SURF TRAVEL | Exploring Southern Baja

Southern EXPLORING

aja B

Southern EXPLORING

aja B

By Sandra Olson | Photos By: Gabriel Fernandez

The plane engines whir loudly as I peer out the window at the barren desert landscape below.

We were almost there.

We were almost to Baja, Mexico.

Growing up I’d heard stories from my uncles, Pat and Tom, about their many epic surf trips to Baja in the late 70’s and 80’s, before there were any major roads, or road signs for that matter, and where they virtually surfed alone at many of the breaks. Depending solely on their God- given skills as mechanics to fix whatever might go wrong with their vehicles, they trekked hundreds of miles along the barren coastline, seeking out local knowledge for advice on finding renowned surf spots, as well as new spots that had no name at that time. They faced challenges and dangers I had always admired, but didn’t want to experience personally, because although surfing there was something I knew was on my bucket list, I wanted to do it safely.

Los Cabos is made up of two major towns, located on the southernmost tip of the Baja peninsula. While the majority of the landscape in Baja has remained relatively unchanged, the hotspot surfing area of San Jose Del Cabo now brims with restaurants, small shops and grocery stores, and in Cabo San Lucas (where the cruise ships dock), an exciting and varied nightlife. As we landed, the reality of the journey we were about to embark on began to sink in.

Stories of lost surfers, at times life-ending criminal activity, and general disappearance from society were all valid concerns that both we and our families had. But we were convinced we had to try it out for ourselves, so we had booked our airline tickets, and arranged for a trusted surf guide for several of the days that we would spend exploring both the Western coastline and the East Cape. Because this was also a scouting trip for a possible future WSSM Surf Retreat, safe accommodations were procured at the Las Olas Condominiums. We were ready for our adventure!

Jolted out of my reverie of what might lie ahead for us by an abrupt landing, we deplaned and headed through customs and for the car rental agency. Having booked our car online months in advance, we wondered what to expect from our $1 per day 198 | womenssurfstyle.com | wSSm

HAPPY 60th BIRTHDAY Tio Pa’tio !!!

Uncle Pat Williams with nieces, CJ & Sandra

(left to right) Sandra, CJ, & Michelle

The villas here in Cabo are incredible!

La Roca (the Rock) in San Jose Del Cabo, to the right of the Las Olas Condominiums (the red roof building with the pool), with “Old Mans” in the distance | Photo: John Olson

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WSSM RETREAT ‘17 Jasmin Suayan enjoying another beautiful set out at Old Mans

Michelle Olson and Whit Whitley enjoy the view as Kathy Fenton Austin, Kerry McDonald, and Leah Johnson share ANOTHER laugh-filled wave together 200 | womenssurfstyle.com | wSSm

Southern Baja EXPLORING

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WSSM RETREAT ‘16 Above: Michelle Olson charging La Roca (the Rock) Top middle: Kerry McDonald heads out for a session Bottom middle: Dan Olson rockin’ a small sunset wave out at the Rock

rental car, as we had been forewarned of price changes and exorbitant fees upon arrival. We were happy to find an agent that spoke pretty good English and we ended up only spending about $30 a day on the vehicle. Yes, we took the roadside assistance and insurance option, as we had learned that flat tires were a common occurrence due to the road conditions here. Better to be safe than sorry. As the parking attendant pulled our vehicle around, Dan noticed our back tire was already completely flat.

Laughing, we realized we were not off to a great start! They said they would repair it and we were given another vehicle (we think).

With directions in hand, we headed out on the dusty road to San Jose Del Cabo, and quickly drove the 20 minute scenic drive from the airport. Not knowing what to expect, we were pleased to find a bustling town, complete with grocery stores and all kinds of small restaurants. After a quick burrito and stocking up on groceries, we then made our way to Las Olas Condominiums where we were greeted by a gated entrance, friendly staff, and secure parking. Reminiscent of the large condos you see dotting the shorelines on the east coast in the USA, Las Olas condos are luxury condos situated directly in front of four of the best breaks in Cabo. With its direct oceanfront and surf access, large swimming pool and three hot tubs, we knew we were in for a treat in the coming days.

Sunset was rapidly approaching, so we quickly waxed up our rental boards that our guide, Surf In Cabo, had dropped off for us. We said a quick prayer and jumped into the overhead surf that pounded the shoreline. Dropping into a new wave on a new board is always nerve-racking, but our 15 years in Hawaii had prepared us, probably over-prepared us, and we enjoyed wave after wave after wave at Middles, the wave closest to our condos. There was no need to even paddle over to La Roca (the Rock), the waves were that good! The sun set all too soon and we returned to shore, thankful to have put another pin on our surf map. Mission accomplished!

With 36 hours of traveling behind us, we took advantage of not having a schedule and slept in the next morning. The condo

we had chosen was a 1 bedroom (B502 / 5th floor) comfy cozy nest for two, with beautiful hand painted murals adorning the walls, a fully furnished kitchen, leather couches and chairs, and a beautifully remodeled bathroom with walk-in shower. The PERFECT condo!

After slamming a quick protein and banana smoothie while we watched the sets roll in below us, we took in the breathtaking view. Set after set after gorgeous smooth set, rolling across the vast ocean like corduroy. This view could NEVER get old! With hardly anyone out due to the size of the swell, we grabbed our boards and hit the surf. It was pumping! Big thick walls with a HEAVY inside section, but lots of rippable walls to carve up. Three hours later, and wave quivers full from the solid, double overhead surf, we cleaned up and headed out for lunch at Los Claros who offers “the best seafood tacos in Mexico”. We chose their “Fish Crunch”, which was huge, and incredibly tasty. We’ll be back!

Still tired from our morning session, we continued to check out the nearby area of San Jose. A stop at OXXO was a MUST as we loaded up on snacks and drinks. Such strange food here! We drove on and discovered a locals beach where kids were playing in the sand. Horses and dogs were everywhere- a real locals wSSm | womenssurfstyle.com | 201

Wake up to this amazing view each morning and watch the sets roll in below as you lounge in luxury.

This beautiful condo is ideal for couples looking for a little pampering and epic surf! (vrbo.com/505020)

An ariel view at sunset of Zippers, Middles, The Rock, and the Las Olas Condominiums | Photo: John Olson

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Southern Baja

EXPLORING

Elisa Stokes, always surfing with a smile | Old Mans

Kristin Wetzel perfecting her drop-in at Old Mans

Whit Whitley, charging it, with an almost empty lineup | The Rock

Cindy Stokes, “like mother- like daughter� smiling & laughing her way down the line | Old Mans

Therese Wolak Whitehurst enjoying herself out in the waves | Old Mans

Beth Buchanan drops in on an outside set | Old Mans

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(Photos: Gabeto Fernandez) Top left page: When you’re with good friends, even waiting between sets is rewarding. (left to right) Cindy Stokes, Kristin Wetzel, Beth Buchanan, Pat Williams “Tio Pa’tio”, and Merly Vie at Old Mans

at Middles

Above left: Justina Cutler carves her way down the line over crystal clear water at The Rock- Photo: John Olson

Below: Morning glass on a beautiful Baja morning, overlooking Old Mans Photo: Gordon May

Left: Cody Moore threading his way through an outside set at The Rock.

Above: Piper Austin and Kaydi Archer, best friends in and out of the water, sharing a wave at The Rock

Left middle: Michelle, Dan, Sandra & CJ make their way back in after a session

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Below: Our beautiful WSSM ladies, Kathy Fenton Austin, Kaydi & Buffy Archer, Piper Austin, & Kerry McDonald out for the evening in Cabo San Lucas Right: Whit Whitney heads out for an almost-solo session at The Rock.

What a view!

WSSM Retreat ‘17 James Walker, exhibiting classic longboard style and grace as he dances on the waves at Old Mans | Photo: Debbie Walker Uncle Pat Williams (“Tio Pa’tio”) paddled out each morning before the sun had fully risen and was rewarded with moments like these. We love the soft light of a Baja sunrise reflecting on him here at Old Mans. | Photo: James Walker

Southern Baja EXPLORING

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beach community where we definitely stuck out. By now it was almost sunset and we decided not to surf that evening. Our arms were still so tired from the morning session. We drove back to our beautiful condo and watched the sunset dance on the glassy evening waves. It was so beautiful and calm. Baja is a magical place.

The next few days were filled with breathtaking sunrises, epic surf sessions, and worn-out, sunburned bodies. A trip to the East Cape with Surf In Cabo’s guide, Luciano, proved that not all of Baja had been developed and built up, and that magical, empty coastline my Uncles had surfed decades earlier still existed. After an hour and a half of trekking through the desert, our SUV finally arrived at Shipwrecks, where less than a dozen surfers were pulling into small glassy tubes. Luciano wasn’t thrilled about the “crowd”, so we drove another 15 minutes up the coast to La Fortuna where the swell was lined up perfectly, donkeys relaxed under the palm trees silhouetted by cactuses, and there wasn’t another surfer in sight! Luciano set up the beach umbrella, unloaded the cooler that was loaded with ice cold water and snacks, and arranged the beach chairs for our afternoon lunch and relaxation. With the heat of the desert sun beating down on us, we enjoyed having some shade to hide under in between sessions. Five hours quickly flew by and the entire time only one other couple showed up to surf. It was all ours.

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Look closely to see three of Cabo’s best surf breaks below. To the far left (opposite page) is Old Mans (look for the yellow surfboard). Now look for The Rock jutting out of the water and you’ll see a group of surfers directly inside of the rock (our group!). Now look a little further to the right, near the shore in front of the Las Olas Condominiums (the building with the red roof top, basketball court and pool)... Surf lessons are going on there at Middles. Lastly, Zippers is further to the right, but with only a small swell showing this day, it’s not quite breaking. | Photo: John Olson

WSSM Retreat ‘17 Debbie Walker, a gracious, beautiful woman and surfer both in the water and on shore, enjoys a lovely set all to herself at Old Mans | Photo: James Walker

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I could get used to this!

The week flew by all too quickly, and as we said goodbye to Baja, we knew we had found a new surf gem. Upon arrival back into the States, we were already on our phones rounding up our favorite surfers and travel buddies with the news... the next WSSM Surf Retreat was in the works! Southern Baja was the destination, and did they want to meet us there in August? Carolyn, Leah, Cody, Buffy, Kaydi, Brian, Piper, Kathy, Beth, Carolyn, Michelle, John and Uncle Pat answered the call that year, and in August 2016, we journeyed there for an amazing 10 days of sun, surf, and laughter.

We returned again in 2017, with two more groups that fell in love with Baja just as much as we did. We got to surf a variety of conditions from heavy-rain swell that picked up the desert dust, muddying it to the point that we couldn’t see our feet, to small, clear and perfectly glassy waves that were great for the beginners in our group, to well overhead and PUMPING, adrenalizing and stimulating those that needed more push and wanted to challenge themselves.

For three years we’ve seen the many beautiful swells that Baja offers and we’re now preparing for our 4th annual WSSM trip to Southern Baja to create more memories that will last a lifetime. Our favorite motto at WSSM is “Never Stop Adventuring”, and we’ve found many soul surfers that are just as stoked as we are to discover new surf destinations. We thank them for being a part of our traveling WSSM family, and look forward to may more adventures together. We love you guys! F SURF GUIDE SERVICES Big thanks to David Andrade of Surf In Cabo for arranging the awesome trip up the East Cape and Cerritos, and to Luciano for his excellent guide services! These guys know how to make you feel safe and secure, they know the best spots for swell and when conditions there are good, and are proud of and quick to share all that Baja offers... They’re ready to share it with you! www.surfincabo.com | +521 624 1179495 ACCOMMODATIONS Situated on the beach directly in front of four amazing surf breaks, Las Olas Condominiums is the perfect choice for surfers that want to stay safe, be a little pampered, and so close to the action that all you have to do is step outside and drop into waves. Each unit is individually owned, and we can personally recommend the following units to you. Well maintained, attention to customer service, and everything is EXACTLY as you expect and agreed upon. We recommend you rent these units well in advance of your stay in Baja... they’re the best in the building!

Las Olas Condominiums | UNIT: B504 A beautifully decorated 1 bedroom condo located on the 5th floor in building B, sleeps 2-4. Perfect for couples looking to escape to beachfront surfing heaven. Everything you need for a comfortable and luxurious stay is included. (www.vrbo.com/505020) Las Olas Condominiums | UNITS: B105 / B205 / B405 3 GORGEOUS and newly remodeled units all owned by the lovely Carlene Leier. Luxury, taste, and style all blend together perfectly in these exquisite, 3 bedroom condos.. Located together in building B, making them perfect for groups that want to stay close together, without sacrificing privacy. (B105: www.vrbo.com/497549 | B205: www.vrbo.com/861562 | B405: www.vrbo.com/434756) 208 | womenssurfstyle.com | wSSm

WSSM Retreat ‘16 | Photo: Gabeto Fernandez Uncle Pat “Tio Pa’tio” and his niece & WSSM publisher, Sandra Olson, sharing a wave at Old Mans Perfectly clear for miles and miles.... and just our group out | Photo: John Olson

WSSM Retreat ‘16 | Photos: Gabeto Fernandez Above: Merlie Vie dropping in on a bomb out at Old Mans Top left: A night out in Cabo San Lucas with the gang. Love these guys! (left to right- back row) Whit, Brian, Piper, Dan, Kathy, Michelle, John, Leah. (second row) Kaydi, Beth, Kerry, Sandra, Uncle Pat “Tio Pa’Tio”, Cody, and CJ

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