After a slow September, fall finally delivered much-needed swell to Southern California this weekend. Personally, I wasn’t sure what to expect Saturday – my local was big and walled, so I jaunted to a spot I don’t go to often with a friend. We walked around the corner to get a look at the waves and our jaws dropped to the sand. Stoke levels were high. We ran back to the car, changed as quickly as possible and paddled out, grins ear to ear.
That feeling of scoring is universal. And it’s contagious. When I stumbled on this little video on Instagram of Chris Burkard absolutely scoring somewhere in India, it made me happy. I wasn’t there, had zero details besides the caption, and yet could totally relate.
“Yes – I still get excited (like a kid) when I travel half way around the world to find a wave that’s more myth than reality, 5 years of back and forth emails & scheming to chase a swell that may or may not happen,” said Chris on Instagram. “I’ve been off the grid in a small island in the Arabian Sea for the past week. Remote doesn’t really begin to describe it…. I’m so sunburnt, my skin is leather. But luckily my stomach is intact & I cannot stop smiling.”
We salute you, Chris. This is the epitome of what makes surfing so special. This is what traveling is all about. Here’s to the score.
