bodysurf – Swell Lines

Press Release: The International Bodysurfing Association

The Formation of the International BodySurfing Association – IBSA.

The founders reviewing the Constitution.

On August 19, 2018, in Oceanside, California, six representatives of bodysurfing from their respective regions across the globe, signed a constitution forming the IBSA.

The constitution and also a universal judging criteria has been championed from the inception by France’s Patrice Grieumard, who is the President of the Bodysurfing Commission part of the French Federation of Surfing – FFS.

The six representatives were Patrice himself representing France and also the European Bodysurfing Association, Vince Askey and Steve Watts representing USA, Sean Enoka representing the Hawaiian Islands, Sakina Bargach representing Morocco (by previous correspondence) and Don McCredie representing Australia.

More representatives are expected to sign the IBSA Constitution for their respective countries or territories but this initial meeting has solidified the association of cross-continental and global bodysurfing. The focus of this organization it to: standardize judging criteria, create a main body for all bodysurfing events and contests, ensure that all groups can receive assistance and direction for insurance requirements and association registrations from a singular body and mainly to promote and represent the sport at higher levels.

The IBSA is a nonprofit association which will seek funding from individual governments by the way of grant applications and corporate sponsorship. The four founding members have a long history of bodysurfing contest organization, local club/event management and share a common passion for the sport and art known as bodysurfing. They are interested in seeing it progress forward, never backward. The founders hope to see to it that the youth are always exposed to bodysurfing as fun, healthy and inexpensive.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

R to L: Don McCredie- Australia, Sean Enoka- Hawaii, Vince Askey- USA, Patrice Grieumard- France, Steve Watts- USA

August, 2018August, 2018

Swell Lines Magazine

Tripping Fins: Oceania

Learned a few lessons about online trip planning: don’t let the google algorithm choose the vendor of your rental camper van and do not save $2 a day choosing the bottom-dollar cheapest airport parking. When I pulled into the Inglewood (always up to no good) parking lot, the attendant was yelling at a customer because he lost their keys.

I departed LAX at 11:30pm…13 hours and a missing day later, landed in Brisbane. Ubered across the city to pick up my camper van. Wicked Campers, a company proud of the headlines they receive for the misogynist and obnoxious slogans painted on their vehicles. I prefer to remain low-key while traveling, especially carrying new camera equipment…this vehicle was ummmm, not so low-key.

About the whole “driving on the other side of the road” thing, from my experience, it is properly sketchy to start. I had a 2 hour drive to Noosa out of Brisbane, I white-knuckled the whole way and only hit one curb while trying to stay away from oncoming traffic on my right. I made one stop in the Glass House Mountains and enjoyed their striking silhouettes. I arrived in Sunshine Beach that afternoon, relieved and exhausted. I briefly checked the surf forecast for the coming week and was disappointed by the lack of swell energy…but I refused to let that impact my exploration of a new coastline.

I fell asleep at 8pm that night and woke at 4am heading directly toward Noosa National Park. I watched the sunrise over the headland at Main Beach and then grabbed a coveted parking spot at Nationals. I hiked the 4 miles to Alexandria Bay and found a glassy mini wave breaking inside Granite Bay. At Hell’s Gate, I first learned that humpback whales famously migrate along this coast and witnessed some breaching. I was also intrigued by the bird activity: native, vibrant rainbow lorikeets screamed at each other from tree to tree, Aussie magpies intelligently fooled children into giving up their biscuits. Australian pelicans are at least 3x larger than our brown pelicans. The coastal rainforest here had me spellbound.

Granite Bay, Noosa

Rainbow lorikeet at Noosa National Park

Alexandria Bay, Noosa

The next morning, I prepared to move south toward the Gold Coast. I made a few phone calls and finally had my camper situation figured out. Wicked set me up with a free upgrade to a premium van. I pulled into Burleigh Heads that afternoon. This is the stretch of coastline that I had most mythologized. Breeding ground of world champion surfers and perfect, barreling, sand-bottomed points breaks. Although I didn’t find any of that, I very much enjoyed my two days in Coolangatta.

As a surf fan, one of the reasons I enjoy this kind of travel is simply being able to put a face to the name of famous surf spots. I wanted to see how Snapper Rocks is situated with Greenmount and Kirra and imagine catching a wave that connects them all. I wanted to see the strange Surfers Paradise skyline up the coast, that I’d puzzled over during contest webcasts and surf videos. I found fun, peaky waves each morning at Duranbah and discovered an ephemeral slab shorebreak at Froggy Beach that probably isn’t always there as the sand moves around. I also enjoy the simple things in travel like long discussions with local surf shop managers about epic days and random conversations with retired couples at dinner that have local knowledge of areas of Scientific interest.

View from Snapper Rocks

Froggy Beach

Duranbah

Coolangatta

I departed the Gold Coast with a quick stop at Fingal Head to see the unique columnar basalt cliffs and next made my away south to Byron Bay. The wind was blowing 20+mph from the north…I had picked up some info that those north winds are directed around the Byron Bay headland and become offshore on Tallows Beach. I was continuously blown away by the clarity and beauty of the water on every beach I explored in Australia. Tallows is one the most beautiful. After a quick swim in the “Corner” it was time for my first meat pie. I asked some kids in the parking lot where to grab the best and without hesitation they answered Suffolk Bakery. The hype is real! Meat pies are delicious, flaky Aussie burritos.

My awesome airbnb had a bicycle for my use, so that evening I went and explored the town of Byron Bay…a classic mix of traveling hippies and boutique shopping. Colorful and interesting but at the same time commercial. The offseason weeknight was quiet, which i’m ok with, so i was asleep early and up early. I had a hunch that all that north wind might create a short window of windswell for the dawn patrol. I arrived back to Tallows before sunrise and continued my infatuation with the very dark and clear southern hemisphere skies. There are astronomical objects not visible in the north and I observed them deeply. The sunrise was spectacular and as soon as I could see the water, my hunch was correct. Chest-high peaks met offshore wind and the glorious very first light of the Australian day.

I ran back to the “Corner” and like something from a dreamy, cheesy movie, a beautiful woman was surfing a peak by herself. I kept my distance to start but eventually we chatted. Her vibrance was clear and her passion for the Ocean was obvious. We made plans to grab a drink later that night. Next, I rode the bike to the Byron Bay headland to hike around the whole thing. Walking past The Pass and Wategos Beach, I made my way to the easternmost point on the entire Australian coast. I was mesmerized by the refracting and shoaling waves crossing perpendicular to each other. Such a dynamically stunning coastline!

Dynamic wave show at Australia’s easternmost point.

Byron Bay

Byron Bay Lighthouse

I met my new friend at The Pass in time to watch the sunset and then we had a delicious Thai dinner in town. The conversation was lively, artistic, smart and inspiring. The next morning I had scheduled a 10am trip with Byron Bay Whale Watching. The captain is a former whale researcher and a fantastic guide. After 45 minutes of anxiously scanning the horizon, we found a pair of humpback whales headed north. The captain attempted to keep a respectful distance as we followed along with their “footprints” but it seemed every time we moved to the side, they diverted their path to swim under our boat. Like we were playing a game with a pair of 40ft. whales. Incredible!

I began to realize that I still had 9 hours of driving to arrive in Sydney in time to explore and catch a flight. So I quickly found a beautiful, fun wave down the dirt road at Broken Head and then set off down the A1 Motorway. A local tip directed me 7 hours south toward a rural, coastal area known as Seal Rocks. Somehow I found my way down a dirt road, strung out in the dark and found an empty state campground called Yagon on Submarine Beach. I walked out onto the beach and dropped to my knees almost in tears. The sky was very dark and very clear. Neon blue bioluminescence exploded in the shorebreak. Nobody within a couple miles. Perseid meteors crisscrossed the sky. Venus, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars framed the bright southern Milky Way and the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds presented themselves the brightest I’ve witnessed. I stayed up later than I had all trip and reluctantly crawled into the back of the van to sleep. Cosmically satiated.

Spellbinding

Center of the Milky Way

Seal Rocks

I woke at dawn and went for a snorkel/bodysurf in the crystal waters around Seal Rocks. A white-bellied sea eagle cruised the empty beach and a green sea turtle munched algae nearby. It was then time to head into the big city. After a three hour drive, I found my way to Bondi Beach on the coast of Sydney. I began my urban walkabout that evening with the famous Bondi to Coogee Coastal Walk. The area reminds me of La Jolla, San Diego with rocky shoreline, potential for heavy surf and affluence. The Waverley Cemetery was an unexpected highlight.

Sea eagle

Green sea turtle

Dawn the next morning, I headed to the Sydney Opera House. How many photos of a single object is enough? I don’t know the answer, but I took them all. It turned into an 18 mile urban hike with a ferry ride to Manly Beach, including explorations of The Royal Botanical Garden, Circular Quay, The Rocks, The Sydney Harbor Bridge, The Museum of Contemporary Art and The Sydney Observatory. Sydney is an amazing city.

Sydney

Bondi dawn

The next morning I flew to Auckland for a quick adventure on the North Island of New Zealand. I asked my Uber driver for the best place to watch the sunset with a view of the city. Without hesitation he suggested, Mount Eden. I picked up my new camper van from an awesome company called Spaceship Campervans (I’ve always wanted a Rocketship) and drove directly to Mount Eden: a 650ft. cinder cone volcano overlooking the city and all the surrounding waterways. Its an excellent spot for a first view of New Zealand.

Mount Eden, Auckland, NZ

I’ve wanted to drive a rocket.

My plans for NZ were loose. After checking the surf forecast and weather, the west coast had surf potential the next 2 days and then a strong weather front was predicted. I woke before dawn and headed for a beach an hour west of the city. Turned out to be one of the most stunning beaches I’ve ever seen and the best waves I scored all trip. Overhead waves with offshore wind on a black sand beach framed by stunning sea stacks.

That afternoon, I drove two hours south to New Zealand’s most famous surf community, Raglan. Set amongst the shire, Raglan is an enormous point break, like 5 Rincons stacked on top of each other. I watched, mesmerized as head-high sets wrapped down the point, the longest waves I’ve ever witnessed. The next morning, I was in the chilly water before the sun came up. After attempting to latch onto the end of a set wave and cruise for 100 yards on the open face, I found myself sitting deep in the lineup. A set loomed up the point at the indicator…I swam wide as a wave refracted into the Bay. I was in the spot, nobody else nearby. I kicked and found myself gliding as the wave gathered momentum. A section opened up and swallowed me into a glorious tube ride directly illuminated by the sun rising over the hill. My favorite single second of the trip.

Raglan

Outside of Auckland, I do not think there is a straight road in New Zealand. I drove 2 hours to the geothermal wonderland of Rotorua. Steaming fumaroles, boiling mud pools, nose-burning sulphur and the mighty Pohutu geyser are a strong reminder of Earth’s power. Sitting in a natural, hot-spring, mineral pool provided an excellent refuge from the building storm front.

Pohutu Geyser

Rotorua from the top of Rainbow Mountain

With 2 days left in my Oceania adventure, I checked the map and plotted a path to check out the east coast. I picked a random beach with a nature preserve attached and drove back through the shire. En route, I spotted a volcano near what had to be the beach. I diverted paths, drove to the volcano, found an epic campground on the beach, under said volcano. I immediately set out exploring the gorgeous community of Mount Maunganui and the volcano known as Mauao.

The next morning I set off to find the aforementioned coastal nature preserve near Waihi Beach. I arrived along with passing rain squalls and rainbows that seemed to last for hours. I hiked to Orokawa Bay to find the most idyllic empty beach possible. I found perfect sand banks with glassy, peeling waves going both ways (although ankle high) and a vibrant double rainbow. I then made my way up stream to the William Wright Waterfall. After a while of bushwhacking and slippery stream crossings in the rain, I found it much easier to just walk in the stream. I arrived back to the van drenched, muddy and extremely grateful for an amazing trip to Oceania.

Orokawa Bay

Waihi Beach

William Wright Falls

I drove back to Auckland that night, turned in the Rocket camper van and headed to the airport at 11pm in preparation for my flight at 6am. I arrived in LAX 2 hours before I departed…that always trips me out. A few generalized observations: the dynamic coastlines I experienced are forever ingrained in my psyche, Aussies and Kiwis are very, very serious about their coffee, Kiwis are aggressive drivers, Aussies are warmer and friendlier than Kiwis, the van-life travel culture is alive and vibrant in Oceania. Next time, I want multiple months to explore the entire continent.

Final trip stats:
-800 miles driving in Australia
-450 miles driving in New Zealand
-12 surf spots surfed
-100 miles of hiking
-4 dark, clear astronomy nights
-Humpback whales, sea eagle, kiwi, monitor lizard, bush turkey, rainbow lorikeets, corella, cockatoo, Australian pelican
-Columnar basalt, Pohutu geyser, meat pies, Sun Xun art, delicious coffee

-KS

August, 2018August, 2018

Swell Lines Magazine

Throwback: A Week in Florida- March 2018

I work in Florida for a couple months each winter. Sometimes I’m conflicted. Florida provides an interesting place for new adventures and new ecosystems. Rocket launches at Cape Canaveral, The Everglades, Miami, gators, bald eagles and manatees, sometimes fun waves. However, winter waves are generally much better in San Diego than south Florida.

The winter surf of 2018 was historically dismal in Southern California. The winter surf of 2018 in Florida was possibly the greatest of all time. I had been in Florida for a few weeks prior. I usually go for a dawn swim a couple times a week regardless of the conditions. 40 minute drive to Juno Pier at 5am and make it to work at 10am. But I had been watching the surf forecast when a monster purple blob began to form.

Winter Storm Riley moved off the coast of Massachusetts on March 2nd and went through a period of explosive development known as bombogenesis. Unfortunately, wreaking havoc across New England and beyond. On the morning of Sunday March 3rd, 1,200 miles south, I arrived at the Juno Pier at dawn. Nonstop waves were already breaking 100 yards past the end of the pier. The swell had definitely begun and wasn’t scheduled to peak for 2 days.

This swell quickly became the most impressive I have experienced anywhere. Five days of overhead to double overhead waves without a lull. It was like a 5,000 wave set bombarded the coast. Most Florida surf spots were overpowered by the immense energy as the swell peaked but a few mythological spots lit up for a select few. Winds remained light and even went offshore for extended periods.

I bodysurfed every morning and my employers were gracious enough to give me a day off to chase this incredible swell. I didn’t have to go too far. The closest beach to my hotel is a little nondescript beachbetween the Lake Worth Pier and West Palm Beach called Phipps Ocean Park. It was firing all week! Peaky lines of neon blue swell going below sea level and exploding on the sandbars. I also swam epic Delray Beach, pumping Jupiter Inlet and all-time, incredible Reef Road.
-KS

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

August, 2018August, 2018

Swell Lines Magazine

Why? How? When?

Do you ever float in the Ocean wondering…

Why do waves come in sets? Why do sets come in sets? Why do some sets have 4 or 5 waves while others only have 1? How does a storm’s pressure gradient effect the consistency of a swell? When will swell come again? Why do some waves double-up and focus more energy onto the sandbar? How does the tide swing impact a shoaling wave? Why does wave energy refract toward shallower water? How does sand move bank to bank? Why do some evenings glassoff and others don’t? When will swell come again? How does turbulence from previous waves affect the shoaling of the next wave? Where is the best wave on Earth breaking right now? How do islands and offshore features affect swell approaching a coastline? Am I missing a better wave breaking nearby? How does wind and upwelling impact water temperature? How does water temperature affect swell production? Why do seasonal changes change the areas of Ocean that generate swell? How does coastal geology impact bathymetry? How does coastal ecology impact bathymetry? When will swell come again? Will climate disruption equal more swell? What’s more important for swell: size of the storm, duration of the storm or direction? Does a storm in the Indian Ocean eventually create swell in the South Pacific? What happens when different swell trains cross in the middle of the Ocean? Does a storm in the North Pacific become a winter storm in Cleveland, then a Nor’easter on the US east coast and then eventually a swell for Europe? Do Pacific hurricanes originate in Sahara dust off the coast of Africa? Are all low pressure systems connected? When will swell come again? Are the cobbles always on the beach but covered with sand or do they move beach to beach? Are the swell generating systems in our Oceans connected on a macro scale? How important are the micro-connections of capillary waves to the formation of a swell? As the sun goes through 8 year cycles of activity, does swell production increase and decrease accordingly? What did the waves look like breaking on beaches during the time of supercontinent Pangea? What will waves look like 100 million years from now? Where have the biggest and best waves broken in the history of Earth? How do the properties of individual water molecules impact the formation of swell? Does salinity affect swell production? When will swell come again?
-KS

August, 2018August, 2018

Swell Lines Magazine

Intergalactic Whomparama: Carolina Beach, North Carolina

After moving to North Carolina from West Coast USA, Alex Torres was a lonely bodysurfer. When he got the time off work and family duties his favorite pastime would find him alienated amongst many beachgoers who had never seen anyone swim onto a wave and ride it to the shore spinning and getting tubed.

One day he found a couple of other guys who knew what to do when riding waves on their body he thought, “We should have a contest and give it a fun name, call it Whomparama and make it fundraiser for the local Cape Fear Surfrider Foundation and other charities” Such as Life Rolls On – a group that facilitates an assisted surf experience for people with disabilities. He thought, “Lets get the local community involved and have a lot of fun!”

Soon after the inception of Whomparama, somebody from California contacted Alex claiming to have sanction rights on all bodysurfing contests, particularly regarding rules. So Alex in his nonchalant manner suggested, “That’s ok, our contest doesn’t have any rules.” That same antagonist then claimed authority over every contest in the world. So Alex said, “Thats ok, we’re not of this world…we’re intergalactic!”

That was seven years ago and since then, The Intergalactic Bodysurf Championships- Whomparama has attracted large numbers of local bodysurfers, lifeguards, surfers, bodyboarders and many local businesses for donations and support.

I was fortunate to attend this year and I witnessed every contestant and spectator having an immense amount of fun. Laughter filled the beach regardless of conditions which were not the greatest waves of all time. But that wasn’t the point. This contest is all about genuine beach fun and raising money for worthwhile causes.

The pre-contest work that goes into Whomparama is all volunteer based. The Carolina Beach community pitches in to provide everything from tents to colored caps for the competitors and t-shirt design/printing. The trophies are made by Alex and one of his buddies, Peyton Chitty. One year the trophies were over 6 feet high. This year they were donated leftovers from an old trophy factory and sprayed in Rastafarian colors. Each winner received a large trophy and along with it, a helmet with recycled trophy bits attached, spray painted and adorned with doll body parts.

Alex and Peyton wax lyrically on the microphone all day with banter akin to a comedy sketch, in between some great music from an eclectic playlist. Heats are called, locals are heckled and any surfboard that enters the Whomp zone better lookout! Divisions included of kids, women’s, men’s and the SUPER KOOK EXPRESSION SESSION for the uninhibited, which fought in the best spirit of fun.

The after party was held at the Lazy Pirate and nobody missed it. Music, fun, ceremony, live music and dancing. The waves remained half to one foot onshore tidally affected throughout but nobody cared. They raised $3,800 for their charities and everybody, I mean everybody, who went near the Whomparama had an absolute blast.
-Don McCredie

August, 2018

Swell Lines Magazine

Tripping Fins: Maui

Hawaiian shorebreak is different than others. The waves are faster and thicker…more menacing. They grow more on the sandbar. The cleanup, sneaker sets are more frequent. Somehow, the barrels are rounder and more square at the same time. Even surf spots far from maximum swell exposure receive deep water wrap and turn inside out.

Having visited Oahu 5 years ago, I instantly fell in love with Hawaii. My best friend Brooke is from Maui and always speaks of its majesty. So this past year, I bolted for the second largest island in the Hawaiian chain and it quickly became my favorite place I’ve visited.

I arrived in Kahului at 9pm on Saturday night, rental car pick up and I was quickly on my way to my room in Paia. The forecast for the week showed a series of solid north swells with likely strong tradewinds from the northeast. I woke up at 5am on Sunday and immediately drove the hour to the dream spot. The spot with the glorious green landscape and the long roping waves wrapping into the Bay and that one section, known as the Cave, that I’ve stared at endlessly on YouTube. After driving past dozens and dozens of beachfront high-rises and resorts, the coast opens to reveal relatively untouched terrain. A true gem of the world’s coastlines.

I attempted to pack as much of Maui into my week as possible, with an obvious focus on waves and that particular northwest corner of the island. I very much enjoyed the surf nerd fanhood opportunities available around the Island. Watching Clay Marzo ride dangerous spots that few others would consider, witnessing the best women in the world warm up for the Maui Pro and watching Kai Lenny foilboard open ocean swell all stoked out my inner surf fan.

Clay Marzo

Courtney Conologue

Wednesday was between swells so i decided to chase a classic Maui tourist day. I woke up at 5am and began along The Road to Hana. About a dozen stunning roadside waterfalls later, I couldn’t imagine what this sometimes single lane road would be like with full tourist traffic. Glad I was the first to reach the beautiful small town of Hana that morning. I continued around the east side, looking for a beach that was recommended numerous times. This small cove is the most idyllic little place I could ever imagine: the neon green hillside drops down to jagged volcano rock coastline with a small crescent of perfect sand. Nobody else around…this is where I envision myself living into my 90s. There was just enough swell to reveal some interesting potential and neon blue shorebreak tubes welcomed me for an enjoyable swim.

The Road to Hana

Hana

Dreamy

I continued around the south side and was struck by its remote beauty. My little Chevrolet did awesome on the sometimes unpaved and wildly winding road. I loved seeing the ecological difference between the windward and leeward sides of the island. From cloudy tropical forest to arid sunshine in a matter of miles.

Trusty little ride and the stunning Leeward side.

With time to spare in the afternoon, I drove straight to the top of Haleakalā National Park. Rising 10,023ft straight out of the Ocean, this volcano makes up most of the eastern part of Maui. Clouds filled the famous summit craters when I arrived but the low sun created wicked optical effects shining through the moisture. As the sun began to set, hundreds of people filled the summit and the sky actually cleared enough to provide views of Mauna Kea across the channel to the Big Island and a beautiful pink sunset next to Science City.

Fogbow

Broken Speectre

Sunset

Being wholly unprepared for 10,000ft of elevation at night, I climbed back into my car shivering violently. It was a must that I experience the dark night sky from here so I turned the heat on high and waited. After about 30 minutes the shivering subsided and the cosmos emerged in the ink black sky.

What a beauty! I could only manage about 10 minutes outside before the shivering restarted. It took awhile to regain my bearings from the cold as i drove slowly back down the gigantic hill. A classic Maui day.

All told, I bodysurfed about a dozen different spots around the island including one particularly glorious wave at the aforementioned Cave. From slabbing shorebreak on the West Side in front of the countless resorts, to peaky fun shorebreak near Paia on the northside. I hung out with my good buddy Duke who graciously showed me around and met Brady from @we_bodysurfers. I went to lunch my dear friend’s father Ned and had a chance encounter with fellow Ohioan, filmmaker and bodysurfer Michael Donohue (@blue_motion_pictures).

Before getting on the plane, I managed to swing down to the southside and snorkel with sea turtles and check out the infamous Big and Little Beaches. What an incredible bit of volcanic rock! The potential for fun waves around every corner, gorgeous beaches, amazing terrain and friendly people. I will reside on Maui someday.

-KS