“The Gates of Hell” is apparently how Portuguese sailors once collectively referred to Namibia’s northern coast. Bushmen of the Namibian interior are more explicit. They call it “The Land God Made in Anger.” The famed left-hand pointbreak known as Skeleton Bay occupies part of this inhospitable swath of coastline. The Skeleton Coast, they say, is a reference to bones that littered beaches when whaling operations were in their heyday, and for skeletal ships – the remains of wrecks – that can still be found there today.
Such a bleak description of a place is more apt to strike fear into one’s heart than inspire travel. But for madmen like Natxo González, Aritz Aranburu, and Adrian Fernandez, the promise of reeling left-hand tubes was too good to pass up.
Since its discovery, the wave at Skeleton Bay has been lauded as one of the best left points in the world. But when an edit like this comes across our desk, it begs the question: is it the best left in the world? Perfection, of course, is subjective. And greats from Kepa Acero to Craig Anderson have gone on record saying Skeleton Bay is one hard nut to crack, not to mention fickle. But if so many surfers are venturing to “The Gates of Hell” it’s gotta be worth it, right?
