TW Blog :: Entries for Surf and Travel
Why is there something, rather than nothing?Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Surfing China 2009 Video Shorts
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Here is a sequence of video shorts from the Surfing China 2009 Expo and the inaugural Silver Dragon Surf Championship on the Qiantang in Hangzhou, China. While the focus is on the American big wave duo of Jamie Sterling and Rusty Long, check out some quality styling from the Pororoca pros Serginho Laus and Marcos Sifu.
Posted on Oct 11, 2009 at 19:49:29.
Surfing China 2009 Silver Dragon Championship News
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The Inaugural Surf China 2009 Silver Dragon Championship took place earlier this week as part of the Surf China Expo running from 5th to 7th October. The event gave Pororoca pioneer and distance surfing world record holder Serginho Laus a chance to exhibit the incredible skills he has honed surfing the majestic tidal bore of the Araguari river deep in the heart of the Amazon rainforest.
News of the event is yet to filter out but reports in from Serginho give the considerably windswept wave as reaching 7 feet in height with a couple of perfect offshore overhead sections. The event has been the culmination of a movement by the surf industry into China to capitalise on the potential of the Qiantang Tidal Bore - the largest recorded bore in history. But the lack of experience of the American team showed when they had to call on the expertise of Serginho and his fellow Brazilian compatriot, Marcos Sifu, to guide them in the treacherous waters. The Brazilians then went on to dominate an exhibition competitive event on the wave out-maneouvering and out-styling the American professionals (Jamie Sterling and Rusty Long) with their bag of tidal bore surfing tricks, much to the adulation of the throng of spectators.
Serginho has been an exemplary emissary for tidal bore devotees around the globe for the past decade promoting the majesty and beauty of these great natural river waves while respecting the spiritual importance each places on their local community. It is a relief to see the corporate surfing industry reigned in a little by the experience and knowledge of a professional tidal bore surfer.
Speaking to the largest local Sports magazine in Hangzhou after the event Serginho outlined his goal to establish a global gathering of tidal bore surfers in China from the international Bore Riders Club community spanning England, France, Alaska and Brazil. A seed we first planted back when we met at the inaugural Bore Riders expedition on the Mearim river in Brazil in 2005.
Check out a few photos of the Silver Dragon Surfing Championship here. Guess who are doing the big manouveres! Also some video footage from team America surfing the Qiantang dragon with some great clips of Sifu using up his bag of tricks towards the end.
Posted on Oct 11, 2009 at 10:29:14.
Imagine Surfing a Tidal Bore for 20km
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Imagine surfing a tidal bore for 20km!
That is 12.5 miles for all us metric folk. And for all those west bank Severn surfers past and present that is like jumping into your car at Newnham, driving the A48 all the way to Over bridge and not stopping until you reach the curry houses on Bristol road…! That is a long way. Some pundits believe on the perfect tide the Severn horseshoe bend could be connected producing a ride in excess of 10 miles on the River Severn. But anything further than this really becomes the stuff of legends.
On the Araguari Pororoca it is a very different story… In fact this Spring, Sergio Laus, Pororoca pioneer and tidal bore emissary, has already breached the 10 mile mark. Unofficially. It has been an exceptional season for tidal bore surfers in Brazil with the wave reaching 15 feet in the wet months (February and March) and consistently reaching 8 feet through the drier months. Ideal conditions for distance surfing and Sergio clocked up a ride of approximately 16.5 km (10.3 miles) surfing for over 40 minutes. Just this Monday, Sergio put in a claim for a new distance surfing world record of 11.8km, exceeding his previous mark by 1.7km.
The dream mark is 20km - about 50 minutes constant surfing on the wave. That is 50 minutes on a wave travelling at around 15mph with the full power of the Atlantic tide behind. No mean feat! Sergio believes it is possible and 2010 might be the year…
An average day in Amapa state surfing the Pororoca!
Sergio Laus - the master of the Pororoca tidal bore
Photos © 2009 Copyright Sergio Laus
Posted on Jun 11, 2009 at 20:24:50.
Tidal Bore Surfing - New World Record!
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My good friend Sergio Laus has once again broken the world record for distance surfing on the Araguari Pororoca in Amapa state Brazil. On Monday morning Sergio surfed the tidal bore a distance of 11.8km (7.4 miles) for 36 minutes. As with his previous world surfing record the ride was recorded with GPS and currently Sergio waits for official verification from the Guinness Book of Records.
This spring produced some of the largest Pororoca tidal bore's experienced in the last 15 years and in May Sergio clocked up his 50th ride on some of the largest tidal bores in the world.
And if you think surfing a wave for 36 minutes sounds like hard word, in February he surfed the Araguari Pororoca continuously for 45 minutes without official adjudication. An incredible distance on a very sizeable wave which probably pushes the world record beyond the reaches of what is attainable surfing on the River Severn tidal bore. That must take a lot of leg work!
Keep up to date with Sergio's adventures on his Pororoca surfing blog.
Auera Auara!
Posted on Jun 11, 2009 at 09:25:16.
First Signs of Spring
Also relates to Blogging
Nothing like a sun fuelled walk along the rugged coast line of the Lizard peninsula breathing in the fresh sea air straight off the Atlantic to loosen the shackles of modern day living! Olive and I were blessed with a glorious February afternoon for a brisk hike from Gunwalloe to Mullion on Tuesday afternoon.
I chose to travel light and photos were captured with the Canon Powershot automatic.
Posted on Feb 18, 2009 at 22:33:18.
