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By Kate Siber; Photograph by David McNew, Getty Images
Most of the time, when humans mess with nature, they lose. But at the Wedge, a monstrously big and powerful break off Newport Beach, California, they hit the jackpot—for bodysurfers, that is. There, an Army Corps of Engineers jetty relays big swells, forming slow-moving, pyramid-shaped waves that, during South Pacific storm cycles, can top 30 feet (9 meters). They’re too steep for surfers but perfect for the ultimate man-versus-nature contest: bodysurfing.
When the surf goes off, as many as 15 locals brave the indiscriminate spin cycle in hopes of catching a wave’s sweet spot. “The absolute most difficult part of it all is the moment you decide to go,” says Fred Simpson, owner of Viper Surfing Fins and a Wedge veteran. After that, there’s a purgatory of about five seconds, when even the best bodysurfers won’t know whether the wave, like an unbroken mustang, will let them mount or pitch them forward with the force of the South Pacific hurricane that birthed it. If they succeed, the reward is the ultimate rush: a perfect 50-yard (45-meter) glide through water moving as fast as that from a fire hose.
On high-surf days, only the bravest—and most practiced—take to the water, but as many as a thousand spectators come to watch and feel the reverberating rumble of the waves from a 15-foot (5-meter) sand berm that makes a natural stadium. The waves break so close to shore, they offer an opportunity rare in the world of bodysurfing: An onlooker can see the open-mouth, wide-eyed, absolutely-in-the-moment expression on a bodysurfer’s face as he or she takes on Mother Nature.
Need to Know: Locals say that if someone has to explain how to bodysurf the Wedge, you shouldn’t be there. Thus, there are no lessons available, and newcomers must bring fins and demonstrate their skills for the beach’s gantlet of lifeguards. Practice on nearby beaches and low-surf days.
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Posted by: payday loan | January 23, 2012 at 01:24 PM
Hope this dude is wearing his saint christopher necklace ! Haha !
Posted by: Saint christopher necklace | December 21, 2011 at 01:31 PM
Extreme indeed but we all know that extreme games goes two way, it's either you succeed or get hurt.
Posted by: make your own beats | November 03, 2011 at 05:40 PM
Water surfing is so dangerous. You have to be good on balancing.
Posted by: elan-credit-card | November 03, 2011 at 05:08 AM
Haha looks fun! don't lose your suit!
Posted by: Brekkens | June 17, 2011 at 04:33 PM
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Posted by: buy handbags | March 24, 2011 at 04:24 AM
Advice to the ladies...wear a double suit. Also hand fin gloves (webz) are also a plus...fins are a must. Rock on and Respect the Wave. - Cheers, Christina McIntyre
Posted by: Christina McIntyre | December 25, 2010 at 03:02 PM
There are lessons available, and new entrants must be denied, and demonstrate their skills and the gauntlet of beach lifeguards. Practice a bit close to the beaches and in the days surfing.
Posted by: Package holidays in New York City | November 12, 2010 at 12:28 PM
This looks way too extreme for me!
Posted by: Backyard Pond Ideas | October 05, 2010 at 11:18 PM
The locals say that if someone has to explain how the Wedge bodysurfing, you should not be there. Therefore, there are no courses available and newcomers should make the fins and demonstrate their skills with the glove of lifeguards at the beach.
Posted by: translation services | September 25, 2010 at 07:50 AM