wave of

New wave of Success

By Beryl Cook

THE days of Gidget movies and long-haired, drug-smoking surfies is largely a Western trend of the past. In its place surfing, and particularly windsurfing, has seen a whole new generation of thinking, successful people take to the waves.

According to Managing Director of Fiji Surf, Steve Turner, the slowly

increasing flow of surfers coming to Fiji is evidence of this change, and the basis for what could become a healthy indus try f or pm “Sure, in the 1960 s you had your Gidget scene and it was associated with drugs the whole thing represented a break away from society. Today it’s a professional sport, with guys making a living from sponsorships and world tours. (Professional surfers can earn up to $70,000 in prize money and $250,000 in

Photos: Ed Lovell Matthew Light in Frigate's Pass one of Fiji's top surfing spots which is attracting international visitors and producing local talent

per year.) These guys are top notch athletes who make a career of it, so the sport’s really taken a turn in that

respect.”

According to Steve, the surfers who come to Fiji are mostly Australians, but they come from a wide range of back

grounds.

“Some are merchant bankers, others are dole bludgers. Windsurfers tend to be more business type people with larger

disposable income,” he says.

“There is some rivalry between the two groups but it tends to exist within very narrow minds and it’s totally unfounded. To my way of thinking one can complement the other. When the wind is very strong the surfing conditions deteriorate, so if a client can do both I can burn him out every day.”

According to Steve, the waters of Fiji offer the country a chance to make a name for itself in the professional sport

On top: Corrad Maesepp makes a bottom turn at Suv a Harbour entrance

Over the top: Maesepp makes a round house cutback on Suva Reef

Straight through: Maesepp takes a barrel ride in Suva Harbor

ing world, and a chance for tourism expansion.

“There’s enormous potential for windsurfing (as a sport) in Fiji, with half a dozen first-class people born here. Very little else has happened here, but there’s enormous scope to develop. It has fantastic trade winds, beautiful water and a great location. Both windsurfing and surfing are very much in their infancy as sports,” Steve says.

Publicity given to Steve’s long-time friend, Tony Philps, who won the World

Windsurfing Championship in Australia

last year, could change that.

But it would require Fiji ans themselves to put more into the sport.

According to Tony,

“We’re a little country in the middle of the Pacific.

Some of our best assets are the tradewinds and the ocean, so why don’t we use them?

“Ninety per cent of the

population play rugby and

soccer. They’re not much good at soccer or boxing but rugby is their natural game.

Then there’s water sports.

Fijians in an outrigger is a natural thing I think the Government should push water sports because Fijians have the natural build for it, and Fiji is just a magic place for it.”

The conditions are ideal for locals to prepare for competition, with a reef spinning off the main island, southerly swells and south east trade winds.

“If you were a surfer and you went down the western

side to Tavarua or Magic Island (off Plantation Island) it would blow you away,” Tony says. “In Australia guys surf grotty shore breaks and they’re the best in the world. In Europe guys sail in 2 knots of wind or 30 knots of wind when it’s 10 below, and they’re the best in the world.

“We’ve got the conditions, and we’ve got the people. But we don’t seem to really use them.”

According to Steve, people travelling around Fiji say there’s no surf in Fiji.

“But it’s not what’s happening inside

the reef. It’s what’s happening on the edge. That’s why a lot of people don’t get to see what we do.

“Q n the west, it’s the outer reef line that matters . Near Sigatoka youVe got Natandola Beach, or there’s Sigatoka river mouth that’s the only beach break as compared to reef. Straight out the front of Hideaway Resort (on the Coral Coast) is another good location, and Suva Harbour actually has a place

right at the lighthouse.”

There are various other areas which are harder to get to, including Taveuni

and Kadavu. Steve supplies this with Surf Fiji.

He and Tony believe the effort spent getting there is part of the appeal.

“You get a little punt and make your way 20 miles offshore and you’re surfing

all by yourself,” Tony says.

In terms of tourism, Tony believes surfing will take off as a tourism attraction in

Fiji before windsurfing.

“It’s a lot cheaper and a lot less hassle if you’re bringing your board with you. I can’t see windsurfing taking off here for a number of years, but a lot could depend on how well I do in

competition overseas.”

Steve believes there is a

huge potential for expan

sion of both.

“We’re only really surf ing on about 5 per cent of

the country’s surfing breaks.

There’s a lot more out there to be discovered, and the market will increase with the infrastructure. □

Above: Todd Bower executes a backhand bottom turn under a surreal Suva sky. Below: Maesepp “getting air".