Rumors

After surfing Barra for a few days I began to hear rumors about other point breaks in the region. Finding these elusive points is easier said than done as the coastal road runs along the coast, but often out of view of the ocean itself, making surf exploration difficult.

 Surfing, by nature, is individualistic and selfish sport that has very little need for teamwork. Many seasoned surfers become “salty”, no pun intended, about the secrecy and exclusivity of their surf spots. In the surfing world most would agree that the regions most affected by severe xenophobia and localism are the north shore of Hawaii and Santa Cruz. Mexico, by and large, is pretty mellow with the localism, although people don’t just readily give away their secret spots.

I had heard that there was a good wave to the north of Barra, but its name remained elusive, and those who I had asked basically said “go surf it if you can find it, it’s good.” So I went to the Internet café to access good ol’ Google Earth to determine from a birds eye view which of the many points in this region could be the mystery point -break I heard about. Using elementary cartographic techniques (which, in reality, was holding my pinkie finger up next to the scale on the screen and then next to the road) I determined it was about…. wait I can’t tell you how far north it was, you have to go find it for yourself!

I figured I’d go search for it alone, knowing that if I found this hidden gem I could surf it by myself… I know, totally selfish right? I drove to about where my pinkie had indicated the small dirt road to the beach might be. The road was about ¾ of a lane wide and completely washed out, but the mighty Econoline handled it with no problem like the precision piece of American machinery she is. Just as I could see the ocean, a fork in the road presented itself with both roads looking like feasible options. I picked the one to the left, and pretty soon I was on someone’s farm and not a thoroughfare.

seek and ye shall find

Just as I went to do a k-turn to head back I saw a man approaching my car, on foot, with a rather large machete. My stomach turned for a second, but then I though, wait, I’m in the boonies in Mexico and people here carry machetes like San Franciscans carry Iphones’s, no big deal. “Hola senor” I said with a smile “ Buscando para el lugar de surf.” He laughed and then went on to tell me that I had taken the wrong road, I needed to turn back to the main road and go about another three kilometers. Next time I think I’ll use a ruler instead of my pinkie when searching for absconded locales. Turns out he was in need of a ride to the main road anyway so he asked if he could come along. I hesitated in my mind, but tried not to show my fear as he climbed in sitting shotgun, wielding his half-meter machete, I just kept thinking Iphone… it’s just the cultural equivalent of an Iphone.

We made small talk and then I dropped him off, he seemed grateful that some dumb gringo had trespassed onto his land, as it ultimately saved him quite a long walk in the hot midday sun. The correct road was exactly where he said it would be, and it was in considerably better shape. After meandering through the jungle for about 10 minutes there it was, an empty point break in southern Mexico with nobody around for miles.

Me enjoying an empty point-break

Poster boy for zinc oxide

Ham, my Aussie buddy carving into a clean one

The place was too much fun to keep a secret and I asked some of my buddies at the surf camp if they wanted to come along the next day. When we got there we ran into a gringo couple that I had met at the supermarket a few days earlier. As it turns out the guy was a professional surf photographer and came out for a little while to take some photos of myself and the other Aussies… pretty sweet.

 The thrill of finding your own surf break is inexplicable, even though in reality many people before me have surfed it, I’m sure. I was born a few hundred years too late to categorize myself as a surf conquistador but the thrill of seeing an empty, nearly perfect break is still pretty amazing. The hard work of aligning my pinkie next to the computer screen had paid off; I can only imagine what other uncharted breaks there must be along the endless miles of coastlines that make up planet earth.