Surfers find perfect wave in western Russia
Published 23 July, 2007, 18:47
Surfers travel the world seeking out the right weather conditions and the perfect wave. The Gulf of Finland in the west of Russia is not the most well-known destination, but it has all they could possibly need.
It does not matter if the sun shines or the sky is blue. For dedicated surfers it is only the wind and waves that matter.
For years Russian surfers have gathered near St. Petersburg on the shore of the Gulf of Finland. The tradition started 33 years ago when Soviet surfing pioneers made their first camp there, in the pine forest.
Surfers travel the globe with their boards and sails, spending nights in their vans and days on the waves. And when the sun sets, it is music that unites them being a link between the surfers' day and night.
“We use a lot of special equipment to make the sound more water-like, a sampler and a station for playing life music,” said Mikhail Korolev, a musician.
Surfers have other difficult selections to make – which boards and sails to use. It all depends on the weather which is hard to forecast.
At the height of summer the beach is usually packed with holiday-makers enjoying the sun and sea. But when the wind gets up and the waves get higher they pack up and hurry away. This is when the surfers step in.
“It is how it all works, without any engine, without anything. You are independent on the one hand, you possess great energy. But on the other, you depend on the weather and the sea,” said Andrey Khitrovo, a wind surfer.
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