SURF REPORT -- Majini Island: surf, party, surf!

Sunrise on Majini Island

Majini Island (part of the Bishara Resorts System) is blessed with an Epic II wave that has a great long run. However, it's the lively surfing crowd, as much as it is the big wave, that seems to make this beach one of the most popular with Second Life surfers. Home break of the Vibrations Surf Alliance (VSA), or more affectionately 'Vibes' (members are known as 'Vibers'), Majini combines socialising, partying and an almost continous line-up of surfing action. One could say that its a 'happening' beach!

With more than 200 VSA members including a hard core group of surfers that take their sport very seriously, there's always something going on on Majini beach and it has become a meeting point for surfers regardless of their home base or surfing club affiliation.

The Majini beach crowd favours the big Epic II waves. Despite having a frequency of one wave at a time, the beach boasts a loyal and friendly crowd that are as enthusiastic spectators as they are surfers (not to mention talkers!). A row of sunbeds lined up along the shoreline and knee-deep shallows in front of the break, help to make Majini surfing an entertaining spectator sport. A temporary aerial wood platform provides the perfect vantage point during competition events.

A lively beach crowd (well they are when they're not lying down!)

Majini's EPIC is quite a long run, breaking at the far south edge of the sim and rolling in spitting foam for 250 yards into the beach before folding thirty or fourty feet from the shore. Its a real rush! However, the Majini surf changes to pipes and fluffies every Sunday and on some other occasions, such as prior to SLSA competitions to allow members to practice.

Majini plays host to the first Second Life Surfing Association (SLSA) event of the annual competition series (2008's competition took place on 19 January), whilst the VSA organises a monthly Surf Jam competition for Vibers only. The beach has both the open space and facilities to organise other social and surfing events. Majini beach is also home to Bishara Surf School, headed up by surfing veteran and Bishara Resorts Estate Manager VW Sands.

There is a public 'rezz area' directly in front of the Surf School shack at the east end of the beach, which allows non-members to rezz their boards. The rezz area supports a limited number of prims as a measure to prevent griefers from rezzing boats, helicopters and other undesirable motor vehicles that disturb the peace.

The east end of the beach with the rezz area

Boards are usually available on the beach for those that want to try and haven't brought their own (look for the ones owned by VW Sands). For those that prefer to use their own boards, 'copy' versions are recommended. Although the sim returns visitors' boards to their lost and found folders fairly reliably, the sim has been known to 'eat' them from time to time. A number of surfboard outlets on Majini sell a variety of boards such as Fakt Surfboards, Namiko, SJA Customboards and TCH Surf.

A great place to start if you want to get on board with the Second Life surfing scene, meet other surfers and find out how its done! And, have a lot of apres-surf fun too! Surf, party, surf! Or was it party, surf, party? I forget. Must have been a good party...

SurfWatch: Two new surf spots at Bishara (9 May 08)
SurfWatch: Surfing Calendar - February-March 2008
SurfWatch: ONeill Crowned VSA Surf Jam champ! (2 Feb 2008)
Flickr: More images of Majini Island
SLURL: Majini Island

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SURF REPORT -- Monkeh Barrel takes no prisoners

The fury of Monkeh Barrel unleashed on the beach

Slow, short and unforgiving it may be, but that doesn't take away from the fact that the Monkeh Barrel remains one of the most challenging and popular surf breaks in Second Life. The Monkeh is one of several surfing spots in Helio Estates, which include Heliopolis itself, Nymphs Beach and Black River Harbor. The big wave break also provides the setting for one of the most demanding competitions in the SLSA annual series.

Named Monkeh Barrel because its more fun than a barrel of monkeys, the Monkeh's dark brooding EPIC II wave breaks a few yards short of the Western edge of the sim and runs in for about 150 yards onto a green rocky shoreline. For comparison, the wave runs in about 50 yards short of the distance that the EPIC II wave at Majini beach does, or roughly about the same length of ride as the EPIC II wave at Neart. The wave also has the reputation of having a mind of its own.

Monkeh Barrel in the morning

The short duration of the break means that surfers must get up and running fast if they are to make the most of the wave. The slower forward movement means they its also important for surfers to pay attention to speed so as not to stall and end up belly-riding all the way into the beach. This wave takes no prisoners!

This beach has no onshore facilities, but due to the short wave run and elevation of the beach, the Monkeh Barrel offers surfwatchers an excellent view. For surfers, the rocky shallows on the shore make a convenient place to rezz your board into the water, while the wave itself is perhaps the ultimate test of SL surfing skills and technology.

Update 28 May 08 -- Monkeh Barrel has disappeared, we understand, following the sale of the sim to a new owner.

SLURL: Monkeh Barrel (not valid as of May 08)

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SURF REPORT -- Chi, unique surf breaks with a touch of Zen

Water ~ Fire ~ Air ~ Earth ~ Surf
Few visitors to Chi these days realise that this tranquil island was one of the very first surfing spots to appear in Second Life. Created and still owned by Sally LaSalle, the island combines a mountainous Zen retreat (complete with active volcano, water features and a plunging waterfall) together with green areas, beaches and, of course, surfable waves. The Island of Chi was the proud host to the first ever SL surfing competition, the Namiko Pro in March 2007, and SL's first windsurfing competition too.

"Chi is special in many ways. It was designed to be a place to relax, express yourself, find yourself and to get a sense of the interconnectedness of everything and everyone," explains Sally. "Chi was one of the first surf sims in SL and the island encourages surfing and embraces the diversity and free spirited nature of the surfing community. Chi also promotes ecological awareness and bio-diversity and so we don't allow jet skis or other motor vehicles. Good for surfers: good for Chi."

Sally LaSalle at the pipeline wave break in Chi's sandy bay

Chi is a unique surfing location with three very different surf breaks. The largest, and most accomodating, is a 25 second pipeline run into a small bay. Both pipeline and ocean foam waves break from about 100 yards offshore and roll in across the whole width of the bay. The shoreline on both sides makes the surf more challenging and also provides a perfect venue for people to watch the action close up sitting on the beach, on the hills or on natural dunes around the water. Which is great if you manage to pull off a few tight pipeline turns and surf right into the shallows, but can be embarrasing sometimes wiping out and ending up stuck up on the dunes face down on your board!

There are two other breaks on Chi. Firstly a small patch of whitewater surf that comes in for about 50 yards onto the beach in front of the Chi Shopping Mall. Its a very small beach and so the waves are only about 40 yards across here (a good 15-20 yards narrower than in the bay). The more interesting break runs down the entire Eastern shoreline of the island or about 250 yards, but - and here's the catch - the fluffies are only a maximum of 20 yards across. This break is a real test of surfing skills and agility.

Chi's small ocean foam surf beach (left) and the long Eastern shore break (right)

Zen Surfing is the motto at Chi and the island is the home base of Soul Surfers, founded by SLSA Hall of Fame inductee Kimmy Fitzgerald. Chi is also a VSA (Vibrations Surf Alliance) friendly sim and organises joint events with VSA on occasion (such as a weekly Friday surf night). The beach is completely free and open to anyone (as is the rest of the island) and surfers can rez their own boards. There are usually a few free boards around for public use. Board shops include SJA Custom Boards and Namiko in the island's shopping mall and a beach outlet selling a variety of boards and windsurfers.

Chi has a steady stream of surfing regulars and is a place where people come to surf, chill-out and spend some one-on-one time with a special someone. Many relationships and marriages have developed on Chi. Chi is also home to Bubbles the llama, Grace the turtle, plus eagles, giraffes and other free spirits of the land, sea and air.

SLURL: Chi

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SURF REPORT-- Bundoran Reef: surf, grass & Guiness

Above: Pipeline wave breaks on Bundoran Reef

Home to the Reef Rider Surf Team, Bundoran Reef is nestled between the West of Ireland to the South, Crab Island to the North and the big wave break of Neart to the East. Named after the surf capital of Ireland (RL) in County Donegal, Bundoran Reef offers some of the best mixed-wave surf in Second Life and as the name suggests, the waves break over a rock reef and then roll in for about 210 yards onto rocky beach. Bundoran Reef has a striking green coastline, which gives its own special ambience, distinctive from SL's many golden sandy tropical beaches.

Surfers can teleport into Bundoran Reef and paddle out past the break, but its also possible to TP into the ajoining Crab Island which is near to where the waves begin. A good variety of pipeline and ocean foam waves with good frequency break down most of the length of the beach. Bundoran Reef offers some interesting terrain and features for spectators. A green headland juts out about 40 yards on each side of the reef break, providing a raised platform to watch the surf. The West headland also has a medieval stone lookout post which is ideal for surveying the surf below. The East side has a semi-submerged rocky headland which extends almost to the end of the sim: good for taking a short break from surfing the waves, but you wouldn't want to have a party on it! An eternal wood fire burns on the main beach suitable to gather round for after-surf story telling.

The lookout post bearing the Reef Rider Surf Team's coat of arms

Just inland, bordering Neart, Bundoran Reef has an inlet which provides anchorage for a recreation of a 16th century Spanish galleon. Surf shops on Bundoran Reef beach sell Heather Goodliffe and Namiko boards and wetsuits (no doubt essential, for Bundoran Reef's temperate climate!). A few steps away in West of Ireland are more shops (including Analog Surf) and Nancy Blake's Irish pub, ensuring the sim's flow of draught Guiness continues uninterrupted.

SLURL: Bundoran Reef

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