on the overall podium, finishing seventh in the distance race following his first-place victory in yesterday’s sprint races. Among the women, three-time Molokai 2 Oahu champion Sonni Hönscheid got out
ahead early in the glassy conditions and used her veteran knowledge and sheer strength to hold that position to the finish. Behind her, Fiona Wylde sported her yellow champion’s jersey in the second position for a well-earned runner-up finish in the women’s distance race. Yesterday’s sprint race victor Terrene Black drove across the finish in third place for the top overall performance of the event, claiming the Maui Pro-Am overall title ahead of overall women’s second-place contender Fiona Wylde and third-place finisher Sonni Hönscheid.
MEN RESULTS: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Mo Freitas (HI) Connor Baxter (HI) Casper Steinfath (DEN) Lincoln Dewis (AUS) Travis Grant (AUS) Arthur Arutkin (FRA)
WOMEN RESULTS: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
Terrene Black (AUS) Fiona Wylde (USA) Sonni Hönscheid (GER) Annie Reickert (HI) Candice Appleby (USA) Izzi Gomez (USA)
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Eduardo
Díaz Waterman in Gran Canaria
SUPING Magazine
Gwen Marché, Rodrigo Jiménez Underwater
Eduardo is a purely happy and calm person, passionate about his family and the nature surrounding him. Going to the sea and enjoying it every day is his way of life, whether working at his school, training or just having a good time with his wife and his son.
Eduardo Díaz Waterman in Gran Canaria Hi Eduardo! Welcome to SUPING Magazine, it’s a great pleasure having you here sharing your experience and knowledge with all of us. :) Where were you born? How was your childhood? I was born 44 years ago in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and I loved practicing sports at the school, athletics, soccer, basket… Soon, bodyboard came to my life, so I moved to the waves. I spent so many hours in the water… 30
We were a nice gang out there, so it was perfect for evolving quickly and go to some competitions.
to the island to compete in the Windsurfing World Tour event at Pozo Izquierdo, where I was living back then.
How did you get to know about SUP? We know that you practice it since the very beginning… when there wasn’t many riders either in the Spainish mainland or in the Canaries...
My SUP addiction came with Kai, he was staying at our home for his competitions, we couldn’t stop watching his videos, talking about tricks, trips… We even went for a SUP session to the Siam Park’s wave pool.
It was back in 2008 when I tried it for the first time, and I began to feel curious about the sport. By then, I was responsible for the Oxbow brand in the Canary Islands, and we started to commercialize some SUP boards in Spain.
Now you are fully focused with the Racing...
That summer, and thanks to Oxbow, I got to know Kai Lenny, because he was coming
You can do races along the coastline, and only that by itself it’s a beautiful experience.
The main thing is that it allows me to be in the water every day. It’s a good all round physical discipline.
Nowadays where I’m feeling better is on the SUP racing board, trying to beat my records every time.
“Regarding the downwind aspect of the Racing, here in the Canaries you can practice it almost every day, for me, it is part of my training, something positive to mix up the schedule.”
Every 15 or 20 days I try to change my game a little bit and go full power downwind!
Did you see any transferences between SUP Surf and Racing? We’ve seen sometimes that the top riders in both disciplines are the same ones! Yes, even if it looks very different at first glance, they have a lot of things in common. Racing is technical, and at a competition level, it requires more effort and discipline during the training season. At the end of the day, both the Racing and the Surf, are good things to practice together. Nowadays, riders and organizers, try to go for races with waves, as an extra for the Racing events. It’s pretty obvious that the two play a big role, a combination of waves and speed with a really big board.
In this competition format you need to be the faster athlete with the Race board, and also have a good knowledge about the surfing aspect to be able to success. You are training a nice group... Are you doing training in both the water and the gym? Yes, we have been developing step by step an excellent youth team with kids and adults. There are people who just want to enjoy practicing SUP, but the majority of them want to train hard 3 times a week and being prepared for the upcoming Race competitions. After 3 years we made a committed team, with a schedule and a goal to reach.
“My SUP addiction came with Kai, he was at our home for his competitions, we couldn’t stop watching his videos, talking about tricks, trips… We even went for a SUP session to the Siam Park’s wave pool.” 32
During the month we try to combine training in the ocean with workout sessions in the beach, always adapting each exercise to the age and capacities of each athlete.
“But is important to say that if you go every day full power training in the water you are not likely to improve, and even worse, you can injure yourself.�
I try to convey to the team the importance of the physical conditioning in the sport, especially in this level of full on racing. Do you have any star pupil? Any goal for them in mind? The truth is that in the team everyone have almost the same age and the same desire to progress, but there are also people with physical or technical aptitudes that are better than the others. In my point of view, the goal is the same for
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everyone, enjoy, keep pushing the records, and going for higher competitions. Is the SUP Race a good workout by itself? If there is one sport which involves stress in all the muscular groups in the body, it’s SUP.
In the other side of things, we have to keep in mind that is important to have good food, hydration, and a good sleeping time.
My last SUP trip was in Morocco. I was really surprised about the culture of the country, the gastronomy and, of course, the waves.
If we do this properly, and we add some gym training and physiotherapist it will be perfect conditioning.
During my time there I enjoyed a nice surf camp in Tamraght, 15 min in the north of Agadir, just in front of one of the most wellknown spot there, Banana Point.
For me this things are really important to keep going up in our performance.
“SUP Race is a sport which requires good physical form, or at least gaining that strength little by little while you go out there and paddle.”
But is important to say that if you go every day full power training in the water you are not likely to improve, and even worse, you can injure yourself. Are you an adventurer? Which one was your last adventure?
It was a good experience and for sure I will go back as soon as I can!
Which adventure would you like to be your next one? I wouldn’t mind go to Maui with my family, go windsurfing, do some downwind and visit some friends!
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“I always loved to compete in waves, and even if nowadays it’s not my priority, I try to go surfing from time to time, so I’m ready if a competition happens.”
Who is your best adventure partner? My son, Noah. We see you from time to time in the Siam Park, it looks incredible! How can you do it? How does it works? Are there rights and also lefthanders? I’m visiting the Siam Park since the very beginning, and every session is as good as the first one in 2009! The company and I have a very good relation, so we count on each other to do promotion jobs, exhibitions with private companies, or as we did a couple of years ago, working with a Travel TV Channel for an exclusive show about theme parks. 38
Regarding the wave, it works with a huge set of water tanks behind the wall of the pool. In fact, the pool has 11 million liters of water, and the more water you load in the tanks, the bigger the wave gets, reaching up to 3 meters high.
“The technician is with you all the time during your session, so you can combine lefthanders or rights, and you can also change the power and height of the wave within 6 levels. It’s a 100% recommended experience!”
What about the SUP vibes in Gran Canaria? Is there any problem with the surfers? In Gran Canaria, as in many other places around the world, you can go SUP Surf wherever you want, of course always respecting the local surfers that go every day in the water in the spots of the island. I think that if you are not surfing every day in that spot, wherever it’s SUP or surf, you have to go to the water relaxed, calm, and go step by step into the best place in the lineup, respecting the pace and doing your pauses. We all want to take all the waves, but we are not alone in the water.
“This year, we have an interesting SUP Tour in the islands, and also a few nice races in the Spanish mainland.
I would love to go to some international events with the Team... it would be an amazing experience for everyone.�
In the other hand, if you are a beginner, you should try to avoid the crowded spots, let the surf shops and surf school be your guide in your water adventures. Who do you like to go surfing with?
“When I go surfing I always meet a lot of friends in the water, but the people with who I really like to share waves are my good friends Dani Alcock, Jaran Rodríguez and Amilcar Tioni.”
They always talk about the good and the bad things they see on my surfing, the tricks and everything in order to help me to improve. Are you competing in SUP Surf and Race? Do you have an event in mind that you will love to go? I always loved to compete in waves, and even if nowadays it’s not my priority, I try to go surfing from time to time, so I’m ready if a competition happens. I found it difficult to be able to join all the events I like, because I’m managing the school, but I try to compete in the events that take place in the Canaries. This year, we have an interesting SUP Tour
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in the islands, and also a few nice races in mainland Spain. I would love to go to some international events with the Team, it will be an amazing experience for everyone. It was a pleasure for us Eduardo, thanks for your time and we hope to know about your next adventures soon. Many thanks to you guys for the interview, the pleasure is mine. I hope to meet you in the water one day. Aloha and big success for you and SUPING Magazine!
MASPALOMAS · GRAN CANARIA INFO@2NDREEF.COM
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Tú escuela de SUP
en las Islas Canarias Siam Park Foto : Gwe n Mar che / Lug ar:
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Discovering
Norway White and blue Kai-Nicolas Steimer & Lena Albrecht
Lars Jacobsen
In January, in the middle of winter in Europe, the two Fanatic riders Kai-Nicolas Steimer and Lena Albrecht decided to discover Norway - not scared of fighting conditions with temperatures far below zero degree. They were not equipped with snowboard or skiers as you might think. No, they started their adventure-trip to Europe’s biggest glacier with their iSUPs, drysuits, an offroad trailer and a twenty square meter tent, accompanied by Lars Jacobsen, a photographer from Hamburg and Maximilian Stolarow, a cameraman from Berlin.
Discovering Norway White and blue
The two athletes had the idea to discover places far away from their hometown Hamburg and far away from well-known warm destinations that you normally combine with Stand Up Paddling. Exploring landscapes nobody discovered with a SUP, not meeting a single soul on the way, was their idea. After three days setup time with a lot of organisation and research they decided to start the trip with one car and one trailer loaded with their tent and heaps of watersports-equipment. 46
They took the ferryboat from Hirthals, in the north of Denmark, to Langsund in Norway. From there, they left the well-known roads to drive through beautiful, lonely valleys and frozen landscapes with lakes and rivers covered in ice and snow.
“Finding a place to stay for the night, with just a thin tent in that rough landscape was quiet challenging.” They knew it would be cold, however none of them expected minus 21° during the first night. The iciness didn’t only affect their bodies, but also froze almost all of their food and the gas for their stove.
That´s when they started to doubt if that was the right idea after all. But even though they were worried to have underestimated the temperatures and rough nature, they were still fixed on their goal: to discover the biggest fjord Europe´s with their SUPs. Facing their destination the four of them carry on driving direction north, always looking for lakes or rivers, which aren’t fully covered with ice so they can sneak in a little paddle session. After a long trip through deserted, snowcovered landscapes driving along roads that were hard to pass, they arrived at Sogne Fjord. The lonely- and quietness which covered the whole landscape was immense, it felt kind of scary for the city slickers from Hamburg and Berlin.
When waking up and looking out of their tent the next morning, it felt like the whole area was asleep under a big blanket of snow. Motivated to discover that impressive landscape, Kai and Lena immediately inflated their SUPs to paddle to the deepest and longest fjord Europe’s.
“It was for sure the most exciting paddle session they ever had, challenged by trying to avoid falling into the icecold water and overwhelmed by the silence around them. ”
“When waking up and looking out of their tent the next morning, it felt like the whole area was asleep under a big blanket of snow. ”
“They knew it would be cold, however none of them expected -21° during the first night. ”
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“The unreal beauty and the deep, shining blue of the glazier was absolutely impressive. They stopped in front of the completely frozen lake to enjoy this awesome scenery. ”
The stunning scenery of the nature and the rough cliffs along the waterline without meeting a single soul. It definitely was a scary but really outstanding experience for the two Fanatic riders. After a successful tour they completed the day at a campfire looking into a stunning natural scenery. That it´s quite different to paddle in the hibernal Norway than in the middle of Hamburg city the two paddlers found out during their next session. Since it wasn’t possible to pass the road to the glacier lake by car, they had to pull their SUPs (fins taken out) along the snow-covered ground throughout icy woods to get from
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their camp to the glacier-lake. Arrived at the lake they were were stunned. The unreal beauty and the deep, shining blue of the glazier was absolutely impressive. They stopped in front of the completely frozen lake to enjoy this awesome scenery. Unfortunately there was no water but just ice and so they had to move on, searching for a place to paddle. Eventually they returned to their camp without paddling, but with 14km of walking through deep snow. The weather changed, the temperatures dropped and it started snowing. Totally hungry and exhausted they arrived back at the car. Even if the conditions pushed them
close to their limits, their call for adventures was unrestrained. The way back home guided the team along the coastline, where they found some nice swell arriving from Scotland. Even minus 11°C could not keep Kai away from SUPsurfing those perfect shoulder-high waves with his Stubby, which was another new experience for him. But after all, the rough nature and cold did not stop the two paddlers but opened their eyes once more for the versatility and passion of SUP. They are looking forward to many more SUP-adventure in landscapes no paddler had seen before!
We have a few questions for Kai‌ How did you get the idea of going SUPing at most icy temperatures? Oh, anyone can do it in summer/warm temperatures. We just wanted to try something different. It certainly has a lot to do with our desire for adventure. Norway is not a standard destination but overwhelming. We paddled in a solitude, a dead silence, something we have never experienced before. We were on the Sogne Fjord, the longest and deepest fjord in Europe, were we did not even meet a fishing boat. Left and right there were massive cliffs – simply amazing.
“... the rough nature and cold did not stop the two paddlers but opened their eyes once more for the versatility and passion of SUP. �
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Which equipment did you take? Very warm clothing, thick wetsuits and our drysuits. And of course our inflatable SUP boards. Those are practical in many ways: light, handy, but also more robust than the hardboards with which you can just slide over rocks to the water grind. I had the Fanatic Ray Air Premium, a great touring SUP, about 11 feet long and quite wide. Since you have the necessary stability and can look at the beautiful landscape and don´t have to be too focused on paddling. And you could paddle everywhere there? Many lakes were frozen or only partially open. At the glacier we had to pull our boards behind us over the surface of ice. This was also a tremendous experience. The blue colour of the glacier was outstanding and you could already see it from far away. And in Stavanger seaside I surfed with my Stubby Wave SUP at minus 11 ° in shoulder high waves. That’s what I love so much about SUPing: diversity. Would you recommend Norway? Absolutely. I would go back there any time – but next time maybe with slightly better preparation... This trip we have decided quite spontaneously. We googled the destination, organized the trailer, packed our gear and after three days we started. The weather forecast really meant that it would be a little warmer - but it was not. Who is more sensitive to the cold should perhaps not sleep in a tent, because keeping the temperature warm is quite difficult. But there is also nothing better than waking up on a fjord in Solitude, that´s for sure...
SNAPSHOT Costa Brava
Feeling the sea when nobody is out there Saúl Martínez Horta
Carlos Manic
Surfing is something that each person feel in his own way, and perhaps this feeling is conditioned by the place where you live. Saúl lives his days in Costa Brava, in the Catalonian coast. It’s not a place that you would relate to good waves and perfect conditions, but it has its special enchant. Adaptability and a powerful will to find the perfect moment. SUP surfing at his best and near home, you just need to know where to start the search!
“Perhaps it’s something inherent to the Mediterranean surfer, maybe the same impulse that one day moved us to seek and persevere in something that does not exist here, is what lead us incomprehensibly back home, making that seemingly ridiculous session with friends the best day of the year. And in the end, it’s not so different. We only change the adrenaline of the daily and perfect waves for the sensations of being given away a big surprise. The game is the same.” 56
Carlos Manic
SaĂşl MartĂnez Horta
SNAPSHOT Menorca
The unknown Balearic wave Alejandro Alguacil
Tomeu Mir
We believe in miracles, and for riding this wave in the Balearics you have to believe too. These passionate and pacient surfers know how to wait for a day like this, they love the conditions at their home spots, and enjoy the fullest when the D-day arrives. Not regularity, but quality and rareness. Alejandro Alguacil, from Menorca Island sent us this pic together with this nice words...
“Being out there is a different feeling. Both freedom and solitude at the same time. For us, the Mediterranean riders, it is a unique oportunity to surf a wave with the same power than the Atlantic ones. Anyhow, from time to time, the forecast is on point and with a little bit of luck, and the particular shape of the bottom of the sea, this wave emerges. In Menorca, we call it “The XL”. One kind of a beauty that is worth to see from inside.“ 58
Tomeu Mir
Alejandro Alguacil
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SUP in... North Korea? Sarah Hébert
Markos Aristides Kern
Fanatic sent SUP team rider, Sarah Hébert to discover on of the most isolated countries in the world - The Democratic People’s Republic of North Korea. For decades, the country has been a blank spot on the map, essentially a no-go zone for tourists. Now, after years of being closed off from the world, North Korea is opening its doors to tourists. Surprisingly, this includes surfers.
North Korea Join us exploring this isolated destiny with Sarah Hébert The French globetrotter joined a small group of travellers from around the world to discover what the country has to offer in terms of water sports and to teach locals at North Korea’s first ever surf school. Sarah spent 10 days in North Korea starting in Pyongyang and then travelling by road to Hamhung on the east coast of the Korean peninsula to score waves. Her account describes an untouched and undeveloped country that is filled with friendly people, striking contrasts and a very complicated history. 64
Arrival at Pyongyang airport, it is 4am. After 3 flights and a long layover in Shanghai, I am finally in North Korea. I don’t know what awaits me but I am keeping an open mind. All I know, is that I’m about to enter a country which I have only heard about through the news. After a long time in immigration, we eventually get underway. My two bags with inflatable SUPs have made the journey from France intact and I’ve tried to bring as few items as I can to make entry to this unusual country as hassle-free as possible. No laptop, an empty phone and two yoga magazines. I’ve been told that pornography is illegal here, so, I’ve torn out the pages depicting the health-benefits of nude yoga.
As we leave the airport, I can see the first glimmers of morning light reflecting off the North Korean countryside. People are already one their way to work on bicycles or foot. Apparently work never stops here! After a 20 minute bus ride, we reach the capital city. Within that time, our guide has already given us a comprehensive description of the whole country’s geo-political situation; ‘The Korean peoples are of the same blood and it is the dream of all Korean citizens everywhere to be reunited…’. There isn’t a single streetlight burning in the entire city at this hour but you can still make out the shapes and colours of the high-rise apartments against the early dawn sky.
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“Last night we had a pleasant surprise in the shape of a group of curious locals that showed up. Word had gotten around town that a surf school had opened its doors.�
Pastel shades of rose, green, brown and blue. The simple, blocky architecture reminds me of old Russian movies from the 1970s.
“The streets are spotless, wide and traffic is practically nonexistent. Everything in this town appears immaculately kept.”
We drive past towering monuments to ‘the glory of Kim-Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong-Il. The streets are spotless, wide and traffic is practically non-existent. Everything in this town appears immaculately kept. Ah, and there’s a bright green bus. Incredible! It feels like I’ve slipped in to the past. Everything is so retro here - I love it. Throughout the duration of our tour we are flanked by our ever-present, yet personable, guides. This strikes me as a bit unusual. After all, it’s the first time that I’ve been on an officially organised visit to a country.
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We visit historical monuments commemorating ‘the communist party and North Korea’s glorious leaders’. Ordinary citizens flock to the sites in their best clothes to pay their respects by bowing and laying flowers at the bottom of the statues. I’m struck by the orderliness and discipline shown by everyone in the city. Perhaps it’s because I’m French, but, I can’t help but find it all very unusual. Following a fantastic first meal in North Korea, we hit the road out of town. It leads us past mountains and valleys punctuated by little hills. I want to take it all in but the motion of the bus and my jet lag sends me into a deep slumber.
I’m awoken with a violent jolt as the bus hits a pothole. Wide-awake, I look out the window and the see the most remarkable sights; a coal-powered truck, farmers working the fields and ever-present soldiers. We make a stop and hike up to a point where a river broadens out. Time for my first paddle-session in North Korea - also time for some sun salutations. I connect to my inner energies. I have been told by our guides that terrible things have happened in this countries past, but in this exact spot I feel nothing but a sense of calm. That night, we stay in a luxury hotel which was completed in just 6 months. It’s a ski resort, complete with pistes and gondolas - amazing! I probably would have preferred
to have stayed in a private house with some locals, but I doubt that option is on the cards for this trip. Tomorrow we are heading to the coast! En route, I decide film so of the countryside and some magnificent, traditional villages. Our guide stops me from filming and informs me that only tourist sites are permitted to be filmed or photographed. I ask her why. ‘Because those are the rules.’ she responds. I find this a shame as I see nothing that needs to be hidden. In the fields, a cow pulls a plough aided by a team of villagers using pick-axes. Row-byrow, men and women rhythmically till the dry soil with their basic tools.
Off in the distance, I see farm houses; singlestorey with white walls and brown or get roof tiles. Later, we make a stop in a valley with a breath-taking waterfall. It is impossible to resist the urge to glide along the crystal-clear water. The 100m-tall drop creates powerful cascade and an intangible feeling of energy that makes my heart pound. North Korea is 80% mountainous terrain, and the ridge we are on stretches as far as the eye can see. Spring here puts on a dazzling display of whites, violets and lush greens everywhere. The near-total absence of cars makes the natural beauty even more special. 70
Finally, we reach the coast. The secondlargest city, Hamhung is filled with a light mist - likely from the town’s heavy industry. Immense chimneys belch out steam and the factory gates are everywhere. The sea is flat, but we hope that have some waves tomorrow. We are warmly greeted at yet another luxury hotel. A little sterile for my tastes, but I’m probably not their usual type of client anyway.I ask the staff where the most tourists come from; if they are Korean or from elsewhere. I’m curious to leave the hotel and wander into the heart of town to see how “real” citizens of Hamhung live.
I would really love to see that. I’m sure that I would enjoy their simple lifestyle. Everyone seems very friendly. I come across a school, just as classes end for the day. The kids rush out of the school yard in a joyful frenzy. The street is filled with white shirts, red scarves and shouts of excitement At the beach I meet our Korean surf pupils. They are avid volleyball fans and invite us to play with them whilst we wait for the waves to arrive. Exhausted from the trip, I divide to do some yoga with my feet in sand. To begin, I perform my breathing exercise (pranayama) and hear the distant rumble of an outboard engine. Looking off to the horizon, small wooden fishing boats with as
“North Korea is 80% mountainous terrain, and the ridge we are on stretches as far as the eye can see. The near-total absence of cars makes the natural beauty even more special.�
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many as seven people on them are casting nets. Centring my mind, I concentrate on my asanas (yoga postures). After an hour of practice, I rejoin the group. To my surprise, I spot a face under a green helmet poking out from a bunker ahead of me. And here was me thinking that I was alone. The face watches me quizzically, and I watch back. I’m so startled that I’m practically glued to the spot. What on earth is a solider doing there? Later, I learn that peace treaty between North Korea and Japan has never been signed and therefore, the coast is guarded by the military around the clock. The waves have finally arrived! It took 3 days of waiting before we were able to give lesson 74
to the pupils of the surf school. Last night we had a pleasant surprise in the shape of a group of curious locals that showed up. Word had gotten around town that a surf school had opened its doors. Five people arrived; two women that stayed on the beach and three men that promptly raced into the ocean. Everyone seems genuinely happy to be involved. Sharing my passion for surf with others is always a source of intense joy. A day later, since the waves are very small, the decision is made to take a trip in-land to see another river. This incredible geological formation has been carved out by ancient glaciers and millennia of melt-ice resulting in
an alien landscape of thousands of smooth rocky boulders. Beneath, runs a river but we can only hear it. After a picnic in the grass, we stop to take photos with some visiting groups. One group of male cadets are listening to music and we can’t resist dancing along. They smile, we laugh.
“The sound of music and our shoes dancing on the gravel path drifts through the pine forest.“
We spend our last day in Pyongyang visiting a centre for children to learn and play. The interior is garishly coloured and ornately decorated with murals of smiling children and cartoons. We are treated to a dance show starring a school group with songs, instruments and performances. The kids are excellent and the show is a resounding success. The centre is free to all and a chance for parents to help their prodigies. I just hope that there is also time left over for these young ones to play in the street once all the songs and dances are finished. During boarding, the security officer speaks to me in flawless French. He tells me that he learned it in Paris.
How many North Koreans have travelled? Who can leave the country? This final encounter caused me to question my Western-oriented version of events. Are they happy in their system? Why do they return and do they have a choice? Why does this regime pose an ethical dilemma for us? Are we happier in our Western country? The country I visited is one of outstanding natural beauty, maintained through low urbanisation. I did not seem them, but I have been told that there are; antelopes, leopards, panthers, black and brown bears, tigers ( a subspecies of the rare Siberian tiger), martens and deer.
The people are friendly, they go about their work in the fields and towns. They work work from 5AM until 7PM and I am astonished by the profound admiration and respect they show for their leaders. I am deeply happy to have made the trip, which certainly pushed the limits of my comfort zone. I leave with a renewed spirit of openness to new and different cultures . There you have it, an entire country that is untouched by globalisation. Well‌except that our guide knew every line of every song from Disney’s Frozen‌those Americans!
Fred Bonnef Coming back to Tarifa Fred Bonnef
Pablo Winddoses
The French rider tells us about how the South of Spain has captivated him to decide to move back from the Basque Country to Tarifa, where he lived a big part of his life. After living 3 years in the Basque Country, and knowing my love for surfing, a lot of my friends keep asking me why have I decided to go back to live in Tarifa, more known for the wind than for the waves. Besides the lifestyle and the superb life quality 76
that we have in the southern town of Europe, I think I was desiring to have a more all-round sport life, in a playground that offers windsurf, SUP, downwind, hiking and infinite possibilities. It is not only surf, surf, surf... ...and surf.
“But I’m also here because of the waves, and that can maybe surprise some people. Tarifa is a very strategic place for anyone who loves surfing.”
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“Even you can catch a good session in the Mediterranean Sea, there you can often fail, but sometimes you can have incredible surprises!�
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But I’m also here because of the waves, and that can maybe surprise some people.
fail, but sometimes you can have incredible surprises!
Tarifa is a very strategic place for anyone who loves surfing.
Of course we’re not talking about the best surf spot of Europe, but Andalucia has some positive points: an astonishing environment, nice atmosphere in the water, good temperatures, and not so much people in the water.
In first place, you have surfing spots in Tarifa town itself, when the winter pumps big swells that come from the Atlantic. It also offers a lot of different possibilities; point breaks where you can hide from the wind, beach breaks, rocky waves…
Still there is the possibility to surf in a quality spot with few people in the water.
You also have surfing spots up north to Bolonia, Zahara, Barbate, El Palmar, Conil…
Believe me, in the Basque Country it is almost impossible, even with 0 degrees at 6am in the morning!
Even you can catch a good session in the Mediterranean Sea, there you can often
The only problem here in Tarifa is that from May to October there are no good waves.
But... Remember... Tarifa is only 14km away from Morocco and its vast number of spots, or we have the south of Portugal only away by 6h driving. We are a lot of people which have been traveling around the world and at last we returned back to live in Tarifa. Having so many waves every day is one thing, but the life doesn’t only relates to this, and the waves of Tarifa have something special that you cannot describe in words, it is better to try them. So, if you decide to visit the South of Europe, I’ll see you in the water!
In our next issue of
Obrigado
Peniche A SUP trip in Portugal with Paulina Paulina Herpel
Dan Petermann
In our next issue of SUPING Magazine you will find some articles about trips, some ideas, destinations and tricks to make possible this trip that you always dreamed about. Paulina Herpel will take you to the beautiful coast of Portugal, a great country with so many good waves and uncrowded spots!
oceaninitiatives.org/ES/ # OcEanInitiatives
Paris 2016. CrĂŠdit photo : PalacePalace_. 642 016 778 RCS Nanterre.
* NingĂşn respiro a la basura.
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