Didn’t think I’d make it to the land of round-a-bouts, tiny cups of strong coffee and little hatchbacks this year. But with some really good fortune I found myself touching down at Charles de Gaulle right at the beginning of Europe’s prime surf season. It seemed far from reality when WiLDCOAST was cordially invited to the first ever Global Wave Conference in Biarritz, France and San Sebastian, Spain for our efforts to conserve the landscapes and access of Baja’s point breaks. Once we picked up our zippy Corsa in Bilbao and greeted the first toll lady on the highway with the Basque greeting “kaixo,” I knew it was real.
We spent our time at the conference discussing various efforts to protect surf spots around the world; from Australia and New Zealand to South Africa, Spain, Portugal, England and France. Representatives from Surfers Against Sewage, the Surfrider Foundation, Save the Waves and other NGOs from around the globe presented on their experiences losing and saving surf spots on their local coastlines. Their reports revealed that some efforts have been productive, others futile, and that there is a shared vision among many that surf spots are important natural, economic and sociological resources that must be protected.
With the conference done, and some time to kill, we headed west into the Costa Cantabrica, Spain’s verdant and wave rich north coastline. The previous weeks of fall before our arrival were stellar and we could only wish for just two more weeks of south offshore wind, sunny skies and an active North Atlantic. Fortunately, the witches of Cantabrian and Basque folklore were smiling when team WiLDCOAST hit the coast and the perfect autumnal conditions maintained.
It wasn’t until the day we departed that winter descended on Northern Spain. Apparently the rest of the country had been a blustery mess while we surfed and travelled our old haunts under bluebird skies and a soothing autumn sun. But the sky was weeping as the Air France commuter jet headed back to Paris.
It is much easier to say goodbye to a place you love when it is cold and ugly outside. Nobody wants their love to look beautiful when they breakup. Hopefully, when I come back she’ll be back in that sundress with open arms and looking prettier than ever.
- Zach Plopper
Comments