The rise of the machines in surfing?

And so it begins... If this trend catches up I can imagine the future ASP championships being disputed by a bunch of neckbeards sitting on the beach and controlling their radio controlled surfers from a safe distance. Well there is still no reason to overreact like the dude in the video though. Courtesy of catch surf.

Isolated

ISOLATED - Documentary Film Trailer from Something Kreative Films on Vimeo.


It is supposedly one of the hidden gems in the surfing world. New Guinea is the world´s second largest island and one of those places emerged in a mystic of its own. It has one of the lowest population densities in Asia while being home to some of the last ancient tribes still in existence in our world. Considering all these facts all together it shouldn't surprise anyone why it keeps attracting adventurers and thrillseekers from around the globe.

It would be much too easy to put the following group of surfers that I am going to talk you about in the same category of adrenaline junkies. In a way, yes, the love for risk and the curiosity to meet an unknown culture had its weight, but what we learn with Isolated is that some experiences tend to get a lot more richer and broad than they first appeared to be.

The premise is simple indeed. A group of surfers takes on a journey to discover one of the world´s last undiscovered waves. What they meet is a world of stunning beauty and kind people but also one that hides an horrific dark side. Cannibalism, the prevalence of human rights atrocities and the nefast consequence of an unethical mining corporation taint the initial image of a lost paradise.

More than an impressive account of a somehow reclusive place that hides what some would consider an unspoiled dreamland for surfers, Isolated makes an effort to alert a broader audience for the problems that affect this troubled region. A flick to keep an eye on. (Watch the film trailler above).

The directors are seeking help is to raise finishing funds for the film through kickstarter, in order to create awareness for the cause through the film. Interested in taking action? Check out here as well. 

Record for longest surf ride has been broken

It was not the most dangerous, biggest or beautiful wave but it made an englishman join the remarkable Guinness Book of Records. Surfer Steve King accomplished the feat of surfing the same wave for over 12 miles in River Kampar in Sumatra (Indonesia). The watercourse has gained worldwide recognition due to a a strange natural phenomenon called Bono. A rather strange tide leads to waves that can be over 19 feet high and last for 30 miles.

46 year old King managed to ride the same wave for 1 hour and 4 minutes. Over the last years the river Kampar has been the center place for a whole community of surfers that keep on meeting every year to ride together what has become one of the main tourist attractions of the island of Sumatra. Not even the numerous crocodiles that live in the river have detracted the joy of those fearless thrill seekers. Below you can see a video of Steve riding another famous river wave, the brazillian Pororoca and a second video of Steve´s  surfing action in Sumatra.

 

Almost Cut My Hair by Ryan Lovelace

        What makes our digital era so amazing? For me it is the possibility for an experienced filmaker to shoot some amazing footage with almost no budget at all. Got some cool idea? Grab a cam, film good surfers in action, mix it with a nice soundtrack and voilá: a serious case of a great surf movie has just been born. As a perfect example check Almost Cut My Hair by surfer and shaper Ryan Lovelace.

Best footage of Garrett McNamara´s world record

The title says it all, enjoy the epic sessions that made Garrett McNamara world famous.

More on Nazaré´s waves: Praia do Norte

People have been asking about the waves Garrett McNamara has recently given worldwide recognition. Nazaré is a small town about 1.5 hours north of Lisbon, Portugal´s capital city. Actually, it is not far away from the country´s other two surf meccas: Ericeira and Peniche (where the ASP tour takes place). Those three world class waves are not more than 200 km apart from each other.
 For locals Nazaré has had a cult like following for years but it was with the arrival of Garrett that the mainstream surf community got amazed by the massive quality of its waves. The almost extraterrestrial size has an explanation: a 16.000 feet deep and 140 miles long undersea canyon is the responsable for these high breaking waves. Finally I leave you a video that took place on Nazaré´s top of the crown beach: Praia do Norte. It shows a bunch of world class surfers just enjoying an out of competition surf session.