Fall 2017 Collection | Chile Field Trip
Left points. How can a country be so biased? What did the right ever do to you? Even on north swells the rights don’t even show their face. No one minds though. Not Cam, Eric or Diz. A chance for Eric and Derrick to work on their backhand under-the-hook snaps and Cam to go full-frontal attack mode on the never-ending swells creeping their way along the sand bars.
This is the land goofy-footers envision in their dreams and sketch on their Pee-Chee school folders. The setups range from the infamous amphitheater-gladiator-pit of Punta de Lobos to the lesser known points, that are just as scenic, with pine tree forest cliffs jutted right up to the waters edge.
This was a first for most of the guys, venturing to this beautiful South American land. No one was sure what to expect, but all were pleasantly surprised. Greeted warmly by the people who call this place home, the boys were well received everywhere with shakas and even some fresh ceviche from one of the local girls. The surf scene in this region is extremely core. You have to be to brave the ocean in the dead of winter, with ferocious storms working their way up the coast from the Roaring 40’s bringing heavy left sections in freezing cold temperatures. It’s a good thing Neoprene has come a long way in recent years and Vissla offers the latest in wetsuit tech. to keep the boys in the cold water for hours at a time, milking every last wave for all it had to offer.
The days are long, siphoning every last drop of the sun’s scorching rays and sometimes we don’t return to the cabana’s to eat dinner till midnight or 1a.m. The meals come standard with fine Chilean wine. We eat greedily.
The variety of weather greeting them was ever changing, always keeping them guessing. Good thing they packed a wide range of clothing to maneuver the erratic temperatures. Tees and shorts in the day and flannels and jackets in the evening, a climate that feels so similar to the land just traveled from yet completely different.
While traversing across the vast countryside on a mission to surf as many distinct waves possible, we couldn’t help but notice as far as the eye can see, the landscape is painted with the invasive Pine and Eucalyptus trees, threatening certain extinction for any native species. Many miles were driven, gravel roads drifted, rivers crossed and mountains passed, we navigated, searching for the next miracle point.