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Bahia Dreaming: Surfing in Paradise
The aguaviva have stolen another day of surfing. Onshore winds from the northeast have brought small purple and white jellyfish with a particularly painful and dangerous sting to Praia do Engenocha and so we are left sand-bound. Defeated by diminutive creatures that look like popped balloons, we retreat up the hill lugging our boards to the truck and drive back to Itacare. The day is not lost however, the afternoon hours are spent bodysurfing in epic conditions at Praia do Rezende, where a protected cove prevents the arrival of the jellyfish. We play for hours in the surf, catching waves, wiping out and getting sunburned until collapsing on the sand exhausted, welcoming the incoming clouds, and warm rain on our faces.
It is my third day at Easy Drop Surf Camp, located in the small Bahia town of Itacare in central coastal Brasil. Itacare is a forty minute drive from Ilheus, a large town forty minutes by plane from Salvador, the capital of Bahia. I am enrolled in the 8-day session, terminating on Christmas Eve. High season for the town of 7000 begins in early January and the bustle of anticipation and preparation is in the air. Old colonial style houses are being repainted in vibrant pinks, greens and yellows. I see families decorating Christmas “trees” made of aluminum foil and tinsel. The only thing missing is Christmas music—in its place are season-neutral, Brasilian sounds.
I first learned about Easy Drop from reading an article in an adventure travel magazine in September. The idea of surf camp in the tropics, especially since it would be winter at home, had an immense appeal and an invitation to spend Christmas with my Brasilian friend and her family in Sao Paulo sealed my decision to go. The camp is about seven years old and was founded by Benjamin Kromayer, from Germany. He came to Itacare several years ago, married a local woman and created his dream. Benjamin is a licensed surf instructor, but now focuses on running the business side of things for the camp. He is rarely out on the beach or in the water with students, but is quite an accomplished longboarder.
Easy Drop caters to surfers of all skill levels. The people in my session, myself included, all constitute the beginner category, with some basic knowledge and experience, but essentially unskilled. The maximum group size is twelve persons, however there are only five people in this session due to some last minute cancellations. We make a diverse bunch—I am from San Francisco, Matt is a New Yorker, George hails from Zurich, and Eloudie and David are from a small village near Marseilles. David is the most advanced of the group, working on turns and cutbacks while the rest of us focus on standing up with some kind of grace.
Many of the instructors are professional surfers, spending most of their time out on the water, living the surf fantasy. We have morning to early afternoon sessions on the water and nightly video reviews from footage taped during the day, to give feedback on how to improving our technique. It is rather exciting seeing yourself surfing onscreen, although you do not look half as cool or talented as you would like to. Everyone speaks enough English to get by when teaching surfing or performing the reviews. “This one!” “Paddle, paddle!” “Stand up, stand up!” and “Faster, you cow!” have all been mastered. Some of the instructors are quite proficient in English, having lived or surfed in the United States, and all speak Spanish, which is very helpful for me.
Engenocha is the most commonly used beach for Easy Drop campers. It is a wide gorgeous thing, with predictable and quality waves, perfect for beginners. There is a stream that empties out to the sea on the south end of the beach that is also the best place for cooling off as the water temperature in the ocean is at least five degrees warmer, and almost matches the steamy air temperature. The daytime heat soars to about 40 degrees. The humidity sits heavy in the air and the best place suited to comfort in these hours is under the generous shade of a mango tree, preferably in a hammock.
continued on Bahia Easy Drop Surf Camp ...
All pictures and content copyright Tina Butler 2004. Please contact me regarding use.
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