In the end, these smiles broke through the clouds of mystery and misperception — at least along the coastline. Photo: Bridget Kaleki
Is this worth it? I sat on the tailgate of my Toyota Tacoma asking myself. The negative thoughts got trapped inside my soul weighing down the true answer to that exact question. I took one last deep breath that seemed to choke out any residual doubt and jumped off my wavering seat of contemplation and yelled at the top of my lungs. “I am going to North Korea!” The sound bounced off the cement pilings of the parking garage and as I heard the echo of my proclamation, the adrenaline of adventure began to fire.
As surfers, we all have a yearning to go. We thrive off the idea we could find that secret spot. We froth at the thought of getting it all to ourselves, or perhaps with a few of our closest friends. We dream about new cultures, eating local food. And we realize that religion, race, and prejudices wash out at the shoreline; in the water, we are simply surfers. I have been able to travel all over the world with Surfing The Nations and I was stoked to put another pin on the map. Traveling with like-minded individuals focused on living the lifestyle of “surfers giving back” makes for a great adventure. Surfing The Nations may have their base on the small Hawaiian island of Oahu, but their reach spans the globe.
In many ways, my trip to North Korea was like so many I had taken before. The countryside was stunning, green and vast. The coastline was untouched, and though controlled by the military, oddly inviting.
Photo: Bridget Kaleki
And the people were beautiful.
But in many ways, my trip to North Korea was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I was never certain where I could be, what I could look at or speak of. I had an odd sense of peace and fear all at the same time, as if I was in constant battle with what I have heard, learned, seen and experienced.
All twenty-one of us assembled in the Beijing airport. Our team was a blend from the United States, Australia, Sweden, Singapore, Switzerland, Denmark and Taiwan. We had gathered from our different nations, but were now together on a one-way flight from China to the D.P.R.K., or North Korea.
Photo: Bridget Kaleki
Our first few days were filled with monuments, must-see sights and an exploration of their war museums, libraries and schools. Once our tour guides had filled us full of a “cultural exchange” as they would call it, it was time to explore the coastline. A moment all of us had been awaiting. It was time, we were going to see the coast of North Korea! I felt a bit like I did the first time I stood on the 7-mile miracle stretch of the North Shore. In absolute awe.
The entire team unloaded the surfboards and began to assemble them in the parking lot overseeing Lake Tongjong. It was a sight to see, sunscreen spread across the blanket, fins, wax and leashes, piles of wetsuits and a dozen wide-eyed curious Koreans. Back in 2012, Jon Rose with Waves for Water had generously left a surfboard with our tour guide, Mr. Kim , but with no swell rolling in during his stay, he had yet to see it’s potential. He said with a smile on his face, “I have been waiting for you.”
We spent two days in the town of Wonsan sharing all of the ocean knowledge and surf culture we could manage. The ocean was so still it mirrored the rock islands off the shore, but for the first two days it was honestly exactly what we needed. Most of our participants were not only unfamiliar with surfing, but they were scared of the ocean and timid to swim. But with the ease of language, as they were all English speaking tour guides. We spent the majority of the time simply sharing our love for the ocean; their confidence was gained through friendship, practice, and what now began to look like an understanding of the surfboard and a respect, rather than fear, for the ocean.
With this newfound stoke, we headed to the spot the locals now call “Majon,” or, in English, “Pioneers.” We had heard that there was a typhoon off the coast and they were all but certain it was going to hit soon bringing us waves. We settled in and had began to think that there was a translation error in the word “storm.” The wind kicked in a little texture, but not enough to feel like we truly got to share the true experience of surf in feeling the power of the ocean.
We had one full day of fun at Pioneers and as the evening began to set on the horizon of the East Korea Bay we all had sun-kissed faces, salty hair and full hearts. It became clear to us that it didn’t matter how good the surf was, or if there was any surf at all — we were sharing the joy of the ocean and the freedom it gives us. And without any true realization of what potential surfing could give, they had no idea what they were missing.
