Excerpts by Noah Cohen
“Hey guys, look!” exclaims Pete in a low voice, just loud enough to drown out the crackling morning fire. I let go momentarily of the Aeropress full of hot coffee and looks up just in time to watch one of the three wolves pass by, illuminated by the gold of dawn and the threatening sky lurking behind. They move with style inimitable, paws tapping in unison to an inaudible rhythm. Good whether they are notoriously shy creatures, visible only on rare occasions, they show little interest in our presence and the village of makeshift tents we erected in the mouth of the creek.
Our group had left at dawn two days earlier, exchanging hustle and bustle of Tofino against the tranquility of the sea. Slipped under a morning mist that waltzed in the air, clinging to the bursts of sky between the lots and the treetops that dot the port, then we rounded the corner to reach the open water, and we found ourselves headed north with a well-formed southerly swell behind us. The crew consisted of legendary Canadian surfer Pete Devries and two rising sisters, Mathea and Sanoa Olin. The sailing conditions were pleasant. I even got caught boat surfing with my loaded jet-ski mule by the boards, camping gear, and extra gas cans.
Arriving a short distance from the spot, we saw long lines curve and transform from soft, moving shoulders to walls tapered and polished that hugged the reef and seemed to pick up speed, winding around this point towards the center of the bay. We followed the swell, scouring the unfamiliar surroundings to find both a safe anchorage for our boats and an easy access point for unloading food and camping supplies for three days. The north end of the bay, about a hundred meters from the site of our camp, housed a perfect unloading area for jet-skiing. These little advantages as well as access to a steady stream of clean water, allow for a relatively easy trip. The source of water, in particular, is an element determining. Not only does it save hundreds of kilos of drinks for a trip of several days, but it also facilitates the cleaning of kitchen utensils and dishes.
It's always funny to cruise with teenage girls, in this case, the Olin sisters. Sitting by the fire, eyes fixed on the spot and a howl of joy with each wave. Watching them surf gives an insight intriguing part of the "nature versus nurture" debate. Although they look alike physically, Mathea is regular and Sanoa goofy. The first slips calmly on the water, weaving through the waves before using speed generated to swing a big turn characteristic of her surf. Sanoa, takes a more forceful approach. One feels a ferocity in her style like she's trying to smash every poor little lip. Her backhand is powerful, while Mathea looks more skillful from the front. Apart from these differences, the two sisters are fans of each other. Somewhere this rivalry is filled with family love that pulls them up daily. For his part, Peter is a bit like the quiet captain of the group. Calm, precise, and incisive in his surfing with great blows of sharp turns, tense laybacks, and other fat mutant turns. Over the years, I have had the pleasure of watching Pete evolve in all conditions, and it's clearly on this kind of own rights and strain that he excels. In the end, we spent many hours in the water, surfing and screaming back to the peak, frantically struggling against the current.
"I can't believe how much fun this wave is!" exclaims Sanoa, dazzled with joy. Time of nostalgia, each unpacking the highlights and laughing hysterically at sharing our stories as the sun slowly sank below the horizon. Such trips offer a wonderful respite from the crowds and monotony of the summer slump which can sometimes set in. Turn off your cell phone, prepare your meals around a campfire and pay much more attention to the world at your feet. Then you go home, tired and weary, muscles sore from endless hours of surfing, transport of equipment, and sleeping on cobblestones. Even every garment imbued with the aroma of smoke from a campfire is something that oddly comes to worship over the years. And the daily stress that fades for a moment, that of those brief moments spent, of pretty simple rediscoveries, in wilder happiness.
Various images and text were utilized for Surf Sessions Magazine, Mademoiselle Magazine, Surf Girl Magazine, Surfline, White Horses Magazine, Manera Wetsuits & JS Industries.