|
Six-time world
champion Kelly Slater, surfing musician
Jack Johnson and a hand-picked crew of
friends have found themselves in a
rarely visited, remote marine sanctuary,
on the latest leg of the Quiksilver
Crossing.
The Crossing has been granted special
permission by the French Government to
visit the heavily protected, pristine
island wilderness in the Indian Ocean
this week.
"Forbidden Island," is a
marine reserve unique in the world,
which very few people are given
permission to visit. The Quiksilver
Crossing's involvement in the United
Nations-supported Reef Check program
convinced authorities to grant permits
for a one-week visit to the French
island territory.
A former military base, "Forbidden
Island" has only ever been surfed
by a handful of army personnel and
sailors over the years, and a hushed
folklore has developed over its
incredible waves in the most wild,
unspoilt natural environment imaginable.
Skipper Martin Daly says it is home to
the most marine life he has ever seen,
in over a decade of exploring the
world's most remote surf locations. Also
on board the Crossing are
film-maker/surfer/writer Chris Malloy,
top Australian junior surfer Luke Munro,
and American surf adventurer Hans Hagen.
The island is also home to twin, left
and right reef/point setups wrapping
round one end of the island, reminiscent
of St Leu in Reunion Island. |
|
"There's a left here just waiting
to happen. I don't know if we'll get
swell, but it's a longish looking left
reef," Kelly says hungrily.
"The setups look unreal. I'd say
it's definitely world class," says
Hans.
The latest forecast is for bigger surf,
in the four, possibly five foot range,
later in the week.
|
|
With the swell small at the moment,
diving and music have been the focus so
far.
"The diving is awesome. So many
fish, giant clams, eels, the reefs
really alive. If you were lost at sea
here you wouldn't go hungry," says
Kelly. "The water's super clear.
And there are two shipwrecks that we've
seen. It was Jack and Hans' first dive
they've ever done, so that was really
cool."
"It's just amazing. You feel like
you're just floating out in the middle
of nowhere," reckons Hans.
|
"I could hang on the boat for a
week without even surfing. I couldn't
ask for better people to be with,"
says top Aussie junior Luke Munro, fresh
from cleaning up every pro junior in
Australia recently.
With guitars, ukuleles, microphones,
headphones and a veritable mini, mobile
studio on board, hopes are high for some
epic music making sessions.
"It's super special to have Jack on
board. He sets the pace, bringing
everyone's music together," says
Hans. "We three all had a really
good jam this morning, me, Jack and
Kelly."
Luke, a keen Jack Johnson fan, can't
believe his good fortune. "It's so
good. I just always listen. It's so good
sitting there and Jack will start
playing something. His new stuff's so
amazing," says Luke.
For Jack, fresh from another successful
Australian tour, it's an important break
from the music biz, "the Hollywood
scene", and a chance to "keep
it real".
Even Kelly, normally a frothing cabin
fever candidate on surf less boat trips,
is cruising. After re-entering the wild
world of the WCT this year, and nursing
his father through serious illness, it's
a dream crew with which to unwind.
"It's awesome. I've had a heavy few
weeks with my father and my family. It's
nice to get away and clear my head a
little bit," Kelly says.
"Jack, Chris and I are working on a
film project and having Jack along was
part of that. Chris is making a doco on
me this year, sort of whatever happens
happens, my life and my friends." |
|
Just the flight over from the mainland
on three specially chartered light
planes was a highlight for everyone.
"It was pretty awesome. The sort of
thing you never get to see unless you
fly over it," reckons Kelly.
"All the sand bars and currents and
how they form the mainland coast. If the
swell was big it looked like there'd be
a couple of incredible sand bar
points."
|
|
"It was so surreal," says
Hans. "You don't see anything
around for miles and miles and then
there's this tiny tiny island, four
miles by four miles, sitting out in the
middle of nowhere with this white coral
runway."
The 20 or so French soldiers based on
the island greeted the crew
enthusiastically, and even out here they
were excited to meet Kelly. One of the
soldiers had worked as security at the
Quiksilver Masters in France a couple of
years ago, so he knew exactly who they
were. On the second night, a couple of
French soldiers came on board, enjoyed a
few glasses of red, and told horror
shark stories which put the wind up
everyone.
"They told us they've pulled a 20
foot tiger shark up on the beach in five
foot of water. It freaked us out a bit
hearing all the stories," says
Hans.
"I've been a bit scared to put on
the tanks," confesses Luke.
"It's something I want to do before
I get off the boat. I've been snorkeling.
I love it out here." |
Cameraman Mike Prickett decided to try
out the shark pod, an electronic shark
repellant you strap to your back, with
only limited success. "Every time
he'd come up out of the water he'd get a
shock from it. It's a bit out of
control. That got me a bit scared to use
the thing," says Hans.
French scientists Jean Quod and Remi
Garnier, from Reunion Island, are
realising a life-long dream by carrying
out the Reef Check component of the
expedition, in what is a marine
biologist's paradise. All results will
be sent through to the United Nations
environment program. Quod and Garnier
have been petitioning the French
Government since 1993 for permission to
visit the island.
Internet technician Jason Muir,
cinematographer Michael Prickett and
photographer Jeff Hornbaker are also
onboard to document what promises to be
a historic surfing and scientific
adventure to one of the world's last
true frontiers.
|