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Ireland Can Do Music, Sun and Surfboards Too

May 7, 2009 at 12:41 PM | 0 Comments

If you're in the market for a music getaway this summer that goes beyond standing in muddy fields for hours, you might want to consider the second annual SeaSessions Surf and Music Festival going down in Ireland. Just don't expect many penny whistles or fiddle playing, because this isn't your grandmother's Irish music festival.

Set for June 26, 27, and 28 in the beachside town of Bundoran, SeaSessions highlights the more modern side of Celtic music, showcasing a diverse array of young Irish rock bands and DJs. They even score a big get from the isle next door, reeling in Welsh indie rock gods Super Furry Animals to headline the festival. Oh yea, and there's a surfing competition (bring a wetsuit), a skating event, and an air show to compliment the music.

You'd think the promise of Irish whiskey and surfing would be our favorite part about this fest, but it's actually the affordability for all the action. Unlike its big-bash counterparts in England and the States, a pass to the fest is not so expensive that you've got to ration your drink tickets. One-day passes are going for 35 Euros, with three-day passes set at 53 Euros. You can also camp on site for just 5 euros a person, officially negating the need for daily transportation to and from a pricey hotel. Just be sure to have stocked up on that whiskey.

Related Stories:
· SeaSessions [Official Site]
· Ireland travel coverage [Jaunted]
· Music festivals coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: SeaSessions]

Can 'Anyone' Really Learn to Surf?

March 30, 2009 at 12:41 PM | 1 Comment

Dream a little dream for us: In this weekend's New York Times travel section, rock'n'roll saves an industrial casualty, the Rat Pack lives and anyone can surf. Hey, it's nice to escape every once in a while, but why not stick to places that exist beyond the pages of the Gray Lady?

We're not saying the writers involved didn't do their due diligence in finding a silver lining to every cloud. Detroit's music scene as chronicled by Micheline Maynard presents as one very much alive, albeit through the IV of bored teenagers and repeated shocks administered by the Pussycat Dolls.

Atlantic City may yet rise above the ashes to become a rival to Vegas, although the existence of Amtrak's service alone doesn't have much to do with it, nor is Steven Kurutz's review of same particularly inspired. ("I sat behind two mustached men"; good for you!)

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You Flew Here, We Grew Here: NYT Falls for North Shore Bad Boys

January 24, 2009 at 1:48 PM | 0 Comments

Most surfers have a reputation for being peaceful and laid back, but that hardly describes the scene on Oahu's famous North Shore, if a recent New York Times story is to be believed. The paper of record introduces us to a menacing but handsome gang of local surfers known as the Wolfpak, who are known to resort to violence and intimidation against visiting surfers who don't show the proper respect for their rules of the waves. Surf gangs are nothing new, and protecting breaks from interlopers is as old as surfing itself, but the Wolfpak holds particular power on the Banzai Pipeline because every pro surfer worth his Sex Wax is pretty much required to be proficient in its massive winter swells.

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Cold Water Surfing, Now Even For Wimps

January 15, 2009 at 10:02 AM | 3 Comments

We've seen a lot of stories about cold-water surfing destinations lately--London, Maine, Cleveland--and while we're pretty impressed with surfers who are that hardcore, it still sounds kind of, well, insane. But that was before we heard about the H-Bomb, which could actually bring anywhere-surfing to the masses in the not-so-distant future.

When we first heard there was a heated wetsuit, we assumed it was some futuristic Japanese invention that would come our way in about 50 years, but the H-Bomb was actually developed by long-established surfing company Ripcurl. It's not some space-age outfit but a lightweight neoprene suit with a rechargeable lithium battery that uses carbon fiber technology to keep you warm for three hours. Neat.

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South Africa Field Trip: Jeffreys Bay

October 2, 2008 at 4:30 PM | 0 Comments

Our Southern Africa embed Jill Nawrocki recently ducked out of Namibia for a field trip to South Africa.

From Hermanus it was on to Jeffreys Bay, surf capitol of--we were told--the world.

Something about the way the waves break in this seaside town make for some of the best boarding on any coast in any country. The breaks are better, one guy on a surfing world tour told us, because they go on for longer than anywhere else. (Those in the know call them Super Tubes.)

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Honky Tonk Surf Town: Bolinas, California

July 30, 2008 at 11:05 AM | 0 Comments

If we didn't freak you out with the threat of killer jellyfish on your next aquatic adventure, then maybe you'll have the courage to visit our latest surfing spot. Just know that it sits just west of the San Andreas Fault, and we all know things have been shaking out west.

Just south of the Point Reyes National Seashore, Bolinas, California is a great honky tonk surf town--if you can find it. The locals remove any signs put up on the main road indicating the way into town. The Marin County public works department tries to provide directions to the town, but often new signs stay up for less than 24 hours.

The surf is consistent and not too severe, making it the ideal location for both beginners and intermediates. Surf schools like 2 Mile Surf Shop offer lessons for both individuals and groups and will certainly provide the gear to keep you warm in the cooler waters of Northern California. If you venture to Bolinas, just be sure to respect the locals--and don't tell them you read about it here!

Related Stories:
· Point Reyes National Seashore [Official Site]
· 2 Mile Surf Shop [Official Site]
· Honky Tonk Surf Towns coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: stevendamron]

Breaking: Matthew McConaughey Surfs with Shirt on

July 23, 2008 at 11:30 AM | 2 Comments

We were shocked--shocked--to see Matthew McConaughey, Our Lord Of Perpetual Bare-Chestedness, with a covered torso on a recent surfing trip in Malibu. The famously shirtless new dad covered up with a neoprene top that he paired with board shorts in a fashion move that probably puzzled the paparazzi out of harassing him.

Maybe this is just a promo shoot for his upcoming movie "Surfer Dude," but if Matt really wanted to rip up some waves he'd check out our Honky Tonk Surf Towns map. Watch the trailer for this year's most pointless movie--featuring McConaughey, naturally shirtless--after the jump.

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Honky Tonk Surf Town: North Rustico, PEI

July 16, 2008 at 2:00 PM | 0 Comments

If Anne of Green Gables had lived 50 years later, she might have tied up her braids and hitched a ride to this northern coastal fishing town nicknamed "The Crick." Once a refuge during the Seven Years' War, the town now thrives primarily on lobster fishing and a smattering of summer beach traffic.

The best surf up here starts in August. If the waves are inconsistent during your stay, consider a sea kayaking tour or walk up to the famous lighthouse.

Related Stories:
· Honky Tonk Surf Towns Map [Jaunted]
· UFO Travel: PEI's Trail of Smoke [Jaunted]
· Surfing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: shimmershine]

Honky Tonk Surf Towns: Torquay, Australia

July 9, 2008 at 2:33 PM | 1 Comment

We know it's out of season, but we can't help including at least one Australian outpost in our Honky Tonk round-up.

Its population has swelled since the '80s, but we like to think Torquay township, in the state of Victoria, retains some of its pioneer charm. The site of one of Australia's most famous shipwrecks, this 19th-century picnic spot southwest of Melbourne has become a surf magnet thanks to its proximity to the scenic Great Ocean Road along the southeastern coast and the Surfworld Museum celebrating the beach bums of yesteryear. The awesome currents, of course, don't hurt either.

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Extreme Travel: Surfing the Boiling Seas

July 9, 2008 at 11:30 AM | 0 Comments

Paddle surfer CJ Kanuha isn't content to ride the waves just anywhere. So he tied himself to a jet ski and rode right up next to Kilauea on the big island of Hawaii.

The board rider got within 20 feet of the shore, but the molten rock sliding into the ocean didn't exactly make the ride pleasant:

I was tentative to get too close at first, and for good reason, the boiling water there is well over 200 hundred degrees in some spots, super hot, and it quickly melted the wax on the surfboard.

And that's not all: The water badly burned Kanuha's legs before he could paddle off. Maybe we'll stick to some other surfing spots for now.

Related Stories:
· Volcano Surfing: Lava Waves in Hawaii [Telegraph]
· Kilauea Lava Eruption Continues in Hawaii [UPI]
· Surfing coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Telegraph]

Honky Tonk Surf Towns: Yakutat, Alaska

July 1, 2008 at 3:00 PM | 0 Comments

It's a balmy 50 degrees today in this southeastern Alaska town, and the waves are waiting: From an Inuit word meaning "the place where canoes rest," Yakutat catches great Pacific tides which keep the water warmer than the air year-round.

Don't by spooked by its proximity to the North Pole; boarders might find that with a wetsuit the ride is downright toasty. And how bad-ass is it to surf alongside a glacier? Photographer and Alaska native Scott Dickerson puts it this way:

There must be something about Alaskan surfers and the challenges that they must overcome to surf "the last frontier" that drives them to another level of addiction.

The town of 600 people, sandwiched between Mount Saint Elias and Mount Fairweather, even has its own gear outpost--the Icy Waves Surf Shop (635 Haida St.). Plus: No bears!

Related Stories:
· Surfing Yakutat, Alaska [Scott Dickerson]
· Honky Tonk Surf Towns coverage [Jaunted]

[Photo: Bold Searcher]

Honky Tonk Surf Towns: Surf Crazed in North Carolina

June 24, 2008 at 1:00 PM | 0 Comments

There's a reason the Eastern Surfing Association picked Buxton, North Carolina for its Best of the East surfing competition this September: The little village marked by the famous Cape Hatteras lighthouse picks up tides from northern Canada, giving it some of the biggest waves on the East Coast.

The fishing's not bad, either, and unlike other eastern surf oases, you probably won't have to attack a shark to get clear waters.

The ESA Easterns will be held September 21-27. The closest major airport is Wilmington International (ILM).

Related Stories
· ESA Easterns [Official Site]
· National Park Travel: Cruisin' Cape Hatteras [Jaunted]
· Honky Tonk Surf Towns Map [Jaunted]

[Photo: NCBrian]