The Bolt europe team adventure surfing the North Shore
Team Riders: Alexandre "Xaninho" Ferreira, David Raimundo,Jeremy Brasset, Jord Fortmann, Nicolas Pinot, Pedro Soares, Txaber Trojaola.
Where: Pipeline, Haleiwa, Puena Point.
Also some making of moments of our Spring Summer 10 lookbook, featuring our gorgeous models Dominique Fletcher and Brooke.
Alexandre “Xaninho” Ferreira made some big barrels in Pipeline, but it was his first time there. We asked him about his experience:
You were especially anxious about surfing the mythic Pipeline wave. How did you feel when you got there?
I was very happy to be able to fulfil another dream. As a surfer, this meant a lot to me. Pipeline is an amazing wave… even the bravest shiver when looking at it. In fact, I studied the wave during three days, because it was so big that I knew I could not afford making any mistakes.
Not many surf Pipeline for the first time when it’s 4mts high. What was on your mind when you went in? Were you afraid?
Yes, I knew once I went in there was no coming back without surfing, but the waves were so beautiful… The forecast was 10 to 12’, the tubes were perfect, there was no wind and there were about 20 surfers in the water. I had to go in! So I was focussed on two things: riding a tube and praying not to die.
A couple of minutes after going in, you came out scoring one of the biggest waves of the day. How was it?
After listening to many piece of advice and to the incredible stories of our local mentors, Rory Russell and Jonathan Paskowitz, I knew I had to be “away from the pack”, and that meant being to be as far-off as I could on the outside or on the waves’ edges. And the leftovers were not for me, so I positioned myself as close to the peak as possible and, as a true gift, my first wave was a dream.
What about the crowd here? Is it the nightmare we read everywhere?
Yes, there’s a lot of crowd since it’s a global destination and it’s on the itinerary of every surfer, for being one of the best. Nevertheless, January was a good time of the year to be there, after the season’s competitive stress.
Which surfboards did you take with you? Did you make the right choice?
I think I made the most reasonable decision by taking 2 small surfboards with me and buying the others there, which are quite different.
Now that you know what it takes to be a Pipeline Master, which are necessary ingredients to be one?
To be a Pipeline master you have to be physically very well prepared and you have to respect the sea. The rest is up to the wave. Pipe takes care of you.
You realise that the idea of respecting the ocean carries a greater dimension here. Were you more careful about sea conditions than usual?
Absolutely! It was very important for me to spend a couple of days evaluating the sea conditions. Without that kind of knowledge, I would have been in real trouble.
When are you thinking of going back to the North Shore?
I hope to be there by the time that Pipeline Masters begins in December and for the WQS events in the beginning of January.
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