Double or quits
Talking to Glenn the previous evening, we’d understood there was another spot, further away and while not a cast iron certainty, it’s said to be worth trying when there’s a big swell. We only had a rough map and some confused explanations to guide us, but where there’s a will there’s a way, and we he jumped on our motorbikes to go and seek out this mysterious bay.
After someone points us in the right direction, we rally drive our way up a bumpy, pot-holed track, dodging between rocks and puddles until we reach the village at its dead end. A local fisherman down at the tiny port motions towards a small island off in the distance where there seems to be a decent wave breaking. He agrees to take us out there for a few pesos, and we quickly load our gear into his boat, crossing our fingers that plan B comes through for us.
The boat’s hull races over the flat calm water, smoothed by a total absence of wind, and the mangrove swamps all around us are a fascinating contrast to all the lagoons along the south-east coast. The wave becomes more visible as we approach, and the ridges of swell coming in are perfectly spaced, rolling right along the reef as regularly as a metronome. “It’s not that big, but it looks perfect!” says Alexis, clearly very happy with the idyllic setting. Watching some of the locals already there enjoying the waves makes Alexis even more impatient to get out and join them. The regular rhythm of the wave, with no break and no flat sections, is a perfect platform for Alexis to totally exploit every centimetre, linking his moves with style and flow. The Breton boy squeezes every drop of fun from each wave, putting on a top class show.
