Finally I got these photos up. After 18 day underway, we arrived at Easter Island, the most remote island in the world. We had very good weather the entire way down. This part of the pacific has consistently good weather with very few gales.
I was living the dream for about 10 days in Easter Island. We were anchored about 400 yards from 3 different surf breaks. As normal, when the waves are really good I usually don't get many photos. All the photos of waves were after the swell had dropped. We scored 3 days of 2 meter faces. All the locals in the water were really friendly, but a little intimidating. Almost all of the had hair past their shoulders, crazy polynesian tattoos, and they chanted in the lineup. No joke.
So thats how i spent my days in Easter Island, surfing all morning, work all day, surf all afternoon, with a little spear fishing thrown in here and there.
When can we go Back?
The spearfishing spot thanks to our trust 12 foot rib "The Peanut".
Wild houses outnumber people on Easter Island.
We spent a while heaving huge volcanic rocks off the cliffs.
The only sand beach of Easter Island and the only beach in the world with two UNESCO world heritage sites.
East Coast. Treeless.
Moai (mo-eye) or as we called them "heads".
I read that a archeologist theory was that it would take 200 men 2 years to carve a moai, 200 men another 2 years to transport it, and finally 200 men another year to get it upright.
Someone chopped down all their buddies.
The biggest moai is 21 m tall.
Funny thing happened right before this photo. Apparently
I upset the Gods and almost got in a rumble with a local.
You really should read about the brief and tragic history of Easter Island.
Ranu Raraku Crater. One of 4 volcanos on the island.
This is on Ranu Raraku, which was the quarry where the moai were all carved. You can make out the one that wasn't finished.
Joe and Chris after the storm.
Another partially finished moai.
There are a lot of heads, and even more that are knocked over.
The islands south side has big surf that the locals tow at.
Easter Cowboy
Joey.
Kelly Slater surfed this wave when he came to the island.
Try to spot the fisherman on the cliffs.
We called this wave sucky rocks.
This was the better right that we surfed every day.
port.
2 comments:
Awesome photo essay Keith. Awesome place man. If you haven't yet, you need to read "Collapse" by Jared Diamond. It covers the tragedy of Easter Island including the Moai building competition between the clans and the resulting deforestation of the island to the resulting civil war. The most poignant point he makes is that at some point toward the end, someone had to look at that last tree and decide to cut it down for the alter or to transport a head.
Great photos man!
AMAZING shots! I need another photography lesson!!!
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