TW Blog :: Archives for March 2005

Surfing in the Jungle

Relates to Surfing

Exactly a week from now I will be lieing on a bed in the town of Arari on the southern rim of the Amazon rain forest, no doubt with the magnified sound of insects keeping my mind alert as the hour draws close for my first encounter with the Amazonian Pororoca.

We are travelling as a European team of six tidal bore surfers - three from the shores of the Severn here in Gloucestershire (Steve the Wizard, The Owl and myself) and three from the French Mascaret (Colas brothers - Yep and Fabrice, and Bruno 'no bend is too far' Boue). Our guide and host for the trip is Serginho Laus one of the pororoca pioneers and regular competitor on the Pororoca championship tour, who has himself set up surfing trips on the Mearim pororoca for travelling surfers. However this trip is special, being the first international gathering of tidal bores surfers from the three (alaska excluded) major river communities. Serg has visited France, Fab and Bruno have visited the Severn, and we have visited the Mascaret. Now we will congregate on the shore of the Mearim river, heralded to be the cleanest, hollowest and glassiest of all Pororocas with current expectations for a wave ranging from 1 to 3 metres in height travelling around 25 kilometres per hour. Just got to watch out for those nasty little critters in the water.

It has been a monster of a trip to plan, and massive thanks to Yep for putting out the call. But now the tickets are booked, the blood has been immunized and the training is complete. We just wait for poroc-poroc to roar…

All photos courtesy Serginho Laus. They may not be reproduced.

And for anyone in the local area after a more sober tidal bore experience, look out for Inside Out in the west country next Monday (7th March) where Steve guides presenter Niki through her first attempt on the Severn bore. We will be hovering over the Atlantic at that time.

Posted on Wednesday, Mar 02, 2005 at 06:28:00.