Surfing
ArchiveIf you decide to drop out and start surfing full-time, there's no place like Mexico's Pacific coast. When Peter Heller heads south and signs on with a tough-as-nails board guru, he discovers a wave-riding scene of world-class barrels, hard-grooving kids, and guardian angels.
No one denies that our 50th state is Paradise, USA. But anyone who's ever been to this lush chain knows a simple truth: Not all the islands are created equal. So which is best? Welcome to the Great Hawaiian Island-Off. Read on, and pick your perfection.
Let Cancún have the crowds. Four spots that lend style to spring debauchery.
FOR TODAY’S SURFERS, knowing where the planet’s best waves are hitting is as easy as tapping the Web for weather and buoy data. The challenge is getting there before the swell subsides. Enter surfwear mega-labels Billabong and Quiksilver, which are sponsoring the ultimate rapid-transit system for their pros: 1950s-era Grumman…
How best to describe Jack Johnson? Surfer? Filmmaker? Multi-platinum rock star? How about the luckiest friggin’ guy on the planet? Raised on Oahu’s fabled North Shore, Johnson, 29, began competing in pro surfing events in 1992, at age 17. He quit to study filmmaking at UC Santa Barbara, and his…
What do you want—a printed invitation? OK, here it is: We’ve scouted the year’s coolest travel offerings—from new classics like cruising the Arctic, exploring the wild Caribbean, and journeying across Russia’s heartland to bold new frontiers like trekking Libya and tracking wildlife (and luxury lodges) in Sri Lanka. Going somewhere?…
Wipe out trying to bodysurf the Newport Wedge and you'll burst an eardrum, yank out a shoulder, or snap a few ribs. Daniel Duane tackles the mean blue beast and meets the elite riders who court her lash.
Q: Do you know of any great alpine backpacking destinations in Baja? Advice from the Experts For more wisdom from the ϳԹ Adviser, and the chance to ask your own questions, CLICK HERE.travel questions answered —Cory Whitney, Bar Harbor, Maine ϳԹ Adviser: A: A four-day backpacking trip up Baja’s…
In terms of physical fitness, does surfing do anything for you besides strengthen your arm muscles and improve your balance? Sonya Vero, Florida
You'll hit more surf than pavement on this 250-mile pleasure drive around the Big Island
From secret surf stashes on the Pacific to untouched Caribbean islesplus all the volcanoes and colonial plazas in betweenNicaragua has the makings of a sporting paradise. Come discover Central America's red-hot center.
World Champion surfer Andy Ironsour May coverboyhas a pre-season workout that proves pro-surfing's not for slackers. See if you can keep up.
Can a monster swell be tracked down and hunted like some great beast? That's the mad mission of the $3 million Billabong Odyssey, surfing's rapid-response quest to find and ride the biggest wave in history?
Survival and Wilderness Skills
Ten handpicked resorts that are rich in sun-drenched beauty, high on adventure, and fine-tuned for luxury.
Five Idyllic Beach Towns and Mellow Surf Meccas
Expedition: Surfing the closed coast Team: Ross Garrett, Keith Malloy, Dan Malloy Location: Central California Objective: Surf 40 miles of off-limits coastline Duration: Three days FOR SURFERS, the stretch of empty central California coastline beginning some 40 miles south of San Luis Obispo at Surf…
A wave off Rincón isn't the only wild ride in Puerto Rico. Here's an action primer on the island's untamed side.
From mountain biking in Mexico to snorkeling in Panama...
After a decade of nursing apartheidÂ’s hangover, South Africa is finally coming into its own as an adventure-travel destination. An influx of outdoorsy Europeans, a good exchange rate, and South AfricansÂ’ growing interest in the outdoor lifestyle have fueled a boom in the past two years. About three times the…
To maximize the return on your investment in wanderlust, you need know-how and solid advice. We’re here to help. From saving on destination packages and high-value gear to insider trips and the bet reasons to blow a bundle, we’ve got the lowdown on affordable, rip-roaring, full-value adventure travel.
Why jet to exotic reefs when home waters boast spectacularly diverse diving?
A North Atlantic monster puts European big-wave surfing on the map
Australian photographers Ian and Erick Regnard have followed surfing’s ASP World Tour for the past six years, shooting the planet’s most famous surf personalities on and off their boards. On days when the waves were too low for competition purposes, the Regnard brothers also shot contemporary musicians, models, and others…
One family's 18-month (and counting) Hawaiian Hiatus
Where to play, eat, and stay in the Hawaiian Islands
There's nothing like surf school to put parents in their place. At the end of the day, just like your eight-year-old, you may feel as mighty as Laird Hamiltonor like you've survived the spin cycle. We tracked down three top-notch schools that are perfect for parents and kids.
Of course they do—they get to trek with camels. But you can, too! We’ve got the COOLEST TRIPS, TOP TEN TRENDS, EXPERT ADVICE, AND BEST NEW PLACES TO GET LOST IN 2003. So what are you waiting for? Giddyup! Star…
There's a magnitude of new adventure on this country's Pacific coast
Bahamas Island Out-ϳԹs (www.bahamasadventures.com; 242-333-3282) arranges trips by the day and includes all transportation, meals, activities, and equipment. One-day adventures cost $99 per person. Overnight trips start at $299 per person for two days, $399 for three days, and $499 for four days. The company can also…
Fresh off an empty island in the tropical Atlantic, our intrepid travel expert gives the inside scoop on the Bahamian adventures you never knew were possible.
Women's surfing is riding a new pop-culture tsunami. So why can't the pros make it with a tour of their own?
Where to Surf, Hike, Dive, Fish, Shop, Eat, Drink, Dance, Sleep, and Kick Back
Sweet Spot on the Pacific: Latte. Surf. Repeat.
Upgrade your ride with these stocking stuffers
TALL LATTE BEFORE WORK, double espresso in the afternoon, short cappuccino after dinnerit's the only way to tolerate Seattle's gray days. But when the clouds break and the Cascades, the Olympics, and Puget Sound appear, you know where you need to be. Grab a quadruple shot and get going.
To be a surfer girl in Maui is to be the luckiest of creatures. It means you’re beautiful and tan and ready to rip. It means you’ve caught the perfect dappled wave and are on a ride that can’t possibly end.
7,100 Islands: One For Each Day of Your Next 19 Years
The Island's Resident Sports Gurus Spill Their Secret Favorite Places
Eight daredevil surfers head to the Amazon for a shot at the longest, wildest white-knuckle ride in the world
From ϳԹ’s screwup files, a tale of epic miscommunication
A world-class mountain biking, surfing, and boardsailing hideout awaits in Baja. All you have to do is find it.
You could traverse Europe by motorcoach and Eurail, but the sightseeing's better by board, bike, and boots.
Back to school: Pescadero Surf Camp’s Playa Los Cerritos Q: I’m looking for high-quality surf camps in Central America or Mexico for next month and can’t find any. Any suggestions? — Andrew Brenner, New York, New York ϳԹ Advisor: A:…
If your idea of good H2O involves head-high surf and barracuda-infested reefs, you'll find no better place to hang your hammock
Pacific Mexico is a thatch roof overhead, fresh snapper daily, and 660 miles of nada between timeshares.
A mountain-to-jungle-to-reef meander through Mexico and points south
A Guide to Surfing's Hallowed Hot Spots
So what if you have to endure endless hours in the air and shake out your piggy bank. Nothing this pure comes easy.
Are you, like the fabled Spicoli, searching for a cool breeze and some tasty waves? Look no further. These six sweet spots will make you wish you were born with fins.
Thanks to improved safety standards and tandem flights, scores of acrophobes are giving hang gliding a second wind. And now, they're soaring in style—over the Golden Gate Bridge.
Destinations Special: Wild Caribbean
The ϳԹ 25 All-Stars
Using cutting-edge techniques, three young mavericks set out to tackle one of the hardest routes in the Himalayas
A noisy controversy roils the quest to catch the big one
Small child grows up, learns to surf better than anyone ever, finds fame, gathers wealth, forms a band, lands on television, dates starlets, grows bored, moves on. Just another success story, peculiar to America.
The endless summer set has yet to find Raglan's World class waves. Lucky for you.