Surf’s Upscale!
10 Gnarliest Luxury Surfing Spots
Adam McCulloch
Surf’s Upscale
When master Hawaiian surfboard shaper John Carper first started surfing 50 years ago, people referred to surfers as beach bums and slackers, and no one thought they’d get a job — let alone spend their hard-earned cash on five-star resorts. “If you wanted to get fancy you had a tent,” said Carper.
Fast-forward half a century: Surfing is now a $10 billion industry worldwide, and everyone’s riding a wave of success. But it’s not just about finding an amazing hollow tube any more. The sport has also been a boon for hoteliers with luxury accommodation located close to great breaks. And some have gone so far as to open their own surf resorts in far flung locales offering good food, luxurious beds and private waves. What more could a surfer ask for?
To find out about surfing’s new luxury status, just ask Derek O’Neill, CEO of Billabong, the Australian-based surf clothing brand. He’s been surfing for 32 years, and as a youngster he competed in the Australian titles, when surfing and money didn’t go together at all. “I think I spent more in contest entry fees than I ever won back,” he said.
But these days, Billabong hosts three major championship world surfing events with prize money in the order of $300,000 apiece. Factor in endorsements, and some pro surfers are awash with cash. “Kelly Slater was the first million dollar man,” said Adam Borello, international director of marketing for T&C Surf Designs in Hawaii. “But since then there have been many more, like Dane Reynolds, Andy Irons and Joel Parkinson.”
Inspired by these pro surfers, cashed-up executives are swapping the board room for a long board, hitting the surf on weekends as an antidote to their stressful lives. Hans Keeling is the perfect example: After an Ivy League education, he became a corporate lawyer, but said, “I was amazed to find that more and more of my friends, whether they were hedge fund managers or lawyers of architects, started to take up surfing. It almost became a status symbol.” Now he operates a surf tourism company called Nexus Surf in Brazil. “I’ve seen people closing business deals while sitting in the line up waiting for a wave.”
It follows, then, that when it comes to hitting the sack after a day catching waves, this new breed of surfers is more likely to be swaddled in Egyptian cotton than a sandy sleeping bag. Spas, plasma screen TVs, expansive suites, over-water bungalows and butler service are just some of the amenities that now exist in the five-star resorts close to great breaks.
For our list of the 10 best luxury surfing destinations we consulted a panel of experts, all surfers with a head for business and a taste for the good life, and asked them to reveal their favorite five-star breaks.
Some of their favorite destinations were simple to guess (like Hawaii), but others weren’t. Dane Sharp, International Media Manager of Rip Curl - ;the Australian surf apparel giant - chose a remote location in Oaxaca, Mexico with powerful barrels. When Rip Curl held an event there in 2006, “only three of the guys on the world tour even had been there before,” he said.
Not surprisingly, tropical islands feature heavily on our list. “Islands are always good because if the wind is blowing out one break you can head to the other side,” said Sharp. Other conditions our panelists loved were warm water, long rides and well-shaped waves. Long boarders sought out tumbling breaks like Watego’s Bay in Australia, and tube-riders preferred Mexico or Indonesia.
Surfers seeking luxury are still serious about their sport, and many will go to extreme lengths to find that perfect break — it’s just that luxury now takes on a slightly different meaning. “It can be frustrating and depressing if you travel half way round the world and find that the break is crowded,” said Adam Borello. For surfers like him, it’s a fine balance between great food, premium accommodation and the ultimate luxury: an uncrowded wave. “I know some guys who hire a helicopter to take them to the back side of Molakai,” said John Carper, master shaper of board manufacturer JC Hawaii. “It’s really good surf but super hard to get in, even by boat.”
It turns out that a modern-day surf safari is less about Kombi vans and sleeping under the stars; rather, it’s likely to include a charter boat with a helicopter on the deck, a modernist villa in Brazil or your own private reef break in Fiji. And on these kinds of surf holidays, there’s finally more to do for the non-surfer than just mind the wetsuits: We’re talking great fishing, scuba diving, cultural pursuits and partying with supermodels.
It’s time to hang five — five stars, that is.
SLIDESHOW
Tavarua, Fiji
Recommended by John Carper and Adam Borello
Why surf here:
“The biggest appeal of Tavarua is the fact that it is a completely private island,” said Adam Borello. “In Fiji, the villages and tribes that have rights to the island also have rights to the reefs around it. So the only people who are surfing the break with you are the people staying on the island.” That means that the two world-famous waves called “Cloudbreak” and “Restaurants” will be all yours.
Where to stay:
Guests staying at Tavarua Island Resort are treated to “a total worry free experience,” said Borello. The staff meets you at Nandin Airport and transfers your boards out to the island. The exclusive resort measuring only 29 acres has just fifteen beachfront bures, each one luxuriously appointed by Fijian standards. Developed in 1979 as a low impact surf camp, the resort’s amenities have has grown to appeal to a broader clientele offering fishing, sea kayaking, scuba diving and sea plane adventures. Adam Borello cheekily recommends vacationing at Tavarua with non-surfers to reduce your already sparse competition on the waves.
For more information: www.tavarua.com
Sumba Island, Mentawai Islands, Indonesia
Recommended by Adam Borello and Anthony Marcotti
Why surf here:
Between March and November, you’ll get “some of the best surfing days you’ve seen in your life,” said Anthony Marcotti. “It’s really conducive to making you feel like you can actually surf, I mean the waves are so good you spend more time on them. You can be in the water eight hours a day.” The barreling breaks in the Mentawai Islands have powerful names like Hollow Trees, The Hole and Bank Vaults - each one a badge of honor for the surfers who ride them. The break called Pussies is for, well… beginners.
Where to stay:
Nihiwatu Resort is perfect for high-powered executives, according to Adam Borello. “They can sleep in, and whenever the wave looks good, someone will get in a boat and take them out to the reef,” he said. Add to that the resort’s three bedroom Haweri villa with private pool, grounds and butler service and it’s a surf resort par excellence. Guests are also frequently tempted into deeper water with world-class game fishing for sailfish and 300-pound marlin.
For more information: www.nihiwatu.com
Turtle Bay, Hawaii
Recommended by Adam Borello and John Carper
Why surf here:
It’s hardly surprising that Hawaiian locals Adam Borello and John Carper both chose Hawaii as one of their favorite luxury surfing destinations. Carper picks Poipu on the northern island of Kauai and the north shore of Oahu as two places that offer the right mix of high-class hotels and access to great surf. Oahu’s north coast is home to some of the most famous breaks in surfing history: Sunset Beach, Banzaii Pipeline and Waimea Bay which plays host to the Eddie Aikau Big wave classic each winter.
Where to stay:
“Turtle Bay is where many of the pro surfers stay,” said Carper, of this resort 45 minutes from Honolulu. It’s easy to see why: it boasts five miles of shoreline and surfing school run by ex-pro surfer Hans Hedemann. For beginner surfers, there’s an introductory course, and if your skills are closer to that of the big-wave riders, a helicopter can transfer you to more isolated breaks. Accommodation-wise Turtle Bay Resort offers a host of accommodation options from generously proportioned 673 sq. ft studios to four bedroom ocean villas capable of sleeping up to ten people. Each ocean villa comes with a private pool, jacuzzi, courtyard and personal chef making it ideal for a post surf beach party.
You’ll be close to Honolulu’s great restaurants like Alan Wong’s, run by the James Beard Award-winning chef.
For more information: www.turtlebayresort.com; www.alanwongs.com
Reunion Island, Africa
Recommended by Dane Sharp
Why surf here:
Surfers find luxury in the splendid isolation of Reunion Island, marooned 125 miles southwest of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. “I spent all my time on the west and south coast,” said Dane Sharp. “There are beginner to intermediate waves that are left and right-handers. But the world-class waves are predominantly left-handers. Reunion Island’s most famous wave is Saint Leu, a long curving left hand point break with barrel sections.”
Where to stay:
The colonial inspired Villas du Lagon profess to have the largest pool on Reunion Island, measuring 12,000 square feet. And when the surf is as flat as the pool, the villas offer surf rack-equipped bikes to get to where the breaks are. Sharp loves the food here as well. “The French food and African influence was amazing,” he said. “The local culture is Creole so there’s a dedicated Creole menu in pretty much every restaurant. If you didn’t want to eat seafood every day I’d reckon you were tripping.”
For more information: www.villas-du-lagon.com
Puerto Escondido, Mexico
Recommended by Dane Sharp
Why surf here:
For Rip Curl’s Dane Sharp, one town in Southern Mexico is hard to beat. “Puerto Escondido is a massive wave when it’s working,” he said. It’s called the Mexican pipeline, for its similarity in shape to Hawaii’s iconic wave Pipeline. In 2006 the Rip Curl Pro Search WCT was held there surfing a wave called La Jolla: a right-handed point break with a nice soft sandy bottom. It peels for up to 600 feet, making it a very long ride.
Where to stay:
With 120 rooms (41 with private pools) Camino Zaashila is one of the more prestigious properties located on Tangolunda Bay. Designed by architect Sordo Madaleno the Mediterranean style hotel features lashings of Italian marble, white arches and a 500 foot pool. And there’s more five-star resorts to come: Mexico’s Tourism Ministry plans to make the nearby Bays of Huatulco a featured tourism destination. “One of the great things about surfing in Mexico,” said Sharp, “is the fact that you can be trekking through jungle to get to a break and then as soon as you’ve finished you drive home and get your car valet parked.”
For more information: www.camino-zaashila.com
Bilbao, Spain
Recommended by Derek O’Neill
Why surf here:
Billabong CEO Derek O’Neill likes the charm of a small village called Mundaka in the remote Basque region of Spain. “You’ve got a 300-year-old town with a little church on the point,” he said, “and the wave almost breaks into the middle of the village.” From September to March when the wave is at its peak, it’s “the most perfect wave in Europe and capable of holding really large swells,” he said. “It’s really a performance wave. It gets very, very hollow”.
Where to stay:
While Mundaka retains its old-world charm, the bustling city of Bilbao — just a 30-minute drive away — acts as the perfect urban surf camp. Overlooking the new Frank Gehry designed Guggenheim museum is the Gran Hotel Domine Bilbao, an organic piece of modern architecture most recognized for its inventive lobby: a tower or river stones reach skyward in the central atrium. And the nearby town of San Sebastian boasts more Michelin stars per capita than any place on earth. Two standouts are Arzak and Martin Berasategui.
For more information: www.hoteles-silken.com; www.arzak.info; www.martinberasategui.com
Byron Bay, Australia
Recommended by Derek O’Niell.
Why surf here:
Derek O’Neill lives just half an hour north of what he feels is Australia’s best luxury surfing destination, Byron Bay. “There’s a really good variety of waves; Lennox Head is a right-hand reef break that holds quite large swells; Broken Head is probably one of the most picturesque beaches on the coast; The Pass is a highlight suitable for all standards of surfing; Watego’s is good for the long board guys,” he says.
Where to stay:
Rae’s at Watego is a Spanish-style mansion turned boutique hotel featuring six newly renovated suites and a spa. (Their guest list includes band members from U2). With its sweeping water over the long boarders on Watego Bay, you can wake up, check out the surf and grab a board. There’s as much variety in the food as the waves. Rae’s terrace restaurant offers sublime Thai cusine; Finn’s serves up modern Australian; and Dish takes its culinary cues from Morocco.
For more information: www.raes.com.au; www.fins.com.au; www.dishbyronbay.com.au
Moorea, Tahiti
Recommended by Derek O’Neill
Why surf here:
Sure, you could head to a remote motu and seek out your own break, but O’Neill suggests going no further than Moorea, the closest island to mainland Tahiti. It has “some of the most feared waves on the planet,” he said. Being reef breaks, some are quite a paddle - half an hour in come cases. “You’ve got blue water, a lot of wildlife, heaps of different fish, the odd reef shark - it’s pretty hard to beat,” he said. His favorite is a break called Haapiti. “It’s quite a long left hander and it’s a really good shape.”
Where to stay:
Tahiti reads like a short list of high-end brands with spas and over-water bungalows galore. The newly opened St Regis, for example has a super exclusive three bedroom royal estate measuring 13,000 square feet. It comes complete with a private pool and spa facilities, super-yacht wharf and chef’s kitchen. (No surprise that Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban honeymooned here). The Sheraton Moorea offers 54 over-water bungalows, allowing you to commute from the break to the mini-bar without touching land.
For more information: www.stregis.com; www.sheratonmoorea.com
Florianópolis, Brazil
Recommended by Hans Keeling
Why surf here:
Florianópolis’ sandy breaks are perfect for beginners and intermediate surfers, but don’t be fooled by this Brazilian island’s gentle nature: It also hosts South America’s only WCT Pro Surfing event at Joa Quima. “For the best breaks, head to the western side of the island,” said Hans Keeling.
Where to stay:
As a self-confessed surf adventurer, Keeling liked the culture of this Brazilian island paradise so much he moved here in 2004. “It’s the Brazilian equivalent of the Hamptons,” he said. He accommodates his clients in the island’s exclusive private beach houses directly in front of the best breaks on Praia Mole and Galheta beaches. There’s also Ponta dos Ganchos, which in 2006 became Florianópolis’ first Relais & Châteaux property. There’s also the stellar nightlife. “Last year we took our surfing clients to a bar called Paiko and Gisele Bundchen was there,” said Keeling.
For more information: www.nexussurf.com; www.relaischateaux.com
Indies Trader IV, Anywhere
Recommended by John Carper, Adam Borello and Anthony Marcotti.
Why surf here:
What do you do when the best surf is well out of reach of civilization? Charter a boat and chase the waves. “Every left hand tube is compared to pipeline and every surf charter is compared to the Indies Trader,” said John Carper. Adam Borello agrees. “It’s beyond five star,” he said. The seven year round-the-world quest for the best surf has taken the boat to Hawaii, the Maldives and everywhere in between. From April to September the Indies Trader IV plies Indonesian waters, October to March it heads to the Pacific Ocean. Depending on the thickness of your checkbook they can fit the ship with a helicopter to get to the breaks quicker. “It’s just like heli-skiing,” says Borello. “Some people don’t want to look at anyone else’s trail.”
Where to stay:
According to Marcotti, who owns his own flotilla of boats in the Mentawai Islands, the Indies Trader has played host to every surfing celebrity and industry heavyweight who ever lived. “All the surfing CEOs come and stay on the Indies Trader every year,” he said. The fit-out for Indies Trader IV was entrusted to prestigious marine interior designer Caroline Yeun, who took her inspiration from Armani’s super-yachts. In the deluxe double-berth staterooms (which comprise four of the 11 doubles available) are full queen size beds, plasma screen TV with surround sound, DVDs, satellite phones, e-mail access and full ensuite - two with dual basins.
For more information: www.indiestrader.com
Words by Adam McCulloch. Originally published on ForbesTraveler.com. The format has been altered to suit Tumblr.
