"Travelling in Mozambique and trolling around on Facebook for two to three hours a day is really sad." "Why," asked Jules, "I need to know what's going on in the world and I need to maintain my profile, my fans love it and my sponsors pay me for it!" "Do you realise that you're already wasting a third of your life sleeping? What surrounds you here is real and great because it's different to your home. Facebook is only virtual and the same all over the world. Do it at home when it's raining, but not under this blue sky on wonderful white beaches and fabulous point breaks."
"Come down here, Gilles," Thomas replied. "Jules can do what he wants. You sound a bit 'old school' - even if I agree with you for the most part. But that's the way it is these days, they need their Facebook and Instagram. It's like an addiction." "An addiction?" Jules nagged. "You guys are crazy. It's just a trend and I'm following it. It's as simple as that!" "Speaking of addiction - let's check out what's behind the rock nose. I have a feeling that there's a good wave with side-offshore wind behind it. The search, that's my addiction and it's a good one."
"Pah - you can do it! I don't fancy walking underneath and stepping on a cobra or a poisonous spider. I'll wait for you in the car and check Facebook." "Come on, Gilles, let's just go on our own," Thomas replied defiantly.
Whales, but no waves
No, there was no wave behind the rock. But getting there was a must. As we walked over the rocks that the waves had formed, hanging over turquoise water, we spotted at least a dozen whales frolicking with their children just over half a kilometre out and a school of dolphins enjoying themselves in the shorebreak off the deserted beach. Apart from a fisherman with his home-made harpoon and a bag full of lobsters, we didn't meet a soul.
It was our eighth day in Mozambique and we had eight more to go before we left... and due to a lack of wind we had only been wave riding so far. But today the wind slowly started to pick up, unfortunately from the wrong direction. Normally a southerly wind blows here, which would blow perfectly sideshore at our spot Tofino with its point break. But now the wind was blowing from the north-east, which didn't work in Tofino and the surrounding spots. So we urgently needed to find a spot where the wind and waves matched.
Off to the south of Mozambique
The worst thing was that there was actually a spot with the right wave direction just around the corner, but we realised that the wind was blowing almost flat onshore. Back at our Mozambeat Lodge, we lightened our mood with a fresh, half-cooked tuna steak with rice and fresh local salad and checked the wind forecast. The spot looked very promising for the day after tomorrow. But what should we do tomorrow? "Let's head south," Thomas and I said at the same time, while Jules was as fatalistic on Facebook as a local confronted with political corruption or a year without rain.
"South, where and why?" replied Jules, without taking his eyes off his beloved iPhone 6. "If you'd only looked at the map of Mozambique instead of just checking your nonsensical social media news, you'd know that the coast bends to the west further south and the wind blows faster and exactly sideshore," I countered, annoyed. "You're dreaming," Jules grumbled back. "He's not. Look here, Windguru says five knots more 60 kilometres further south," Thomas supported me. "We'll try that, but how do we find a way to the sea there, there are no signs on the roads, if there are any roads at all." "With my iPhone and Google Earth," Jules grinned. "You have to admit, this little beauty is a great help when you're travelling in an undeveloped country."
What influence does social media have on windsurfers?
"I've never said that a smartphone isn't useful for this kind of thing. I'm just saying that the way you young people use social media is pretty sad because you're constantly increasing your frustration and losing your sense of reality."
"Increase frustration? I'm not frustrated! Maybe you are, because you don't have an iPhone. And who do you think you are that you want to impose your reality on others? Let us young people find our own, please."
"You mean becoming a slave to posting - is that your reality?"
"Guys, we still have a good twelve hours until sunrise," said Thomas. "Let's discuss this and objectively determine what influence social media has on us and, above all, on our lives as windsurfers. It should be fun and interesting."
The playlist in the bar was good and the local rum was great (as long as you mix it with lime and cane sugar) and we talked, drank and laughed most of the night. In the next chapter, we'll tell you what we ended up concluding about Facebook. Quite interesting, I think. But before we close this chapter, you should know that the next day, despite Google Earth, we got pretty lost on the way south a few times, almost sank in quicksand and only found the entrance to the beach thanks to the help of a local - who, incidentally, walked barefoot through the dry savannah full of deadly animals. It was called Praia da Zavora and offered us a nice left-hand wave with sideshore wind. We still had a good two hours before sunset, which is at five o'clock here, and Thomas and Jules rode the waves until dark.
The dark side of Facebook
I once read in a study that 70 per cent of people who use social media platforms report that their self-esteem plummets after being on Facebook and that the more they use it, the more envy and dissatisfaction they feel. Why is this the case? In the past, windsurfing magazines have been pretty good at making you feel like your own home spot is pretty rubbish, unless you live on Hookipa beach. But the magazines can't even remotely compete with the internet in this respect. Just log into any windsurfer's Instagram account and you'll quickly get the feeling that you're the only person in the world who doesn't get to ride a never-ending turquoise wave in perfect side-offshore winds every day. You think your sunset photo is cool? Bullshit! Just look at the ones posted on Facebook: A beautiful rainbow spanning across a perfect spot. And yes, your girlfriend does indeed pale behind these graceful beach beauties in their red bikinis. And speaking of windsurfing selfies: Better stop posting your stupid face while sliding down a measly 30-centimetre wave at a grey, fog-shrouded spot. No, and nobody wants to see your pathetic jump attempt either.
Social media causes frustration for all of us, that's clear. But what about the professional windsurfers themselves, whose posts make us feel pretty underwhelmed about our lives in general and as windsurfers in particular? Their lives have also changed enormously thanks to social media.
Social media has become important for the marketing of professionals
Before Facebook came into our lives, let's say about ten years ago, to become a well-known windsurfer you really had to rip, you had to surf at a world-class level, especially in contests. The aim was to rip the spots in front of a big crowd or at least in front of the lens of a real professional photographer. This was the only way you could become known through coverage in the magazines and keep your sponsors happy. Today, you have to be more of a social media expert to achieve that. Just one example. I'm asking you: Have you ever seen footage of Alice Arutkin windsurfing? Don't get me wrong, I'm not criticising Alice at all and of course I don't mean that she's not a good windsurfer. I can't say that because I've never seen her windsurf. And that's exactly the point. She owes her rise to 'pro windsurfer' more to her Facebook fame than her ability on the water. Alice wears a Red Bull cap for good money, Thomas doesn't. He rips, but he hardly ever posts anything. Alice is just one example. There are plenty of others who know how to put themselves in the limelight and generate an army of followers - and the sponsors follow them.
Posting as many times as possible on Facebook won't make you a world champion or make you happier"
Another problem is that all these posts attract a nasty breed of vain, self-absorbed windsurfing personalities and the constant over-documentation means that the wonderful magic of windsurfing itself is lost. Windsurfing is the interaction between you and the elements, the wind, the surf, the current, the tide, the reef and so on. It's not about your beautiful girlfriend posing in front of a GoPro while you try an air jibe in the background.
Three days full of windsurfing action
And it should be clear that Jules should be busy windsurfing instead of hanging his head over his smartphone now that the desired conditions have actually materialised on the beach. But it looks like we'll need more than one night with a few glasses of rum to change his mind.
However, as soon as Jules had his board in the water, he had already found the right attitude. He battled with Thomas for the best waves and both celebrated a veritable festival of radical top turns and aerials - this went on for three days in a row. The last day brought the most wind and allowed Thomas and Jules to shoot themselves into orbit with fat backloops.
The point break awakens - very briefly
After a well-deserved rest day, the wind finally turned south. Hoping that Tofino's point break would finally come to life, we were already on the beach at seven in the morning. The waves were only about a metre high, but they were perfect and the forecast promised that they would get much bigger by midday. So we decided to come back later. Thomas was on the water at exactly eleven o'clock and rode his first logo-high wave. Right after the start, he carved into a fast bottom turn, pulled up to the lip and flew over the first close-out section of the wave with an aerial. The landing was super clean and at full speed he set off on a 360, stood it up easily and a short time later he did a taka into the wave front. How many points would he have scored for such a ride in the contest? How focussed and confident do you have to be to do all this on your first wave at an unknown spot? We'll leave that for you to judge because there are no photos of it, as I was still setting up my camera while all this was going on. Jules was also still trimming his sail. We agreed that the ride was actually too good to be true. Five minutes later it was raining cats and dogs and the wind died a quick death.
Of course, we came back in the afternoon after the rain had stopped and the wind had picked up again. But the windswell had destroyed the groundswell a little and the current also made the waves smaller. The boys were still on the water for three hours and Thomas managed a few more 360s - but none of them came close to Thomas' first wave.
Farewell performance in Tofo
The following days brought similar conditions, Tofino remained pale and couldn't even begin to fulfil its world-class potential. Nevertheless, we still managed to get two good sessions: one in Praia da Barra and another in Praia da Tofo. Barra has a large and beautiful white sandy beach that faces north-east. The south wind blows side-offshore and we decided to go into the water in the centre of the bay because it was strongest there. At high tide, the windswell formed a nice wave over the sandbanks and I could see that the boys were really enjoying themselves. However, I have to admit that I was a little envious behind the camera as these were exactly the conditions I would love to surf in myself. But what I was able to capture with the camera made up for the mental pain.
The kids on the beach said goodbye to us without asking for presents. They can stay in their paradise."
In Tofo, we gave something of a farewell performance. It is the real tourist beach in the area and is lined with lodges and hotels. An art market and many restaurants serving local delicacies are just a stone's throw away. We enjoyed the live concerts and good conversations with local and travelling surfers over a few beers several times on our trip. At low tide, a very clean right-hand wave forms, which the guys decorated with goiters and fat aerials. On the way back to the car, we were surrounded by local surfer kids who eyed our equipment and offered us bags of cashew nuts or homemade donuts in the shape of shells. Like every day, we bought them a few little things to make them happy. When we told them that this was our last day here, they said goodbye with a handshake without asking for any small farewell gifts. After all our experiences, I had the feeling that they were the ones who were allowed to stay in paradise.
Epilogue
Here we are on the road to Johannesburg, where we had hired our car. Behind us lies the filthy hellhole of Maputo with its illegal rubbish dumps. In South Africa, you feel like you're back in the modern world, with tarred, marked roads and traffic signs. We cruise along a beautiful river through a valley full of orange trees. A relaxed drive after twelve hours of constantly dodging potholes, pedestrians, bullock carts and, worst of all, unlit cars in the middle of the night in Mozambique. "Even though we didn't experience Tofino in top form, it was a great trip. The waves are just a bonus. I like the random experiences between windsurfing sessions," says Thomas as he drives. "Do you mean the farewell party yesterday?" Jules says with a grin. "Yes, too, but actually I remember more the whales jumping around in front of us, the monkeys along the road, the endless savannah with its millions of coconut and mango trees and the men playing guitar in front of their huts." "While their women walked barefoot through the bush with their babies on their chests and a tub of water on their heads," I add. "It's this timeless image of Africa that still lives on in Mozambique that I like so much." "Yes, when you see it and realise it. But if you spend all day on Facebook... But no, Jules is far from the most social media addict I've travelled with recently," I placate before Jules can reply. "Facebook is just a symbol of the main problem that has been spreading in pro windsurfing over the last ten years. It's become self-centred and parasitic, completely detached from the environment it relies on, the people who live in the remote spots."
The guys travelling to Indo, Cape Town or Chile should focus less on social media and more on the nature that surrounds them."
"Give me an example," Thomas demands. "Okay: The first question most professionals ask nowadays when I plan a trip with them is: How long does the transfer from the airport to the spot take? That's just a shame, because it's the unplanned moments and experiences that give a trip the right depth." "You mean the guys travelling to Indo, Cape Town or Chile should focus less on social media, burgers, Coca Cola and TV and more on meeting new people, understanding the culture and the nature that surrounds them?" "Exactly!" I reply. "But as a professional, shouldn't I do what I'm paid to do, stay in touch with the windsurfing scene and keep my fans up to date wherever I am?" tackles Jules. "For what?" asks Thomas, "It won't make you a world champion or make you happier."
"Hey guys, listen to what I just read. The words come from a wise surfer called Mark Renneker: 'You're only completely free when you don't have to show off to anyone and no longer have any expectations of yourself'." Jules puts down his smartphone and looks out of the car window at the mountains.
This article first appeared in surf 9/2016
