Tyler's Surf Report and Travel Journal

2006-07-23T19:11:00.000-04:00

Being There

There I sat in the water. My board underneath me and my stomach bobbing at water surface level. The sun was going down and looked up the point. I was about halfway along the point of Chicama, the worlds longest wave. I was merely taking a break in between rides down the point due to my severe case of jelly legs. I experience these moments in travel when it all feels so detached, as if I am seperated from my body, watching and feeling almost jealous. I forget that this is me that I am watching and not some other person. I call it experiential jetlag. As if my emotions and feeling of self hasn´t caught up with my body.
The days proceeding this were long. Flights were flown half way only to be turned back due to bad weather. I suffered from a lack of sleep and travel fatigue. There was a point when I was so close I could taste the salt water only to have to turn back. But eventually I arrived in Trujillo airport, a mere 10 minutes from the town that I was to spend the next 3 months of my life; Huanchaco.
The cab ride from the airport was too long for my excitement. I had wanted to snap my fingers and be there. My arrival was greeted by my good friend Jeremy, who had been in huanchaco the week before and had sorted everything out. There was a good crew of travelers and vagabonds. Jeremy even managed to make good friends with most of the local surfers. It was as if I had entered into an instant family. The first surf in huanchaco was magical with sunny skies and few people out. The waves were head to overhead and growing. And by the next day the surf had grown enough to render a trip to Chicama, the wave as I mentioned before, the longest left handed wave in the world.
Theoretically, one could surf a wave for a kilometer and a half. But, you better have strong legs and a bit of luck. To ride the wave for a quarter of the distance would render one satisfied with jelly legs. Typically one will catch 3 or 4 waves down the point and then head in and walk back up the point which can take up to 40 minutes when the tide is high or if your legs give out and you have to crawl back. I never measured my sessions in hours or periods of time. It was always measured in how many walks back up the point you did. My record was 5 and I was shattered.

There I sat in the water. The wind had calmed down and the water began to smooth itself out. A few surfers surfed by me catching no doubt what might be the longest waves in their lives. I had trouble taking it all in. It was all too much for me. My emotions were riding high, as if I had reached this seretonan high and my mind just shut down as a defence mechanism to protect my mind from overdosing on emotional chemicals in my brain. In other words, I was having trouble realizing that I was here and that I had arrived and I just couldn´t process it all. It was all too overwhelming.
It was at this detached momentmy good friend Jeremy had surfed by and pulled out right next to me. For years we had talked about making a surf trip happen, but nothing ever worked and we were always on different planes in life doing different things and chasing different dreams. And at that moment we were sitting side by side, floating in foreign waters, surfing perfect waves and smiling.¨I´m so glad you´re here buddy. I can´t believe you made it¨ he said to me. Then as if my consciousness was sucked back into my body and the numbness my body and emotions were feeling slammed into my stomach and spread rapidly from my center. The water went from pins and needles to a coldness. I felt the wind hit the back of my head. The sun was disappearing below an invisible line of haze. I felt all these tiny dropletts of water all over my face. I could feel water currents rushing around my dangling feet. My body went from unltra numb to this heighteneed state of sensativity.
A set approached on the horizon and Jeremy and I watched it peel down the point heading for us. He began to paddle and line himself up. I sat there and let him go. I turned my head to watch him glide through the first few sections. I quickly turned my head almost forgetting the sunset. I caught the last morsel of sunshine as it disappeared through the pink-grey haze. The sky behind me was now turning black. I closed my eyes and took one last feel of everything around me. My board with its wax humps on the deck. The air turning colder from the absence of the sun. smaller waves rolling through and underneath me. I had arrived and I was finally here...

And now for your Sundown Surf Alert Surf Report for the 1st week in August!

Tues-We´ve got light winds with a slight chop coming from the WSW @ 7-10kts. There is a small short period wind swell at about 2feet. It aint looking so hot out there. maybe a fun longboard wave but nothing to get you to ditch work.
Wed- It´s more of the same thing only the wind is coming more from the west at 8-10kts. The swell size is about the same. Oh Well!
Thurs-We should see a slight jump in the surf but it´s not much. the best time will be in the morning. The surf will be in the 3ft range. Thigh high with more westerly winds in the 10-14kt range. Get the fish out and get some small wave skating action going.
Fri- There´s a bit of hope. The wind is gonna switch to the south east in the 8-10kt range. There might be a bit of growth through the day. Not much. The swell is gonna still be in the knee high range and maybe getting a bit bigger. I reckon out east might be your best bet but then again, it´s summer and driving out there is such a pain on a friday.
Sat-The swell is going to get up to 4foot. Look for waist to chest high waves but it is gonna have a bit of chop to it. 15kt winds from the Southeast. It´s a great day to get wet. Get on it!
Sun-It´s gonna drop off again to the 2ft range and the winds die down a bit as well. Straight from the south but light. Get while you can on Sat.

Hope everyone gets some fun waves this week.

Aloha
Tyler Breuer
breuertj@hotmail.com
www.Sundownsurf.com
www.conceptualink.net

2006-06-09T17:43:00.000-04:00

Getting There: Part 2

All the window shades were closed. Seats were reclined. Small fleece blanketts were spread over bodies as they slept. The entire airplane was dark except for the no smoking signs that were lit. I felt the plane circle as my head felt weighted towards the right side of the plane. IT felt as if we were on our approach to land. Then the lights beeped on along with the fasten seatbelt sign. The captains voice crackled over the loudspeaker and everyone was startled awake. We were not landing. We had been circling Lima airport for sometime when the announcement was mad that the weather was too foggy to land the airliner. We were making an abrupt turn to the north and heading for Guayaquile, Ecuador where we would refuel and make another attempt at landing in Lima.
Once the plane was stable in the northerly direction I walked up to the front where my new friend Jordan was sititng. I had met her at Atlanta´s International airport. We had a few things in common and I thought she might like osme company. I had a spare seat and I offered her to join me. We sat and talked about he flight and what her plans were after we landed. I knew that we wouldn´t be landing in Lima till atleast 3:30am. A time when most hostels are closed. I had no desire to take a cab to some cheap hostel and be let off and no one answer. Jordan was teaching English in Trujillo and her company had arranged a hotel for her to stay, in the posh district of Mira Flores. I was tired. I had been travelling for more than 24hours. I just wanted some sleep. Landing in a foreign airport and having to deal with hassles and speak spanish, a language that I hadn´t spoken for years, seemed a bit overwhelming. So I did what any good traveler does when they are feeling overwhelmed and not wanting to make any real decisions for themselves. I asked if I could tag along. Maybe the hotel would have a room available for me as well. I knew that Jordan spoke spanish fluently and that would get me atleast from the airport and to a hotel.
We landed in Guayaquile and sat on the runway for an hour while the plane refuelled. Then, moments before the plan was a bout to head on the runway, the captain came on the intercom and siad that the weather had passed but the runway lights in Lima were now not working. He mentioned that we would give it a try anyway and hopefully with a little bit of luck that by the time we reached Lima the runway lights would be working again. Nothing like luck to make a passenger feel safe.
The flight went on and on. We circled Lima. And before I could realize that my ears were popping we had landed.
Passing through customs was brief and finding the bags were no as simple as that. And amzingly all the bags were there and hte boards were in perfect condition. I met up with Jordan. We made our way to a cab and the moment I stepped outside I could smell Lima. It doesn´t hit you at first. It´s more subtle. It smells like most cities. Nothing potent but after a few moments you notice that there is a subtle difference compared to most cities in the western world. There´s a hint of charred garbage.
We found a Cab. Jordan haggled furiously. I felt lame and impotent. Unable to communicate to the best of my ability. I just stood there and looked tough. the cabbie tried to turn and look to me as if to say, ¨Can´t you reason with this woman. You´re the man. You should have the last say!¨ I just stood there. It takes a while for spanish to come back to one. For me, it would take a long time. And at 4am, I was useless. I tied my baords to the roof and off we went to Mira Flores, The swankiest part of Lima. It´s posh but the cab has to pass through the rougher parts of town before you get there. To me it was a reminder at just how much a facade Mira Flores is and how it covers up the true amount of poverty that Peru is dealing with. I also feel the guilt at the excess that I live with.
Slightly dazed and almost feeling drugged, We arrive at the hotel. There´s the full on doorman, bell-hop, concierge ensamble. My guilt raises a notch on my guilt-ometer. I ask for a room. The staff is more than friendly and happy to carry my bags but I won´t let them lift a thing. It was already enough that I was staying somewhere beyond my means and most of South Americas means. I´m actually too embarassed to mention how much the room cost.
Jordan is checked in. She had to get up at 8am for a flight to Arequipa to meet some friends. I tell her I´m going to meet her for breakfast. That was only 4 hours away.
I get to my room. I set my alarm and hit the bed. Only to wake up in what seemed like a few seconds of rest to find the sun out and my alarm buzzing. I stumbled down to breakfast. I sat, surrounded by what I would call the elite of this City. I felt stares all around. I was by no means dressed up. Everywhere I turned people were dressed in suits, and dresses. I looked up at the waiting staff and as much as I´d like to say I identified with them more, I just felt completely out of place. I was a gringo. A fact that you have to come to terms with when you arrive in any Latin American country. As much as one would like to fit in or in my case not stick out, you are foreign and that´s how it will always be. For me, I guess I have this secret egotistical desire to believe that I am different than other gringos or that I can relate to the local people more so than other´s. I don´t know why that is. In reality I´m just some white guy from a rich country who has had all the opportunities in the world. How can I actually believe that I´m more understanding of the working class here than the person next to me. In reality, I think there is a part in a lot of us that would like to believe that we are different than all the rest of the rich tourists and that one might be more sensative to other´s issues like poverty. I´m no different and I have to remind myself of that.
So, in comes Jordan as I´m about half way through my fruit salad. We greet and and She offers to help my purchase my plane ticket to Trujillo, the third largest city in PEru and the City closest to my final destination.
We head to the airport. Jordan checks in and within 10 minutes I have my ticket to Trujillo and I´m one step closer to arriving. I thank Jordan for all of her help. Her flight is called and to be honest it was an uneventful goodbye. Just a quick handshake and a "I´ll see you in Trujillo" send off. And there I stood, alone in the airport surrounded by people, in a country far from home, one step closer to my destination....

And now for this weeks Surf Forecast for the NY Region

Thursday: It´s going to be sick! Light and variable winds with smooth seas. You´ve got a small short period wind waves. The wind is coming from the south very lightly.
Winds: S 4 to 5 knots and the surf, well, it´s gonna be in the 4ft range with a 7 second interval. Get on it! It shouls be heaps of fun all day. The swell will stick around for atleast 2 days, maybe more.
Friday: Again light winds only with a slight chop. It´s going to be coming form the WNW at 10kts. The surf is going to be slightly smaller but still heaps of fun. Just nice summer surf. You know the kind you can go out and have nice crumbly walls to practice your off the lips.
Saturday: More Light winds with a slight chop. The swell is still there but it´s gonna be a bit smaller. Maybe a good day to take out the log. Just a nice summer weekend day with winds coming from the WSW but again, very light. The air might be a little cold but there will be a little wave. The surf is gonna be around knee to waist high. Just a nice day to hang at the beach with the family and then go home for a Barbi.
Sun: It´s looking like that swell is gonna disappear. Not looking to promising. Might be fun still on a log. The wind is gonna kick up out of the SW at 16kts. Might wanna get some chores around the house done.
Mon: It´s looking at around the same as Sunday but the wind dies off a bit but it´s still coming fromt he SW. A good day to go back to work.
Tues: It´s looking pretty dead flat with light SW winds. Oh well, gonna get on the skateboard and go through the motions on asphalt.

Hopefully I´ll be able to get the report to you sooner. Thank you.
Aloha
Tyler Breuer
Breuertj@hotmail.com
www.surftheearth.blogspot.com
www.sundownsurf.com

2006-05-10T18:23:00.000-04:00

Getting there: Part 1

¨There´s a kind of luck that´s not much more than being in the right place at the right time, a kind of inspiration that´s not much more than doing the right thing in the right way, and both only really happen to you when you empty your heart of ambition, purpose, and plan. When you give yourself, completely, to the golden, fatefilled moment.¨ -Gregory David Roberts from ¨Shantaram¨

I sat in Atlanta Airport. Tired, stiff and slightly dazed. It was a long night. A longer 24 hours and I was less than halfway through a 72hour day. It all started at 5am on a Saturday in Santa Cruz, California. The day took me from San Francisco and a flight that left early Sunday morning. About half past 12 in the morning to be exact.
I decided to go with the cheapest flight I could get to Lima, Peru. I could´ve gone direct or more direct but cheaper is usually the motto of the budget traveller. I couldn´t help myself. So I went bass ackward across the US. First to Houston with a layover of a few hours. Then to Atlanta, Georgia for a 6hr layover. Only the flight was early from houston giving me an extra hour to twiddle my thumbs.
So after walking the length of the airport a few times and trying to find the most comfortable seats in the airport I decided to randomly sit myself at some random gate in a random part of the airport.
There are moments in life, when the random choices we make without thought and without any perception that we start to see through the randomness and find some sort of order or signs for a path. Over my few weeks in California, coincidences were popping up all over the place. Seeing people who knew random friends from around the world. Certain signs that indicated that heading to South America, Peru and other more exact places I would be heading to would come up or present themselves in a way that seems almost fateful or destined.
Some of these experiences seem to be the universe pushing me along a pathway or reassuring that the decisions I whad been making were leading me to a good place and that I should continue on.
So sitting there in Atlanta of all places I look up to see my good friend Jason Horn and his lovely fiancee Sarah. What good fortune? I had not seen Jason in over two years. He used to live down the road from em in Long Beach and now lives in South Carolina. Warm hugs and a firm handshake later we were sitting having lunch and talking story. It´s easy to forget that the travelling that I do is really special and doubts can sometimes creep into your head. I sometimes think that travelling is just something that I do and I forget how fortunate I really am to be doing what I am doing. The conversation with Jason and Sarah was a quick reminder of my fortune and that this journey is what I was meant to be doing. After catching up with the two of them and passing on the invitation to join me in PEru when they got a chance, they were off to their gates and gone.
I stood in the airport, goosebumps crawled up my neck. I was feeling reassured that this had to be some sign that this is the direction I was supposed to be heading in.
I went to my gate and found most of the seats were taken. I found an outlet on the floor and plugged my ipod in and sat with my back against the wall. I watched the people walk by and crowd around the gate. I noticed a few gringos on hte flight but most looked to be from Peru. Dark skinned with dark hair and mostly short. I noticed a blond girl walking around with a small purple backpack and a ¨Phish¨ badge sown on to it. She walked back and forth. I guessed she was heading down to Peru for summer holidays or something. Probably gonna go to Machu Pichu and hang on the ¨gringo trail¨. She came over to me and saw my ipod plugged in. She asked if she could charge up her´s as well. I made room for her as she plugged in and sat on the otherside of the outlet. She started up the conversation by asking where I was heading. I mentioned the town of Huanchaco. She answered in a southern accent ¨Realy, I work in Trujillo.¨ Trujillo is the 3rd largest sity in Peru and is a bout a 20min. frive from Huanchaco. What a strange coincidence. Her name was Jordan and was teaching english in Turjillo. I took it as another sign or an invisible had to encourage or help me believe that I was going somewhere I was meant to be. but then it got even weirder. I asked where she was from. She mentioned a small island off of Georgia. I asked if it was San Simon. She nodded. I asked if she knew my friend Steve Schwartz. Öh my god, no way!¨She said. Turns out her brother was good friends with him and she used to have big crush on him. It was a bit overwhelming for me to have all of these coincidental events take place over the last few hours. Is this pure luck, random coincidence or a pattern in life that I was begining to see as a picture or a road map.
We boarded the flight. I took my seat and took a moment to reflect. I listened to a mix my friend Pippa had made me. I looked for the message hidden in between the songs she chose. I looked out the window, confindent in my direction and then nodded off...

And now for the New York Surf Report for the days of May 23-25 2006

Tuesday 5/23 Morning
It´s looking like wind blown junk. No significant swell. Just reezy whitecaping conditions with small short period wind waves. Mo better just go do something other than surfing. This part of the week is not looking good to be honest.
Winds: WNW 11 to 15 knots
Seas: NW 1 feet at 3 sec.

Wednesday 5/24 Morning
Not much happening this day. Get a skateboard and practice Bertelman turns on some slanted asphalt.
Winds: WNW 8 to 11 knots
Seas: SE 1 feet at 8 sec.

Thursday 5/25 Morning
Nope! Nada! Sorry. Maybe watch a mellow surf movie that makes you contemplate life and the meaning of surfing.
Winds: SW 4 to 5 knots
Seas: S 1 feet at 3 sec.

By the way, I´m reading this really good book called ¨Waves of Warning¨ by Glen Henning, founder of the Surfrider Foundation. It deals with the conflict Polynesian Culture(namely surfing) and Wall Street and it´s collision course. A very good read and something I recommend for when the surf is flat. Look it up on line.

Aloha

Tyler Breuer
Sundown Surf Alert Surf Report and Travel Journal
surftheearth.blogspot.com
breuertj@hotmail.com

2006-04-24T14:45:00.000-04:00

For some it's hard to leave. For other's it's harder to stay and leaving becomes all that they know. I'm of the latter. Leaving home, loved ones, friends, familiarity, comfort, pain, responsibility, duty, and stability. It's not just leaving. It can also be setting off towards something. Maybe it's something tangible like a really good wave, a temple, city, mountain or gallery. More often than not, it's something we can't grasp. An experience or adventure. Sometimes misadventure. Something we hope to grow from. A hope to open the mind and maybe the heart. Along with these intagible goals can come a jadedness and cynicsm. Sometimes making the world look bleaker and more dark. Yet, some of us still pursue in hopes that something positive will come from all this leaving.
I'm sitting typing this two weeks removed from leaving my home in New York. I'm somewhere in California, waiting to get on a twenty hour flight to South America. I'm on the fence whether I'm leaving or going towards something. Maybe this is what the next journey will be for me. To find out if I am just leaving, dare I say running, or am going toward an intangible something. Of course there are a few waves involved as well.

Now, reintroducing the New York Report for the days 4/24-4/27

Monday 4/24
Light winds with sick SSE swell pumping in the chest to head high range. Get on it if you haven't.
Tuesday 4/25
Morning We're looking at light winds with a slight chop on the face in the morning with a small short period wind swell. Looks like a fun day to get on it with winds: West 8 to 10knots Seas: SSE 3 feet at 7 sec. The afternoon should get choppy but there's swell.

Wednesday 4/26
We've got some light winds with a slight chop again on the face. But it's looking pretty small. Not much really happening. Better to go and get some work done. Maybe even sneak off to the gym to get ready for the next swell.
Thursday 4/27
Blah! Not much happening again. WNW winds and pretty much no swell. Keep hope alive for the weekend.

This was the welcome back for the Surf Report and Travel Journal.
Hope everyone enjoys it and enjoys further installments.
comments can be made at www.surftheearth.blogspot.com or go to http://blog.myspace.com/conceptualink
Aloha

Tyler Breuer
Breuertj@hotmail.com

2005-06-04T11:20:00.000-04:00

Catching Up After the Season

June 4 2005

In my left hand is a plastic cup filled with a Bordeaux 2002. I’m sitting in some small quaint apartment in the heart of Biarritz for free. It’s a long way from Indonesia, when I last wrote my travel journal. I apologize for my absence. For those who are receiving my first surf report and travel journal, when I last wrote I was in the heart of the Indonesian archipelago far from western comforts and nuisances. I left it there because I felt that the surfing side of my traveling had peaked and to write about being in London and working would not be of great interest.
So how did I get from some random isolated spot in Indonesia to the heart of Euro surf fashion and coolness, Biarritz? A long story with ups and downs and uncertainty that I’ll skim through for now. After Indonesia I decided to go to Perth, Western Australia to follow a girl and maybe get to sample WA’s legendary juicy waves. Let’s just say the girl and I struggled. It’s not easy going from being a feral to being around affluent people in a suburban environment. Also, Perth is not the best city to hang around if you have no real means of transportation and no one to hang with during the day. It’s not a bad city, but I found myself being alone most days with not much to do or see. It was mid winter. A lot colder than the tropics of Indonesia and I was also getting to the end of my money reserves. Oh, about the girl! It didn’t work. It’s a lot easier to be comfortable and confident in yourself when you are on your own turf or mutual ground. Not when you are on someone else’s turf and terms. I’m going to leave it at that for now.
From Perth I spent a long time in transit back tot he UK and foggy London town where I moved in with my brother Jamie and his wife Louise. I began a desperate search for work but apparently finding work in the UK as an illegal has become a lot harder in recent years due to new laws passed to fine businesses with illegal’s working for them. Luckily I had good friends who were able to help. I found myself willing to do anything and type of work for the almighty British Pound. I meant anything! I found myself in a clinic being tested to do drug trials! For those of you who don’t know Pharmaceutical companies will pay big for human guinea pigs to test their drugs on. There was one I almost got that would have paid 3,000 pounds for a month of living in a hospital and taking an anti-depressant drug. I was already to go. It’s not as bad as it sounds. I would have had a month’s free rent with free food, all the DVD’s I could stand, free internet access, beautiful nurses to watch and I could bring in anything I wanted to amuse myself. That meant I could paint, write video edit and do all the creative things I keep making excuses not to do. There I would be so bored I would be forced to be creative. Unfortunately or fortunately I failed my blood test.
So there I was in London, just barely getting by. Not able to really leave my brother’s apartment because every time you leave you spend money. Although I was lucky to have a bunch of good Aussie mates who provided me with beer and cheap laughs and rich times. I was also extremely lucky to have two really good friends who I owe a lot to. Lucinda and Becky are sisters who I met in Morocco a few years back and It is always great to see them. They’re smart, beautiful and full of fun and energy. I could go on writing paragraph after paragraph about how great they are. They were able to get me a job working with them at this company that specialized in team building exercises. What the heck does that mean? Well, the job required an array of skills but paid well. Outdoor days consisted of a group of us setting up an adult like theme part with games and obstacle courses that encouraged people to work together as a team. It was freaking cool! I got to run one of those inflatable boxing rings with those massive boxing gloves and watch people beat the crap out of each other till they both couldn’t hold the gloves up anymore. Other days had me acting in mystery dinner theaters/scavenger hunts. This was the best part of the job. It often included free meals and drink. All I had to do was act like an idiot and take the piss out of people all the while dropping clues and hints for teams to guess who the murderer was. Not bad eh? Those usually paid around 50 pounds for 4-5 hours of goofing around. That's roughly $93-$97. When the work went over 5 hours, the pay jumped to 75 pounds for the day. So I did this all the while having to funnel my pay checks through my brother’s bank account. I was covert and underground. Or at least I like to think I was in my own head.
Winter was coming a lot quicker than I had realized and I had to figure out what was next. My original plan was to do a winter season but I was keeping in contact with the girl from Perth and she was supposed to come out to the UK originally around October. We still had a connection and I was still emotionally involved. We had talked about driving around Europe for a month but London was expensive and work wasn’t frequent enough. I knew inside this girl would not be coming to the UK for a long time. So I decided to that I should do what I had said I was going to do originally and spend the winter in the alps being a ski bum and hopefully get a job as a ski technician or in a bar. Luckily my father does own a ski shop and I have a lot of experience in the ski industry. So I started sending out my C.V. furiously online and one day I got a random call for a ski company in the 3 Valley’s of France. The interview was a long train ridde from London but it was worth it. There I met Simon, beanie capped and a bit posh. We went through what I could do and how willing I was to work. At this point I had the mentality that I was willing to work for peanuts just as long as I had work. It can be a depressing situation when you have no work and nobody is willing to hire you. It does damaging things to your self confidence. My whole life I felt I could get most jobs I applied for. All I had to do was show my University education and work experience and I had jobs. But being illegal changed my view of working and my willingness to work. I wouldn’t winge about work in the past but I have thought to myself at times when I had a steady job that I didn’t want to be there and I really had no appreciation for the work that I had. That all changed with my time in London.
There I was being interviewed by this guy Simon in Portsmouth, Southern UK and I was shitting myself. I hadn’t be that nervous about a job in a long time. This interview was a make it or break it moment for me. If I had not gotten the job I would probably have to pack up and make my way back to NY somewhat dissatisfied and feeling like I had failed to make my own way. I felt that if I had gone home I would forever be dependent on my parents and their connections for work. Not that that is a bad thing but there is something inside me that wants to do things on my own without the help of my parents. Not that they pay for my travels but when I’m home I usually end up working for my dad and living at home rent free. It could be worse but I think there is a satisfaction in knowing that you can do things on your own terms completely independent.
Anyway, I left Portsmouth and Simon with a job as a ski technician in Courchevel Valley, France. Life was sweet and the pressure was off, sort of. When you are illegal you feel a need to prove yourself to your employers. I wanted them to not regret their decision in hiring me. I mean, they were taking a chance with me. I could’ve made up all the experience I had put on my C.V. I was to start at the beginning of Dec. and it was mid October when I got the job. I had been paid by my other job a good sum of money and so I decided to do something with it instead of slowly waste it in London.
A couple of eventful but fun things happened between the interview and work in the Alps. First was the leaving of NSW Brad and the arrival of Logan and Kiwi Brad. NSW Brad was a good mate from Australia whom I met in Morocco a few years back. He had been in London for sometime and was there when I was there. He was my lifeline to an incredible group of people who became my friends. This man is a legend amongst travelers and surfers. He really could dive into a pile of shit and come out smelling like roses. You could put him in the worst situation and he will make the best of it. It’s not luck or just good fortune, it’s his attitude that makes it alright. NSW Brad rarely forces things and to be hanging with him in London was one of the best times of my life. Having him leave the European continent was sad for me. It felt like an ending of an era for one of the best travelers I had ever met. But I suspect he will be hitting the road again one day soon.
The arrival of Logan and Kiwi Brad to London is an event that is not to be missed. These two are either extremely lucky or extremely unlucky. There is no middle ground. If I were to write some of the stories about these guys, people would not believe me. They’d say I was making it all up. I’ve seen it first hand and sometimes it’s like watching a train wreck in slow motion and other times it’s like watching your favorite team win a championship event. Brad is the darker of the two in looks. His hair is brown and his skin and blood is of Maori heritage. Logan is blond and pale with an exceptional skill for playing guitar. Both are good looking and charismatic. They had been traveling from Greece to London. Brad was working there doing promotions for parties and at times doing some risky filming. Don’t ask anymore. Logan flew out to meet Brad and the two started out their trip on the high and ended on a low. The debaucherie shall remain nameless. The luck changing from extremely good to extremely bad happened somewhere in Croatia. In a flat involving a local girl, a “roast meal” of sorts and angry siblings busting down a door and choking Brad.
By the time they had got to London, their money was now in the minus category, a job they were promised and free place to stay was non-existent. So what did they do. They went on a bender and drank themselves into further debt for a week straight. When I saw them they had been hollowed out and left somewhat desperate and disillusioned. Logan had a girlfriend in St. Maurice which is in the French Alps and she was to be working in Courchevel for the winter. Logan decided he was going to go back to be with her and see if he could get it together to stay for the season. Her company provided her with a free place to stay right in the heart of it all. So, one obstacle was out of the way for Logan. Brad was feeling a bit more hopeless. Both made their way back to the Alps but after a week of searching for work, brad gave up and headed back to New Zealand.
The reason I included the story of these two was because Logan was now going to be in Courchevel for the season along with me and he had a major impact on my season in the alps…
To be continued
Next report will delve into the lifestyle of a seasonaire in the French Alps.

2004-08-29T09:58:00.000-04:00

"The Way"

I stood on the edge of the "Camp" watching the ocean. The surf had jumped. The winds were light and the sun had not come up yet. I retreated and had a coffee. Bergs was up as well. "Do you think 'The Way' will be breaking?" I asked. He looked out at the surf. His forehead crinkled as he thought for a good long minute or two. In that time I realized I might get my first surf at "The Way." The thought excited me and scared me. It would be Bergs first time there as well. I think part of me wanted him to say that he didn't think it would be good, that it wasn't big enough or the tide wasn't right.
"You know Tyler, I think it could be good. I think we should give it a go!" Bergs said with an optimistic, almost nonchelance about it all. As if we were going to surf some beachbreak. It was on!
We decided to wait another half hour for Ross and Damo from town to show up and see if they were keen as well. They had a car and a driver and knew how to get there. If they didn't show, Bergs and I had a vague description of where to turn off but we would be reliant on public transport and that was not always the best option.
A half hour past and there was no Ross or Damo. Bergs' son Heath had decided to sleep in. He was suffering from a sea urchin puncture to his foot that had got a bit infected. It was always a laugh when all of the boys would gather around Heath's foot in the arvo to pick it clean with tweezers, needles, scissors and whatever else we thought would pull out the urchin spike. Heath had to endure the prodding. We did likewise with his whining.
On the side of the road, Bergs and I sat with our boards waiting for the local beemos to drive by and flag them down. These vans or trucks are small in comparison to your normal SUV that you see in the States. They think nothing of cramming people in with their gear. On previous rides Bergs had sat next to a guy holding a tank of petrol with his left arm and a ciggarette with the right hand. Safety is a loose term in these parts.
We sat for a good 15 minutes waiting and waving trying to get beemos to stop. Many just passed by honking and laughing. Some were empty and others were jammed packed. Finally we managed to flag one down. Unfortunately it was full. Full, meaning guys hanging off the sides and the back bumperwhile people inside sat on each others laps. We weren't so sure we'd fit. The beemo driver pointed to the roof.
It was a minature pickup truck with a canopy over the back. There was no rack or handles to hold onto. The boards were placed on the roof and then we climbed aboard. I sat above the driver with my feet sinking into the roof. The nose of our boards rested between my right arm and hips. I grabbed onto the end of the canopy and off we went. Unfortunately Bergs wasn't quite ready yet. The beemo started moving and his forehead crumpled up and his eyes stretched wide as if they were screaming for help but nothing came out. He looked like someone in a climbing movie about to fall off the edge of a cliff. He was in full action hero pose laying over the boards and trying to hold onto the sides. Only there was nothing for him to really grip. His legs hung off the end and through each turn they would swing. Bergs is not a young chick and this is not something most middle aged men think about doing at that age when they are on vacation. Eventually the beemo had to stop. Bergs readjusted himself and found a more comfortable, stable position.

The drive was fun and envigorating. It was just the rush I needed to get my head clear and stoked. We passed through tiny villages. Kids were everywhere, waving and greeting. I felt like we were a riding atop of a floot in a parade. The people were pointing and laughing. There were a couple of hairpin turns that reminded me that this was not some joy ride in a amusement park and falling off would really hurt and the nearest hospital was at least a 4-5 hour drive .

The beemo made it's stops letting people off, crowding them on. Our vague directions mentioned something about a creek or bridge that we pass and just after that is "The Way." We came to this creek and the beemo stopped. The driver slapped the roof and off we jumped. Dust kicked up in our face as the people in the back of the beemo waved as they shrank into the distance. There was a pounding roar in the distance and the dreaded rush came back to me. My stomach dropped. We slowly made our way along the creek on the edge of a tiny village. A few women stood on the side of a hut bathing with their sarongs on, fully covered. I had to tell myself that this is what I had come for. The adventure. A new spot. Nobody around. We walked on along the outskirts of the village until we hit the beach and were met with "it."
To describe "it" would not serve justice to the sheer power and speed that "it" broke along a shallow reef. We had found our way to "The Way." The reef where the wave broke was a slight distance away from where we stood. We marched along the beach. The sand was thick and each step was an effort as our feet sank. A group of kids sat on the beach swinging from vines. Some waved and smiled but the older ones stared. There were no other surfers around. Nobody in the water. Nobody there to tell us where to paddle out or where to sit. No local knowledge. I couldn't tell how shallow it was or if this was a good day or bad day for "The Way." It was beyond anything I had ever experienced. For how little we knew about the break, we might as well have been the first surfers ever to surf it. We weren't, but it sure felt like it.
"The Way" is a big left breaking wave with sections that reminded me of G-land and other sections that looked like Pipe only not as makeable. There was no shoulder. The end section was makeable but still very fast all the way up until it hits the shore or dry reef. Depends on the tide.
I wasn't so sure if Bergs was willing to paddle out. I had too much ego involved to not paddle out. Did I really want to surf this wave? Yes! Was I nervous and scared? You bet! I sat on a tight wire of emotions. On one side I was feaful of the wave and it would have been easy for me to say "no I am not paddling out." On the other side sat my pride, my enjoyment of the unknown and adrenaline. I had asked myself if I was capable of surfing this wave. Sure I was, but it's not always about the skill. It's about the willingness to commit. Could I commit? Would I commit? Or would I hesitate? The thoughts and questions with self doubt raced back and forth in my mind.
I wondered if Bergs was thinking the same as me. Did he really want this? Was it worth it to him? He had a family. He had a kid, a job, a wife and others that probably depended on him. I had really nothing. No job, no one who really depends on me. I could afford the risk. It was moments like this that I found perspective and myself in awe of guys like Boyum, Lopez, McCabe and others who had forged new paths to discover new waves in remote parts of the world. What we were doing was nothing. It's humbling to think about. I could easily sit here and write about how great I am or that I conquered this massive wave. Really, we were just following a paved road that someone else had layed down for us. Was it dangerous? Sure, but it was nothing compared what others have done and that thought gave me comfort.
"So where should we paddle?" Bergs asked. I don't know if he picked up on it but I was suprised he was the one to make the decision. He was more together about it than I was. And so we paddled out for our first session at "The Way."

And now the Surf Forecast for NY for the dates of Sept 1 - 7 , 2004

Wed: It's gonna be small all day and dropping. Winds are gonna be light. the calm before the storm.
Thurs: The day is gonna start out flat but by the after noon you should see it build. ESE winds at 10-12 kt.
Fri: We're looking at 3-4ft surf from the SE direction. Could be some fun ones. I think you all should get on it because it's gonna get messy after this. Winds are SW in the 8-10kt range. Nice crumbling lips to bash! Mmmmm!#
Sat: The day is gonna start with significant swell in the 4-5ft range but it's gonna build all day. So is the wind. East winds in the 15-20kt range. There is gonna be some paddling.
Sun: 6-8ft SSE swell. Winds are in the 10-15kt range from the ESE. Get your paddling arms ready. Set up a car at one end of the beach and another at the other end. Walking with a board into the wind is not the best. Especiallywith sand pelting you in the shins.
Mon: 5-6ft SSE swell with again 10-15kt ESE winds. Same as the day before.
Tues: Bam! Watch the swell grow. The morning will be 5-6ft but by evening it could get up to 10-12ft. Only one problem. The wind is not playing along and it's gonna be ESE with 18-25kt winds. Sounds like a survival session to me or victory at sea. Better wait till it calms down.

Enjoy the surf, don't let the wind get to you. Cover your eyes when walking up the beach and have fun.

Aloha,

Tyler Breuer Breuertj@hotmail.com
Sundown Ski and Surf www.sundownsurf.com
516-796-1565
www.surftheearth.blogspot.com

2004-08-23T08:37:00.000-04:00

Aug 23, 2004

Arrived

The rain pounds down onto the trucks canopy. The nose of my board bag is resting on my lap while the tail end is sticking out the back over the edge and out into the open downpour. A couple of the locals give me looks and then a brief smile. The language barrier prevents us all form having any sort of real conversation. We both tried in broken English and Bahasa. It was useless. Everything was reduced to slow speaking and pointing. The dialect was different on this island from Bali. Certain letters had different pronunciations and emphasis. Each attempt to communicate ended in a slight laughter with me wishing I had spoken more of their language and probably with them thinking I'm a moron.
The truck made it's stops, dropping each local off one by one. Soon, It was just me and one of the drivers mates. I had no clue where I was going. It was dark and wet. The Jungle lined the edge of the road. I was facing the back of the truck and could only see slightly what the area looked like. Occasionally Lightning would illuminate the road and give me flashes of small houses and shacks. The car then made a turn and the road grew bumpy. I was rocked off my seat, slamming my head against the metal frame that held the canopy up. This went on for 10 minutes and then it all stopped. The Truck honked it's horn. We were at a gate. IT was crudely built with bamboo and barb, but effective. The gate was pulled open and the truck entered a compound and drove right up to a building. There I was to be greeted and sort out a place to stay.
I expected the worse. I thought it was going to be roughing it when I left for this trip. I thought I might be the only white person in the entire town. I had this romantic vision of myself as the adventurer roughing it, sleeping on some locals floor eating fish heads, chillis and rice. What I was greeted with was nothing of the sort.
The first person I was saw was white and Australian. Is there anywhere in the world where there are no Australians?
"The name's Ian Berghofer, call me Berg. And this is my son Heath."
There it was a father son duo "roughing it" in Indonesia. Ian or Berg, was tall with a lanky build. Long Arms, long legs and reaching 50 but reasonably fit. There was a genuineness about him beneath his formal introduction. He seemed honest with a slight goofiness that instantly made me feel at ease. His laughter was out of "The Revenge of the Nerds." They're Goldcoasters. Heath was 17 or as the Aussies say "seven-deen." Your typical Aussie grommet. Blonde curly hair, wiry frame and a sun freckled nose. He drew out the end words of his sentences slowly. It's almost like a Californian accent but with Aussie twang. The Kid was more or less Cheeky. He loved to stick a jab in when he could and cut you down when the opportunity arose. But through it all he had his father's good honest traits but the two loved to poke fun at each other. It was apparent from the begining when Heath made a poke at his father's cutback and Berg replied with something about Heath running from the barrel.

My arrival was a bit of a suprise to the people running what I had now found out was a surf camp. I was welcomed, given a room and offered 3 meals a day for roughly $8 per night. First, it wasn't a surf camp you envision like Tavarua or G-land. It was more spartan but far from roughing it. I had a room and a thin foam mattress complete with a set of fleas and other crawling things. After a full day of surfing it would do and nothing can move you then. The shower was a bucket in a well. The one luxury they had aside fromt he incredible cooking was toilet seats. After squatting for 2-3months being able to sit and do your business while reading was heaven. There was no TV. There was a deck of cards and the ocean which was literally in the camps backyard.

My first meal upon my arrival was mash potatoes with coconut milk, Brisket and cooked veggies. It couldn't have been a better way to arrive at a place. There were three girls that worked at the camp and basically took care of the surfers. They were charming, sweet and instantly took to making fun of me and my habits in there local dialect.

I stayed up the first night talking to Berg and Heath while sipping on a cold Bintang. I asked about the waves and asked more about the waves and then again I could hardly contain my curiosity about the place and needed to know more. It was dark and I couldn't see the surf. I had to go on what they told me. They had said the wave out front was a long peeling left hander that had grower sections with the occasional tube. That meant you could take off on a waist high wave and by the end of it the wave could be well over your head. Everything sounded nice and fun until they mentioned "The Way!" A big and gnarly wave that was only rideable at a higher tide ie. It's a bloody shallow wave and is apparently only rideable when it's above overhead. Otherwise it breaks too far up onto the reef making it too shallow to surf. My stomach turned the more they talked about it. "The Way" is a spot with big waves.

I erected my mozzie net and went to bed that night thinking about "The Way". Part of me loves big waves and the other part is scared or uncertain about them. The proving never really stops. I thought after a previous big wave surf that I could rest and not have to worry about big waves for a while. growing up in NY, we don't get big waves all that often. It does get big but only about once or twice a year. And even then it's not that big or dangerous compared to other places in the world. To have consistent big wave experience, was becoming stress. I find that once you have challenged yourself to larger surf it's hard to turn it down when the opportunity arrises. The reason being is because you have done it before, it shouldn't be a problem to do it again. The ego comes into play and to say no to a challenge can debilitate ones confidence or self image. It's hard to say I can't or don't want to do something because you are scared. Especially when the challenge is within your physical capabilities. What I mean is, if I were to try to ride a 15ft halfpipe I would be dead. I never really had any practice at skating ramps, especially big ramps but if someone who were a decent skater who has skated ramps for most of their lives it would be hard for them to not go and take on the ramp. The same goes with what I was feeling. If a day came when "The Way" were breaking and in all likelyhood would be big, It would be very diffiult for me not to paddle out. That thought scared me and thrilled me. Maybe that is the allure of big waves. This is what consumed my thoughts my first evening at the "Ombak Surf Camp."
The bed I slept in felt dirty enough for me to want to wake up early before sunrise. It was cloudy and the wind was blowing onshore. I walked out to the edge of the property where a rickety wood fence lined the edge of the beach. I looked out towards the break out front. It was messy and I couldn't make out where the take off zone was. It looked awful. Had I travelled all this way for this, a sloppy waist to chest high disorganized mushburger. I decided to sit and have some coffee and hoped it would clean up. Bergs was up and joined me after checking the surf. We sat and chatted about the waves and how good they were the previous days and what was on his itinerary for the next few weeks. I thought, isn't it like an Australian to say "You should have been here yesterday!" It was straight out of "The Endless Summer."

As the morning wore on the surf cleaned up and before I knew it I was out there in overhead peeling lefts with only 3 other surfers. Waves went on and on till my legs shook and I couldn't turn my board no more. After my first session, my time in this remote piece of the world seemed to blend. I fell into the flow of the area. In the mornings two surfers would pull up to the camp with their driver from town. Ross and Damo. Both from OZ near Angourie, in their mid to late 40s. These two had been coming to this wave for some time over the years. They stay in town with an American named Zane, who owned a little bungalow styled place.
Ross was skinny, with a long forehead and a litel brown mustache. He was a goofy foot and was very laid back with a good sense of humor. He was the more vocal of the two and I found him to be quite likeable. Damo had a certain senstivity about him. He was soft spoken but was quick to make some funny remarks. He was a vegetarian but was finnicky about his food. He never spoke out loud and had a respectfulness about him that made me feel at ease and I really felt like I could open up about certain things about life and doubt that one might not share with a lot of traveling surfers. Damo was tall with athletic build and thick white-gray hair. He was a smooth regular foot who could draw some really clean lines. His stance was tall and spread, somewhat reminiscent of M.R. Ross was opposing with a low stance enabling him to make late critcal drops.
The two would show up in the morning and hang out waiting for the surf to clean up and spent most of the day with us. They seemed to know a great deal more about "The Way." Each story fueled my fear and desire of the place. It would only be a matter of time before I would have to confront it. The swell was forcasted to pick up by the end of my first week. There would be an opportunity to confront "The Way" sooner than I thought ...

And now the Sundown Surf Alert Surf Forecast:

Mon: It's looking pretty small for Mon with a 1-2ft swell and West winds in the 7-10kt range. Not much for the beginning of the week but watch out.
Tues: The morning is going to be small in the 1-2ft range again but watch the swell jump but late afternoon in the 3-4ft range coming from the Easterly direction with E winds in the 12-18kt range. It's gonna be blowing out there. Could be soem fun messy surf.
Wed: The swell is gonna stick around in the 3-4ft range. I reckon there is gonna be a strong Easterly drift. get ready for some paddling. The winds are gonna be E at 10-15kts. Looks like there will be some walking to do.
Thurs: The surf should hang in there in the 2-3ft range coming form the ESE but I reckon the current will be a factor still. Winds will be ENE at 10kt. It could clena up a little bit. I know somewhere that could be good. Can't tell ya though.
Fri: The swell is gonna build again from the ESE but it's gonna still be messy with SE winds at 10-12 kts.
Sat: Again, 2-3ft with SSE winds in the 12-14kt range. Get on it. Sure it will be messy but it could be fun as well. And it's the weekend.
Sun: Jeez, will the waves ever stop for NY? 2-4ft SSE swell with a SSW wind. I reckon there are gonna be a lot of surfers with sore arms by Sunday. Hey, enjoy it.

Thank you and look for the next chapter in this foreign land.

Aloha

Tyler Breuer breuertj@hotmail.com
Sundown Ski and Surf
516-796-1565 www.sundownsurf.com
www.surftheearth.blogspot.com

2004-08-04T01:49:00.000-04:00

Aug 3, 2004

SETTING OFF

It had been a long day. The smell of burnt plastic wafts past my nose. I'd reached the half way mark. A city somewhere that could be anywhere in any third world country. But I was still in Indonesia. I was just a tall, white Buleh (derogatory term for foreigner) walking down the dirty trash ridden street, alone. I was looking for a place to eat. My food intake was limited all day. Flights from this city to that. 5 to 6 hour waits in between flights. I was tired. My emotions were a bit frayed. Anticipation would build upon each time I arrived at a destination. My bahasa is limited and talking to different transport personnel would always be a hassle or miscommunicated. It usually ended with me having to pay more than I thought I agreed on. But those are the complications that helped build my belief that I could handle this.
People looked and pointed as I made my way down the streets of --------, I was looking for a decent Nasi goreng (Fried rice) or Satay. The side of the street was laid with giant unfinished sewer holes. Looking up was dangerous. Looking directly at certain locals was inviting trouble. I finally settled at a small street vendor with scents of chilies and fried eggs and rice. I sat at a small picnic table directly in front of a family. The wife was clad in her head scarf and traditional garb. The husband smiled as I took my seat as if welcoming me to his city. He pointed his daughter to look and wave towards me. His wife waved as well. I greeted them "Selemat Malam." (Good evening)
Before I left for this journey I was told by many different people not to trust anyone. That there was danger at every corner. I was told that I would be confronted with Islamic extremists and those who hate the west. The US government gives travel warnings and even advise against traveling to the area. It's enough to get one jumping at shadows. It's easy to judge when you are not there. But there I was sitting and being met with warmth and a smile. Just the encouragement I needed to keep going and confront my fears. I won't lie to any of you, I was scared heading into this journey. I had no clue what to expect. I didn't know if I would see another traveler for my duration on this island.
I finished my Nasi and made my way back to my hotel room. It was luxury to me but far from the Sheraton. A small cell block style room with features. TV was included and AC. I couldn't believe that I had AC. The TV was all local and with the Presidential elections on the horizon the political commercials were bombarding the airwaves. I sat and watched the the TV, anxious for the next day. I was to get to the Bus station and get on a 8-10 hour bus ride to a small fishing village where I would be staying for the remainder of my time in Indonesia. The only thing was that this bus station was notorious for being the most dangerous station in all of Indonesia. I was told by my taxi cab driver when I arrived that the bus station was very "Hati Hati" (Dangerous). Pick pockets are the norm, scams are expected and surfers with big board bags are easy targets for not only petty theft but holdups. The bus station made me very nervous. I needed to take care.
I went to bed, restless and nervous. I had just started my malaria pills and my sleep was sleepless. At times I couldn't tell if I was sleeping or dreaming. I thought I heard someone screaming for help in the middle of the night. I jumped out of bed and ran to my door. I looked outside but there was no one. I left the AC on all night and ended up getting a cold. I woke in the morning, poured a bucket of cold water over my head and got dressed.
I grabbed a cab to the bus station. The driver spoke a little English. I asked if he could help me buy my bus ticket. I would pay extra. He agreed to help. I'm definitely not as hardcore as I would like to lead you all to believe or lead myself to believe for that matter. Because before I knew it, I had a purchased bus ticket on a AC bus with a TV and plenty of leg room. I wish I could say that I hopped on a chicken coop bus with sweating locals and pigs in the aisle but when the bus ticket for an Airconditioned bus and TV is only $3, it's hard to resist going the high road.
I sat around for a few minutes waiting for the bus to board. I took a glance at the bus depot. It wasn't nearly as bad as I was led to believe. Buses lined up at wooden shacks next to each other heading off to different parts of the island. All the busses were colorful with bright greens and reds. Individualized artwork were sprayed across the sides of the busses with the destinations written in big beautiful fonts. I even saw one bus decorated in the colors of the British and US flags.
My bus was small but comfy. There was no room for my boards with the luggage so they were stored down the middle aisle of the bus , to everyone's inconvenience. I found myself apologizes to every person who had to get on the bus and climb over my board bags. If you want to piss off the locals, this is one of the better ways to do it. It's hard watching them climb and kick your boards, not reacting and only smiling.
I thought I was being smart hopping on this "Luxury" Indonesian bus but I was proven wrong when the TV got going. Indonesian karaoke videos is like some sick torchering methods used by the US government in Cuba. It's not just the repetitive themes and narcissistic performer profiles but the music is god awful. I know, who am I to comment but it wasn't that the music was just bad but it was blasted full volume. Making any type of feeble escape attempt into one's ipod or discman futile. And I wouldn't mind if it was a 3 or 5 hour bus ride. Shoots I could even do 6 hours but 10 hours was too much. They ran out of videos and started rehashing the one's from the beginning of the bus journey to hell. The chicken coop bus looked so much better as each hour passed painfully by. I have no problem with people throwing up next to me or animals crapping all over the bus. That's what is expected and I think I mentally prepared for that. This busses torture methods were unexpected and pushed me to the sane breaking point.
It was dark and rainy when I arrived in ------. I had no clue where to next. In fact, I didn't know if it was even my stop. I was hurried out of the bus with my boards and bag. The rain beat down penetrating through my clothing. I had foolishly left my raincoat back in Bali with some friends. I was cold from the AC on the bus.
I was grabbed on my arm and asked in Indonesian where I wanted to go. Immediately I was pulled into a truck with my bags. I wasn't sure where I was going. I had a name of a place and that was it. The driver seemed to know where I wanted to go. I wasn't the first surfer to pass through here. Apparently there were many who came through. More than I realized.
I spent the next half hour negotiating a cab price to wherever they were taking me. The bargaining began. They kind of had me. I was already in their truck. My bags were piled in. It was raining in biblical amounts in the dark and I had no clue really to go. I had to trust these guys but I wasn't going to be ripped off. We settled on what felt like a fair price and off we went into the night.
To be continued...

And now for the NY Surf Forecast for the week of Aug. 3-9 2004

Looks like heaps of activity out in the Atlantic. Makes me wish I was there instead of here, wherever that is.

Tues-And so the swell begins. Look for surf in the 3-4ft range coming from the SSE. Winds should be light in the 8-10kt range coming from the south. Could be some nice crumbling lips to whack! Get on it! Get into the groove of the swell because you are gonna need it.
Wed.-It's on!!! This is the day. Not the biggest but the winds are perfect. We've got a 3-5ft SSE swell with North winds in the 10-13kt range. It just sounds like really fun playful waves in the head to overhead range. You are gonna be stoked! Cut work, relationships and any other obligations out of the picture and make it an all day affair.
Thurs-Again it's in the 3-5ft range but winds are gonna be less than ideal. The wind will be coming from the SW at 18-25kts and the swell is gonna jack up by the noon in the 8-10ft range. Meaning well overhead waves with a lot of bump.
Fri-The swell will be decreasing starting in the morning in the 3-5ft range but by the evening it should fall down to waist high with an occasional bigger set. The winds will be good though in the NW range at 10-15kts. I reckon that storm will be on it's way out by then.
Sat- It's gonna be flat. I know it's hard to believe. But the wind is gonna kill it. NNW in the 10-15kt range. But don't dispare, there is something coming.
Sun-Watch how the swell jumps back up to 4-6ft. The winds are gonna be WNW in the 8-10kt range. Get on it early and feel the swell grow or head to Jersey where the winds will be ideal. It's gonna be sick!
Mon-The swell will drop to 3-4ft range with WNW winds in the 10-12kt range. Better stay overnight in Jersey. Could be heaps of fun. Wish I could join you all but I'm off flying again. Can't tell you where yet.

Sorry for the delay int he Surf report but access to a computer has been hard and my attention has been diverted. You will read about it soon.

Hope everyone gets out inot the surf this week, wherever in the world you are.
Aloha

Tyler Breuer breuertj@hotmail.com
Sundown Ski and Surf
516-796-1565
http://www.sundownsurf.com/
http://www.surftheearth.blogspot.com/

2004-06-27T03:56:00.000-04:00

The Plan

There was talk and there was a plan. Something felt right about going west. First it was agreed that West Java would be the call. Big waves and uncrowded conditions seemd like the logical choice. But then again, I knew of others who had been. Nothing negative, but I knew of others and well, I didn't want to go where where others I knew had been. Then the talk was Bawa and Asu, the islands off of Nias. Go feral and brave the dingy boats and malaria infested losmans. But when it came down to it, charter boats pass through that area all the time and rumors spread through the Indonesian coconut wireless that the crowds had been out of control at Bawa, a very large righthander that Curren surfed in 94' on a 5'7' fish, and Asu, a very sick Left was home to a surf camp already and that many boats tour through there. So somehting else had to do. But what?
The answer was drawn for me on the back of pocket paper. Like a treasure map. A few names, turn right here, hop on this bus, get on that bus and end up here, X marks the spot. It was a Candian fellow named shane who drew it out for me just a few mintues before he left for the airport home. "That's where you should go, Tyler. It's big, there is nobody there and I heard there is lots of potential for discovery."
And so sat the treasure map in my back pocket for a few weeks. I only had a name of a small fishing village on one of the many islands of Indosesia. The Lonely planet has a breif paragraph saying "Quiet coastal village of &*% is an ideal base to explore the unspoilt western coastline. Well off the beaten track, it recieves few visitors and there is little to do."
Now, let me explained to all of you that Bali has changed in the months that I have been here. It's gone from early season to prime tourist season. The crowds are unbearable. Bingin, where I have been staying, was once a mellow peak with good friends a lots of barrels. Now it's a lab rat experiment with every wanker you could think of, paddling out only thinking about getting their fill and not about the overall enjoyment of being in Bali. I sat and watched surfers repeatedly paddle around everyone, not waiting their turn and snake wave after wave, barrel after barrel. And That is not what bothers me. What bothers me is that these people were not smiling after the sick barrels they were getting.
My philosphy has always been that if you can't smile after a sick wave, you might as well be dead. And with that, I have refused to get in the water with such people who have lost touch with what it means to be a surfer. Note: for all of the prospective surfers, avoid peak season in Bali. Hit a different island and you will be happy. Or if you do come, avoid the surf and jsut enjoy the culture and beautiful people that live here.
So, the need to escape and find remoteness has been drawing my attention for sometime. Why am I not there as we speak? That is a long story. It begins with the visa extension. For those not in the know, Indonesia has changed Visa policies and one used to be able to stay for 60 days no charge. Now they charge you $25 for 30 days and about $60 for 60 days. Then if you want to stay longer, you have a few options. All expensive. You can A) by a ticket to Singapore and fly there and do what is called a visa run. It costs atleast $200USD to fly there and back and that does not include food, taxi, place to stay, and of course the purchase of your new visa.
Or you can go with plan B) Purchse a new month long visa under the table with receipt and all and no one is the wiser. This costs $170USD. I went with the latter. The only thing is, A 2 day process went into 3 days and then 5 and finally a week after the passport was handed over, cash in hand, I had my renewed visa. OK, I had waited a week but there is still time for &*%. I'm leaving for Perth, WA on the 16th of July. THis was 2 weeks ago. But, a funny thing happened to me on the way into Kuta to purchase my plane ticket to WA. In the midst of weaving in and out of traffic, juking and jinking my bike left to right, speeding along at 60ks, fate intervened in the form of a crappy black mini truck. You see, after driving these bikes for a few months, one begins to enter a video game view of traffic. It's all fun and you forget the consequences.
I had fallen victim to this mind set and this black mini truck stopped short as I was speeding up to pass it on the right. Well, I hit the brakes and slid to the side. First the bike hit and then I was sent sliding forward on mid-day baked asphalt. It felt like I was sliding my right side on ice. My immediate reaction was to jump up and out of the way of the car behind me. luckily the car, or should I mention giant truck had stopped 6-8ft from running me over. I surveyed my body quickly. All my joints were moving, no intense pain or broken limb, my helmet was still on and my face was in take. My god it was a miracle. Then the stinging began. Road rash is a b&$%. It burns and stings and makes the skin feel tight and stretched. MY poor right arm which has suffered enough with reef cuts no had soem road rash scars to boot. My shoulder had a slight burn, the skin looked like a roasted marshmellow. My left toe was sore and I would later realize I'm going to lose the nail at some point over the next few weeks. And my right leg had some rashing. Oh, and we can't forget about my right ankle. A nice little hole.
I sat on the side of the road for a few mintues. The shock was settling in. I'd say it was one of the closests I'd come to really screwing myself up big time. I was able to walk away but I freaked myself out. My hands were shaking, my mind was racing, replaying the incident over and over again. A couple of great Indonesians helped me with some water to clean the wound and they checked the bike to see if it was alright. After about 10 minutes, They told me the cops would be coming and it would be best if I left. So, back on the bike, scared as s$&@ I went to the travel agent to book my ticket to PErth. The moment I stepped into the travel agency I could feel the cool air conditioned air hit my skin and the stinging really began. I sat and waited, and waited and then waited. It must have been 45 mintues. The blood had ran and then dried. My arm had weird yellow moucus forming. I was not OK. Tidak Bagus! My turn came and I got the prices and then drove slowly back to Bingin to recover.
I spent the next few days out of the water trying to heal but to be honest, I thought the wounds were nothing and that they would heal like the other reef cuts. I cleaned them. Sure I cleaned them, once and that was it. Maybe a little betadine and that was it. This was on a Tues. and i was talking of leaving for $%&* on sat. Then on Thurs, a friend of mine pointed out that my right foot was infect and was red all around the wound on my ankle. I thought it he was wrong I must have just bruised myself. The next day the foot had swelled up to a red balloon and some puss was seeping out of the wound. Tidak Bagus! No Good!
I ended up spending the next 4 days, taking antibiotics, cleaning the wounds , soaking them, putting ointment on them, keeping my foot elevated. You name it I did it. I was bored! I even began reading Playboy! That's reading for you pervs out there!
Eventually everyhting went down and my foot was healthy again and I would be able to head out to $%&*. I had planned on leaving last Saturday the 27th. But then my good French friend Patrick had returned from G-land and he was feeling keen.
Originally I was going to go with my friend Cacho, but he lost himself in the Kuta night life and he bailed. Then my buddy Justin from England was to join me. But after all of my accidents and visa stuff, time ran out for hima nd he was missing his girl in NZ. SO he leaves in a day or two. So I was going it alone and then my "Poto"(French for buddy) had returned. He was supposed to fly to Darwin to renew his visa. That changed after a debaucherous evening of drinking till the sunrise. He canceled his ticket, and the plan was set. We would not fly to $%&*. We would boat it. 3 days of hard boat life across the Indonesian archipeligo. From one end to another. Then the girl appeared.
A lovely girl, EL lived in NY. I have no problems with her and think she is sweet as all. But, (there is always a but) sometimes, girls and travel don't mix. Like milk and orange juice. Not all the time! Disclaimer: I love traveling with women, Shoots, I love women. I have friends who are women. My mom is a woman. But, a hardcore surf trip is not a place for a non-surfing girl who we have only known for a few days. SHe eyed Patrick immediatly and confessed to me, a guy she had met earlier one evening, that this guy is amazing and that she could not bring herself to talk to him. I smelt trouble. eventually they met, and to be fair I wanted to introduce them and I thought that the two would get on well. For the night! Maybe a few days.
Again, let me emphasize, I think El is great but, when Patrick and her get together it's the biggest pain to be around the two due to their constant head games. He would ignore her, she would complain to me. He would say this and she would say that. They were messing with each other and I could not stand to be this third wheel. But then one morning it was decided that "we" were going to Sumatra. Meaning All three of us. Imagine being on a remote beach or island for that matter, with two people constantly playing with each other emotions. Constant mood swings. I wouldn't know how to act or what to do. I thought i could deal with it. At least there would be waves.
But then yesterday morning happened. I awoke and stumbled down to see Patrick in the morning when I was confronted with "We are going to West Timor." I guess, it would take too long to go by boat to %&* and that West Timor would be the sure bet and optimal amount of surfing time. I agreed at first. It felt wrong. I tried to tell myself that i was easy going and that hey, West Timor ain't bad. There are sick waves there too. But, I had the treasure map, all the signs were pointing towards the opposite side of Indonesia.
But somehow i found myself in Kuta, reserving plane tickets to West Timor. I felt powerless and afraid to rock the boat. i didn't want to make Patrick or EL feel awkward. I was afraid to making otehrs upset with me. I was also afraid to go alone, to be perfectly honest. Sometimes I think I prolonged my going because I didn't want to have to depend on myself. I think I've always had someone there to help me or look out for me or handle certain details for me. But, here it was, the perfect opportunity to prove to myself that I can manage on my own. If I got myself in a situation, I was going to have to get myself out as well. I mulled over the decision for hours. I was scared. This side of Sumatra is uncertain, unknown and complicated. The elections are coming up and from what I've heard, Indonesia can become tense. Could I handle this on my own? Could I manage to get a bus from here to there? Could i book this room or bargain for that? I will most probably be alone in the water. All the dangers and annoyances enter your mind when you are pondering such a trip. But, it takes one action to set everything in motion.
It started with me confronting Patrick and EL. They took it well and it turns out that Patrick is going to West Timor alone. El was on her way to Laos and so, one stress was down and the next was buying the ticket. All night my stomach has chruned and agonized over what is the right decision. Was i making the right choice to go to %^&*? Can I handle it? All the doubt ran through my body. But this afternoon, after my first surf in 2 weeks, I drove to Kuta and purchased my plane ticket. I leave tomorrow at 10:30am. It's going to be a long day...

The NY Surf Forcast:

Tues:Looking at 1-2ft south swell with WSW winds in the 6-12kt range. Wait a few days!
Wed: Slight rise in the swell in the 2-3ft range. SW winds at 10-15kts. Short interval swell. It's gonna be a little windswell.
Thurs: slight drop in the swell. It's not gonna happen. But, the surf should start to build with S winds int he 10-15kt range. Watch the weather my friends.
Fri: We've got a 2-3ft swell in the SSE direction. Winds will be S at 8-10kt. Super light. Could be fun?
Sat: A slight jump in the swell in the 2-4ft range coming from the SE. Winds are gonna be ESE at 10-15kt. Give it a try in the evening but wait.
Sun: consistent 3-4ft ESE swell with SSW in the 10-15lkt range. give it a go. could be fun but go to bed early on Sun. evening.
Mon: 4-5ft S swell with light WNW winds in the 10kt range. I reckon get on it early or get to Jersey. Have fun!

And I'd like ot give a few shouts outs! This one goes to Ag, a pommie whom I had the intolerable pleasure of meeting at G-land. This guy loves the sauce and has the biggest mouth. Loves to yap but all in all a good bloke. He went to wEst Java in search of sick waves and found it. Only to have on his 2nd or 3rd day a fin put a major gash in his calf, requiring tons of stitches both inside and on the surface of his leg. The story that ensured of finding a dingy doctor and the whole village watching Ag and asking him questions over and over about why he is not married while the stiches are being sewn. Sounds like heaps of fun. WEll, he spent his last few days in Bali on the tap and he basically made me write this.

Also, I want to say hello to my step sister who is recovering from a small surgery. Feel better soon Mer.
And Kristy, I'll be in OZ soon enough. Can't wait!

Aloha
Tyler Breuer breuertj@hotmail.com
Sundown Ski and surf
www.sundownsurf.com
516-796-1565
www.surftheearth.blogspot.com

2004-06-13T00:04:00.000-04:00

Taking G-land on the Head: Part 2

I could see the in the distance the beach. A crew had gathered welcoming Those who had returned from the large surf at G-land. I was tired. My legs were cramped and the current was pulling me parallel to the beach faster than I could paddle against it. Not that I had enough energy anyhow. It had been a long session.

It started with me paddling out alone in the 10-12ft(20-25ft faces). Apparently the surfers I was to paddle out with had hitched a ride on a speed boat out to the lineup, leaving me with a good 3km long paddle through the end of the reef at G-land known as Chickens. Once out past the breaking waves, the real work began as I paddled up the reef against a raging current. Now, I've grown up surfing in NY and we have side sweeps all the time but this sweep more or less sucked! Imagine large amounts of water depositing on the reef, or better yet, exploding on the reef and then the water has to go somewhere, so it moves down along the coast creating river conditions. It was manageable but let's get real, it's more of a pain in the butt.

I could see the surfers in the distance trying to maintain their positions in the lineup. It seemed the closer you got to the main peak the stronger the rip became. I was fine with the paddle once i found a pace and it actually helped take my mind off of the large waves breaking up the reef. What i couldn't stand was the fact that the speed boat that had dropped the other surfers off in the lineup drove right past me and then turned around and slowly drove behind my sluggish pace. That got me annoyed. Could the people on the boat not see that i was struggling and a little help would be much appreciated. No, the boat was behind me, taunting me and was really pissing me off. But, just pour some salt on the situation, Inside the boat was an extremely gorgeous Dutch girl. A girl who I had tried to be polite with in the water on a few seperate occasions and was rudely snubbed. I tried to be friednly with her boyfriend as well, and he snubbed me too on two seperate incidences.

So there I was paddling my arms off thinking that this girl was probably tellign the boatman not to pick me up and to just drive behind me to piss me off. "Fine, I'll just do it the old fashion way. I don't need a boat to take me out in the lineup. I'm no cream puff. If you can't paddle out, you shouldn't be out."
And that was the thought process in my head as I struggled to make it to the peak.

Slowly I managed to catch up the the 3 other surfers in the water. Chris Bertish was there and gave me a double take when he saw me. The only thing I could think of to say was, "Thought I backed out huh?" And just as I said that Chris smiled and began to paddle like a madman for the horizon. I looked out to see the sky getting black and that is when I thought maybe I'm in over my head. I started to dig my shoulders into the water, scratching for the horizon. Shoots, I was aiming for the shoulder and I wanted no part in this wave. Chris, moved like a rally car, small, light and fast for the deepest part of the wave. And as the lip began to feather, I nearly soild my boardies. I was just hoping to make it over this wave. Chris was turning around mid faced and proceeded to be sucked up towards the lip as he jumped up to his feet and air dropped under the crashing wave. Sticking the drop and taking it through the speedies section. I pushed through the wave and kept paddling as hard as I could knowing that there had to be another wave coming.
Ducking through a wave of this size is an experience unlike any I ahve felt before. The wave is so thick that when you think you should be coming through the back of the wave, you're still under water. It feels like a few seconds to push through. The third wave of the set seemed a little smaller and more manageable. the other two surfers were out of position. Me, I wanted to get the nerves out of the way.
The difficulty in judging where you are on a wave of this size is amazing. I didn't know if I should be under the lip taking off or paddling from way outside. I decided to try the under the lip approach. Hey, it worked for Chris, maybe it could work for me. I began to dig deep. My arms were already sore and mushy. I felt myself being sucked up the face. It's a weird feeling trying to paddle forward but knowing you are moving backwards. I felt a slight push and thought that this was my opportunity. I should have given it one more stroke.
My board went airborne as my feet found the deck. My arms were in full spread eagle pose. I had a brief moment when I felt like I was going to make it. When I say brief, I mean less than a split second. If A second was a grain of sand, this breif moment was the size of a quark because after that, It was all down wave after that. I can't recount the actual details after getting to my feet but I remember my limbs being stretched apart, my neck and head were doing full rotations and then it went calm and I was on the surface again grabbing my board and looking at Chris laughing at me.
A funny thing happens to you when you survive a big wipeout. Instead of being cautious and timid, you can find yourself feeling invincible. You start to say to yourself, "Right, that wasn't so bad. I can handle this. Let's charge it." After that happens, everything becomes much easier. You start to find yourself taking chances that you may not have taken before the wipeout.
Paddling back out was never easy. I took a few sets on the head and even had my board ripped from my hands a few times but none of it seemed to phaze me. The lineup was quiet except for the distant rumblings of waves reeling down the reef. It would be a long wait before another set would come through. The sun began to get lower and I started to think that maybe I needed to think about going in soon. I still hadn't completed a wave yet. Going in without a decent wave to your memory would be disappointing. Catching waves and not making one would be a blow to the ego. I needed to ride one.
A set loomed again on the horizon. Chris was in postition for the first wave. He made it and rode it all the way in with style. The next one was mine. This time I began paddling super hard, digging every inch of my arm into the water. from my fingers all the way up to my neck. Each stroke was commited. The bottom sucked out before me and before I could cry out every curse and obscenity my belly fell up into my throat as I got to my feet. I made it to the bottom. My fins were humming and my stance was just plain survival. Where Chris and the other surfers were playing with these waves, I was just surviving. Stink bug stance and all. Looking up at this wave with the lip way above my head, I had a moment of clarity. I now knew that i was just a kook when it came to bigger waves, the ocean does what it wants and I am more insignificant than the seaweed on the bottom of the reef and if I didn't pull it together and make this wave I was gonna be picking coral morsals from my teeth.

Onto the open face and over the back I had a successful ride under my belt and the sheer adrenalin had my head buzzing like no other drug before. My fingers tingled and my legs felt stiff as tree trunks. The look of draw dropping awe was replaced with a perma-grin. More or less I was F@%&*& stoked! paddled back out for one more.
The sun was piercing the sea and I knew it would be dark soon. I needed to get one in. There was onyl two of us left in the water. I had no desire to be the last one in. So I grabbed the next available wave and what looked like an easy sloping take off turned into my kookness going spastic. The front edge of my board caught and I went diving down the face. For some reason the vision of cliff divers entered my head and down I went. Peircing through the face and then being sucked over the falls. My leg cramped and then my foot cramped. I waited a while before I surfaced. As I grabbed my board another wave came breaking ontop of me. Needless to say I went through the washing cycle a few times.
Eventually I made my way in and once on the beach I could see a crew gathered, talking and all the surfers that were out in the water that day talking and giving high fives. Chris came marching back from his surf camp with a load of Bintangs in hand. A round was past as we watched the sunset. Stories were recounted, waves were talked up, mainly by me and not of my waves but of the others that were ridden. I was complemented on my charging but I knew better. I was just hanging on and trying to stay calm. I was no charger that day. But I was curious as to how big these guys were calling it. Partly for my own ego and partly for accuracy. gotta keep the facts straight. I asked Chris, being the big wave charger that is, how big did he think the surf was?
"Mate, I learned long ago that you don't measure waves in feet or meters. Everybody ahs their own way of judging the surf. Some measure the back, some measure the face, some downsize, and some oversize. I jsut call it overhead and leave it at that."

And now the Surf Forecast for NY for the week of 5/14/04- 5/21/04

Mon-SMall conditions in the 2-3ft range but look for a bulding south swell with SSW winds in the 15-25kt range.
Tues-You've got some swell in the 3-4ft ranger but the winds will unfortunately be in the 15-15kt range from the SW. Still could be some fun ones out there.
Wed- Get on it early. The swell will decrease throughout the day starting in the 3ft range but dying quickly by early afternoon. Winds are gonna be NNE in the 10-15kt range. Dawn patrol!
Thurs-Can't lie to ya, it's gonna be small. 1-2ft South swell with SSW winds in the 10kt range.
Fri-Look for a slight rise in swell but don't expect oo much. It should be 2-3ft with light N winds. Could be a great day on a longboard or fish. I hear this week is gonna get hot. Might as well get wet.
Sat- Small waves again in the 1-2ft range. NNW winds very light.
Sun- crap again. SMall and with NNE winds it's not looking so good. Could be a good day to work on the tan.

I hope Everyone is safe and get's some fun little waves in. I'm off to Sumatra this week. I'll stop there because I don't want to rub it in.

Selamat Tingal

Aloha

Tyler Breuer breuertj@hotmail.com
Sundown Ski and Surf
www.sundownsurf.com
www.surftheearth.com

2004-05-31T01:11:00.000-04:00

May 31 2004

Taking G-land on the Head

Everyone at G-land knew the swell would peak on Wed. We just didn't know how big it would actually get. Throughout my entire stay at G-land the surf pumped. It never got under 10ft faces and although many said the swell direction was not perfect, the waves were pretty incredible. The build up to Wed. would be filled with incredibly long waves with big open faces and an occasional barrel. Hold downs were the norm and interactions with the reef were inevitable. At night when dinner was served one had to be careful that nasal drain didn't drop onto your meal. It was all perfect preperation for the peaking swell.
Only, when I awoke on that peaking Wed. the whole mood of the place had changed. It started with loud sounds of crashing waves making slight trembles in my mozzy net. Most mornings were foggy with morning sickness but that day felt more like sea mist rather than fog. Walking down to the viewing tower the sounds of the ocean kept building and getting louder with each step. I would sound too macho if I said I wasn't nervous. I'm going to sound over dramatic but my heart was beating faster and when I got my first glimpse of the reef, the description of soiling myself would not do justice to the look of the surf. It wasn't the actual sight of the waves that had my stomach dropping into my legs, it was the fact that I knew that I had to go and surf this. I don't know what it is. Call it ego, call it stupidity, call it the love for being scared but I had to go out. Maybe I've talked myself over the years into thinking that i loved big waves. I guess at a young age I was always very tall and the fact that small waves never held me up enough that I thought "Big waves are where I belonged."
Well, here they were and here I was. I had a 7'6" gun. My skill level is there. I was fit. Here was the opportunity to prove to myself that this is indeed what I wanted. I had no excuses to back out except facing the reality that maybe I didn't love bigger waves as much I thought. How big was it? Well, it was hard to say in the morning because there was nobody out there to measure it against. All i know is that there was an outer Bombora breaking that did not brreak the whole time I was at G-land. The day before sets were peaking at 15ft faces. Or as the Aussies like to call it 8ft (The method of measuring the back of the waves. Who surfs the backs I have no clue.All I know is if we did that in NY the surf would be in the 0-1ft range most of the year and probably -1 or -2 at times.)
This day was soem fo the biggest surf I had seen in person. I've had big surf experience and not to toot my own horn but I'm not one to back down from big surf. THis surf was another story. Not only was it big but it was nasty. The winds were kind of side shore and the swell was coming from an odd direction with giant tubing sections that shut down. Many of the waves were just giant foamy faces except for the sets which broke outside of the foam line. That meant if you were to surf it you had to take a set.
All morning surfers from all of the different surf camps would come and gather at the watch tower overlooking the surf and make there comments. "Awe yeah! It's too bumpy and messy", "It's not really worth the work", "It's shit mate!"
I heard all of the excuses and to be honest they made me feel better. Shoots, if guys from Hawaii were not willing to paddle out maybe it's not such a disgraceful thing if I don't paddle out. In other words "Eddie would not go!" because it's kinda crappy! Or was it?
The excuses made us feel better about not paddling out but in all honesty and to be honest with myself we all just didn't want it. Besides, how would one get out there? The only way would be to paddle out about 2ks down the reef where the wave dies off and paddle against a raging current.
Yup, I was gonna just sit on the side and watch. But soemthing was gnawing at me. Soemthing didn't feel right. Like I was missing out on something. It's not easy to back down from a challenge. It doesn't do a whole lot for your self esteem and a tinge of regret can start out like a little scratch that slowly morphs into full blown case of Poison Ivy.
It was late morning when the rumors began to circulate. A guy by the name of Chris Bertish was going to paddle out. Alone! For those of you who don't know, Chris Bertish is a South African Hellman who has tackled some of the gnarliest waves in the world. I've read about his exploits numerous times and had gotten to know him in the lineup throughout the week before.(Sorry Chris for doing this) Chris is one of the few people in history to ever paddle into a wave at Jaws and charged Todos Santos on the huge day the Cortes Bank was first ridden. Todos was massive that day! Chris is also one cool and humble guy. Perhaps one of the more humble and enlightened surfers I have ever met.

So this guy paddles the 2ks against a rip that was like a river up to the launch pads section of the reef and they guy put on a show. I saw him take off on a easy 20ft face right under the lip and pull it off with style. Guys from Hawaii were calling it 10-12ft. Double that and you have the actual face size. (When I asked Chris later on that day how big he thought it was he said he refuses to give a size to big waves because everyone measures it differently. I think he was just being humble.)
One other surfer and two bodyboarders joined Chris in the lineup. The other surfer was managing one of the surf camps and broke his board in half on his second wave. After a handful of waves Chris came in. I walked up to him and told him I caught his waves on video. He was stoked! I then asked him "how was it out there?" he replied "It's not that bad out there. There are a few bombs coming through. It looks better from the water than from land.I'm back out there after lunch." After that, I found myself asking hesitently if I could join him for his second session.
I was told to meet him down the reef at "Chickens" (last section of the G-land reef) at 3pm. I don't know what got into me but now i was committed. A funny thing happened to me after I decided to go. My confidence grew and the gnawing at my stomach seemed to disappear. I guess it's when you commit to something and you know there is no backing away you decide in your mind to accept what will happen, happen and that you have no control over your destiny once the choices have been made. You learn to live with your decisions and the path you make is the path you take.
I prepped my 7'6". Carefully and almost cerimoniously I rubbed the wax on my board, strapped the leash to the plug and tied up my boardies. It may sound silly or maybe I've watched "The Last Samurai" one too many times but I felt like I was a warrior preparing for battle.
3:10 and I'm running a few mintues late. I get to the meeting spot and Chris is gone. he had taken a boat out to the lineup this time with two other surfers. I was on my own. I looked out to the reef and watched the swell rumble in like an avalanche. Knowing that Chris was going to be going out in the surf had given me some comfort but now that was gone and the words of Bear from "Big Wednesday" rang true in my ears. "You're always alone in the ocean."
And so I jumped into the water and began my long paddle out. Alone.

And now your NY Surf Report for the week.

Mon-This week is not looking so prosperous for surf but I think you can manage a few days here and there. This day is looking a bit smallish in the knee to waist high range. The winds will be blowing in the ESE direction 15-25kts.
Tues-The swell should have built overnight to a good 3-4ft(Not backs!. The swell is running from the ESE and so will the wind. But it will be light winds atleast in the 6-12kt range. Could be some fun whackable lips.
Wed.-We are looking at continuing swell fromt he Easterly direction in the 3-4ft range. The winds are gonna be WSW at 10-15kts. Get on it early because it is gonna die real fast.
Thurs-Flat. The winds are blowing fromt he WNW at 12-15kts. Couldbe a nice day to take part in other outdoor activities.
Fri-Flat again. Sorry boys! If it makes any of you feel better the surf here in Indo has dropped considerably and I'm retreating inland for a few days to do some touristy things.
Sat-1-2ft from the south. It's not really gonna be happening this weekend. Winds are gonna start from the SW and switch to the SSE at 10-15kts.
Sun- Same as the day before only the wind is ESE at 6-12kts. Better luck next week.

I hope you all are enjoying the nice weather in NY. For all of you around the globe, enojoy life. And a Special thanks goes out to the G-spot Surf Camp which is providing some sick accommodations at G-land for a rediculous price: $75 USD for 7 days including transport, breakfast, mozzy net and great atmosphere. I can't say enough great things about the place. If you are coming to Indonesia, stay with these guys. They hook it up and the food was unreal and you can eat anytime you want which the other camps don't have that luxury. That means when they are eating, you have G-land all to yourself! Not a bad deal. I was stoked. For the continuation of the story, check out www.Surftheearth.blogspot.com later this week.

Aloha
Selamat Tingal
Tyler Breuer Breuertj@hotmail.com
Sundown Ski and Surf
www.sundownsurf.com
516-796-1565
surftheearth.com

2004-05-16T00:22:00.000-04:00

May 16, 2004

Selamat datong,

5th week in Indonesia-

Life on the road can be fast, it can be slow and can flow. Like surfing we all must submit to the rhythm of the ocean. If our rhythm happens to match the tempo of the ocean than we are truly following our bliss. Just returned to Bali from spending 8 days in G-land. The details will come but the message this week will be short. Surfed the biggest waves of my life at Out of Control G-land. Speedies was Massive. Scored incredible waves. More next week. I can't distrub the flow and I'm missioning to Desert Point tonight. Just two other guys who happen to be heading in the same direction, A beat up truck, some food rations and we're off looking for the mythical bugger. There are stories of people getting 3 10 seconf barrels on one wave. More to report next week.
Enjoy!

And your NY surf Forcast for the week of 5/17-22/04

Mon-Looks like you guys have been getting a bit of swell yourself lately. Look for fun 2-3ft waves with a light WNW wind. Could be a fun morning and a great way to start the week.
Tues-There will be a sharp rise in the swell for Tues. Stoked! 3-5ft South swell. Winds will be a bit bumpy out of the SSW in the 10-15kt range. Wait it out! WEd. is gonna rock!
Wed-It's on! 4-8fy South swell with Straight light North winds. Take the bloody day off and get on it. The surf is going to pump! You know where you gotta be! So be there!
Thurs-3-4ft left over swell with a light SE wind blowing. Should be fun scraps to rip apart. Nice light wind with crumbly hittable lips! Stoked!
Fri-Again you have a 4-5ft swell from the South. And how do you like this? Light NNW winds. People know where the best spots are gonna be! Get there and get some filthy waves. It's gonna be chest high and fun.
Sat- Dying swell in the 2-3ft range. Light NNE winds for the morning then coming onshore byt the afternoon from the ESE. Could pull a little more swell for Sunday.

I hope you all have an epic week of waves. I'm off for a feral strike this week. Too much to tell you all. Some classic stories ahead.

Aloha
Tyler Breuer
BreuerTJ@hotmail.com
Sundown Ski and Surf
516-796-1565
www.sundownsurf.com
www.surftheearth.blogspot.com

2004-04-30T01:27:00.000-04:00

"Bingin Characters"strong>

Waves crash along the reef to the beat of Don Carlos' Irie vibe. The speakers are turned up all the way, bass blasting and the crew is gooving. It's Kelly's Warung at the bottom of the cliff looking out into the evening sky. You can make out white lines peeling for a few seconds before crashing down onto a razor bottom. The tide is low. Everyone in the Warung know's it's going off! It was going off all day and well into the night.
The boys are congregating a small table, sitting along an L shaped cement couch. Padded with an inch of foam. Never good for the roids. Dave, the ringleader of this misfit, patchwork of internationals, is in good spirits. A funny little Welshman. Fit as all with a giddy manic smile. Topped with thick brown hair, barely a strand of gray to betray his real age. He looks twenty-something but, you know he's older. He rarely stops moving. Especially when the raggae playing. And when Don Carlos is on he is on. Dancing around, jumping and singing, the crew watches and cheers Dave's antics on, raising bintangs and helping him sing the chorus. It was a good day of surfing.
Around the table you've got the the Safar(South African), The Brasilian, The Aussie, The Kiwi, The Seppos and another welshman. The other Welshman is Nigel. Daves' 1st mate. Was supposed to leave the other day but, missed his flight. Cancelled his next flight and jsut renewed his visa for another month. Been here for a longer amount of time than expected. He's got into the work scene as well. Helping Dave sell tour's to G-land and other surf camps, Nigel has become Daves' right hand man. They're bloody pirates born a few generations shy of their potential. Instead of Plundering and looking for gold, they work the sytem and find capitalistic ventures both inside and outside the realm of morality and follow a credo worthy of Bluebeard. In other words, pretty decent guys with brushes along the edge that help keep them stoked on life.
The Safar: Alistair is one cool South African. It's guys like this that reaffirm my belief that South Africans could be the coolest group of surfers walking the planet. I don't know what it is but I haven't found a Safar I didn't like and Alistair is no exception. He's a "Kiff Bru" who likes to grab his rail but unfornately seems to outrun the wave at Bingin. (Surf Technique note: When barrel riding on the back hand, it is a must to drag your butt to slow up for the tube.) Alistair has had a reinforcement realization. I don't know if it was during his Jungle Juice induced bare chested jumping at the Bounty(well known club in Kuta) or during the in between sessions hang out witht eh crew talking stories from around the world but Alistair is going back to South Africa with the knowledge that he will be leaving home, dropping the rat race, selling off his useless materials, and renting out his apartment by the end of the year. Good on him.
The Seppos: Me excluded of course! Two brothers from So Cal. Each in their Thirties. Been to indonesia for the umpteenth time. Both Import/Export Indonesian goods. Lance, the older of the two, is ginger bearded with a big forhead and an extremely upbeat attitude. Maybe a little too upbeat for the down times when you just need some silence. He's got the heart and stoke that most people could never feel. Seth, the younger is the hipper of the two. Beach cut blond hair, blue eyes. Typical looking So Cal. His dealings are safe but, you can tell he craves something more edged and gritted at times. He's also a boogie boarder who takes off on the gnarlier peaks and rides them through to Greedy's. Mind you the reef at Greedy's is only ankle deep at low tide and waist deep at best at high tide.
Kelly is the woman who runs the Warung and is our Indonesian mother. She cooks and cares for us all day long. I feel as if I've reverted back to childhood. Kelly and Dave have a special relationship. Dave moved out to Bingin 5 years ago. He's pretty much stayed with Kelly that whole time. His parents passed away some time ago. His brother disappeared a few years ago. He's done a few hard years. Easy life has come at a price for Dave. Kelly has taken on a mother role with him. Dave seems to be making up for a lost relationship he probably never had with his mother. He takes care of Kelly. Brings in the business, supplies her warung with a TV, Stereo, DVD player and more. He kids with her in Indonesian, she lovingly pats his back and then holds his hand, like any mother would to their joking, charasmatic son.
Life at Bingin is good. Even when the surf is not. It's easy. Maybe too easy.
It's a good time to move on. Like surfing, sometimes it's best to go in on a good one.

And the now the NY Surf Report for May 3-9, 2004

Mon-Dang, you boys got some swell! We are looking at a 5-10ft swell from the SSE with Light WNW winds in the 10-15kt range. Jersey's calling!
Tue- Looking at decreasing swell in the 3-5ft range. Winds are coming from the NW at 15-20.
Wed- The end of a swell! 1-2ft. Might want a rest after the last few days. Winds are in the SW range at 12-16kt.
Thurs- 1-2 and not really happening. jst a SW winds coming in at 12-16kt. Just power away at work and look forward to the weekend ; )
Fri- Again it's 1-2 but winds are coming from the ESE at 10-15 and should pick up a bit.
Sat-It's on! 3-4ft ESE swell. The winds are light at 10-12 kt. Should be some fun waves. Get on it!
Sun: Again 3-4 SE swell with light ESE winds again. Could be a bit of a current out there but also some nice crumbling lips to smack. Beats doing lawn work!

Sundown got in some nice longboards. I heard there were a few Weber's and Hobies in that look hot. Check em out!

Enjoy the ride.

Aloha

Tyler Breuer
breuertj@hotmail.com or www.surftheearth.blogspot.com
Sundown Ski and Surf
516-796-1565
www.sundownsurf.com

2004-04-18T09:23:00.000-04:00

Aloha... or as they say in Indonesia " Selamat Datong"

Weaving in and out of cars and mopeds, my motor bike turned off at the sign saying Nusa Dua. It had been a crazy few days since arriving in Bali. The swell had peaked and I had barely got my bearings, or my paddling arms back up to speed. It had been at least 4 months since my last surf. The water temp: warm enough to melt the wax off your board. The air temp: Let's just say that I haven't stopped sweating since I arrived 4 days ago. I thought I heard someone shout "it's on" from a racing beamo as I slowly made my way up the Bukit Peninsula. With my board hanging from my bikes rack at my side and boardies packed away I was heading to one of the many razor sharp reefs this headland offers.
Going around one of the sharp bends in the road I thought about all the surfers who have come this way. Like a circumcision or communion I was passing through a rite of passage. Lopez had passed through here. McCabe, Troy, Banks, Fitzgerald, Camel, Turner, and more have all been through here before. Shit, a whole bunch of people have been through here. Jeez, when you come to think of it, practically all of Australia's surfing population has been through this surfing womb once before. Still, it's something to be stoked on. My beard has grown some stubble and my voice is now an octive lower and I've taken my first steps to reaching what many surfers call "the next level."
The road to some of the most famous reefs in the world got steeper. It's my first time on this bike, or any motor bike for that matter and when I hit the steepest part of the road in 4th gear, the bike suddenly shudders and starts to roll backwards. Cars are behind me, mopeds are honking. I suddenly see a family of 2 babies, a father and a mother on a vespa speed past me laughing. I grabbed the break and put my feet down to stopped the backwards roll. While I might have achieved the effect of stopping, my calf rubbed hard against the exhaust, and lets just say I have a nice oval burn blister bubbling up on my calf. I quickly stomped the gears to second and the bike started moving forward again.
Over the hill and through the trees to the pitting reefs I go. I'm there! Wherever that is. A few mates I had met were there waiting, gathering their gear and making the trek through some cow pastures. I follow board in hand until we come out overlooking the Indian ocean. To my left is a section called Impossibles. I watch as perfect reeling waves peel across the reef while a light offshore breeze kisses the roofs of them. It's some of the most perfect waist high waves I have ever seen! Waist high! Oh well, I would have killed for a wave like this last summer, or any summer back in NY. No disrespect!
To the right was a perfect peak called Bingin. Sick! Chest high, and absolutely perfect. A quick barrel at the take off with a nice snappy section and then a speedy inside called greedys for those who can't help but be taunted by the perfection, only to be unloaded on dry reef. Not just any reef but a sharp, painful, cheese grater like reef. I made it to one of the warungs that line the cliff. Warung is kind of a place where you can grab a drink, leave your stuff or even stay the night under the trust and care of the local Balinese. They even offer really good, cheap massages! All these years of trying to date Massage therapists' when I could have the massage here in Bali for $2 and no attachment! Magic!
I suit up and I'm out there. Only to be met by a small take off zone about as wide as my shoulders and 15-20 aggro surfers. All you need is a smile and mention that you are from NY and you surf the fudging cold winter and people seemed to be friendly and give a little more respect than they would for someone from a wave rich, warm area like So Cal or the Goldy. Maybe it's not respect but sympathy! I'll take it!
My first wave I'm called into and I'm up and inside this beautiful little barrel, dragging my hand and watching my mates watch me. Stoked! I come out, and off the bottom and through the top. I come back down and see the thing lining up through greedy's. Oh well, it can't be that bad! A few pumps and a nice bottom turn into the lip. Spray over the top and as I come down, I realize that something is missing. Oh yeah, water! The nose of my newly built Surf Prescriptions goes into the reef as i fall flat on my back. For some reason I had this vission of my brother grating a carrot when I was younger and then I realized I was the carrot. It didn't stop with one swipe. No! I kept going back and forth all along my back and forearm. I came up to be greeted by another wave and no water to duck under and no booties to use to push off the reef. Sit and take it like a wimpering kid. Initiation into manhood is a bitch!
A South African Boy saw the whole debacle and tried to sympathize with me claiming he had some gouges too but I seriously doubt they were as bad as mine. They weren't! I asked him how my back looked and he just nodded and said well, atleast it's not your head and we made our way back out. MY T-shirt went from clear white to a light red. The crew in the water tried to say it was fine but I could tell they didn't want me in the water attracting non-wanted sea life- wink wink! ; )
As I made my way in and had the attention of all the people at the warung which is what we all secretly want anyhow. Somehow, in the end I couldn't help but feel stoked! Sure I'm out of the water for a few days and I risk getting staph infection but this is what it's all about! Getting a "Bali Tattoo" and taking in all of the aspects of traveling to Indonesia. I'm sure it won't be my last contact with the reef but at least I know why they call that section greedy's and I know that respect will smack you in the face even on a 2ft day. Loving Indonesia, the swell is coming up. I'm learning the language and I'm moving out to the peninsula for a week to try and reclaim some glory. It's gonna be Bagus!

And now your NY Surf report!

Mon- Dang! Waves ahoy! 4-6ft ESE swell. Could be a fun one if it were not for that 15-25kt SSW wind. Wait! IT's gonna get better!
Tues- 4-8ft with NW winds in the 10-20kt rage and that wind is gonna die by the arvo! I believe an after work surf is in order!
Wed- A 4-5ft SE swell will be on call again but the winds are not the best. But they could be worse: 10-15 kts from the SE. Could be some fun sections to smack! Get on it.
Thurs-Again it's 4-5ft only the winds are picking up from the SSW in the 15-25 kt range. Find somwhere that is good on chunky swells.
Fri- 4-6 ft and the swell is coming in from the South! Stoked! Winds are coing to be WSW in the morning but switching mid day to WNW in the 10-20 kt range. Perhaps Jersey might be the call. You check it out brah!
Sat-We've got a dying swell but I reckon it could be heaps of fun. 2-3ft with a super light North wind! Could be some sick longbaording or rippabe waist high peaks! Or head out east, it should be bigger out there and the reefs will give some fun shape to it.

Have fun and enjoy this bountiful week of waves. Saw Dane Reynolds out last night on the dance floor! I reckon he should stick to surfing. I'll report back with the goods from Indonesia!
Aloha

Tyler Breuer
Sundown Ski and Surf
www.sundownsurf.com
surftheearth.blogspot.com

2004-04-04T07:59:00.000-04:00

Aloha to All,

My name is Tyler Breuer. Some of you know me, some of you might not. Some of you I've met on the road and some are dear friends. About a year and a half ago I had embarked on a journey that went from Ireland and on down to Morocco. From the road I started doing surf reports for the NY area and Travel journals. Due to an untimely fall I was sent back to the States with a broken foot and the possibiliity of never surfing again. Well, about a year later and long hours of work and frugal spending I'm back on the road and surfing. Loaded up with more access to weather and buoy reports and a bit more patience, I'm back to doing my Surf and Travel reports. Some of the reports may appear random due to a lack of access to the internet but I guarentee accurate surf reports for NY and other areas where my friends may be and a few interesting stories and realizations form the road. A majority of the reports will be sent out via email but if you are feeling a bit bored or are curious to see what I'm up to you can also check my weblog at surftheeart.blogspot.com for journal entries and some of my more adventurous articles that may be a little too riske' for email. I hope I can keep you all entertained and updated. And if you ever feel the need to give me a shout out or maybe for whatever reason in the same neighborhood give me a heads up at breuertj@hotmail.com
Thank you and much Aloha,
And now your First Surf Report

The NY Surf Alert Surf Report for the week of 4/4-4/10

Sun 4/4- WE are looking at a solid 4-5ft east groundswell starting with steady WSW winds in the 12-15 kt range switching mid day to bloody strong NW winds in the 25-35kt range. Duck tape a weight or two to your nose and maybe you can get down the face. Airs won't be a problem. It's just you might land on the wave behind you.
Mon 4/5- Look for a solid 6-8ft swell. Only it's going the wrong way! OUt to see. Don't expect much with NW winds in the 18-25kt range.
Tues 4/6- Not much happening unless we build a sandbar or reef 10 mils out to see facing a NorthWest direction. Winds WNW in the 12-24 kt range. Bloody El!
Wed 4/7- Well, the good news is that there will be waves. Only it's 1-2ft, but atleast it is coming from the SSW direction instead of running away from us. Winds will be NNW 10-13kt. Atleast the wind is dying a bit!
Thurs 4/8- Keep an eye out. THe day will start small in the 1ft range but should start to build. Winds will be SSE 6-12 kt.
Fri 4/9-End of the week and Easter Holiday weekend! Look for Big Choppy conditions in the 9-11ft range coming form the SSE direction. It's something eh? Winds will blow in the 17-25kt range. It could be a bit of a work out and if you like icecream headaches, give it a go. Otherwise wait and see if the wind lets up at all.
Sat. 4/10- 4-8ft waves with WSW winds in the 13-20 kt range. One word: Jersey! If you can do the migration go for it. Otherwise try to find a west facing beach. Could be the only cahnce for waves this week.

Other than that, I'm in England for the moment. Brighton to be exact! IT's pretty flat over hear and should be for the remainder of my stay. Although my brother and his wife got some fun knee biters last night. Next stop for me is Indonesia! Stoked, Just booked my ticket the other day. I've got about 4 months there with a 6 month extension if my money lasts. Got 2 boards, a 6'8" Green tint beauty and an Ultra Gunny 7'6". All courtesy of Doc at Surf Prescriptions. Check out his latest Shapes at Sundown SKi and Surf 516-796-1565

Hope all is well and Keep up the stoke
Aloha
Tyler

2004-03-16T14:06:00.000-05:00
It is in the mis-adventure that we gain our most valuable lessons!