Mundaka "Missing"

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c
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Mundaka "Missing"

Post by c » Mon Jul 04, 2005 5:49 pm

Just read this in a UK paper:

A famous European surfing beach has mysteriously lost its waves, to the consternation of locals and dismay of surfers, who fear that a "wonder of the world" has vanished forever.

Surfers flock in their thousands to Mundaka, on Spain's north Atlantic coast, to master its enormous tube-like roller - a giant often reaching more than 20 feet. Now anyone arriving to catch the "Basque wave" will find themselves riding no more than a ripple.


The surfing World Championship Tour attracts 10,000 surfers to Mundaka

It is, for aficionados of the sport, as if a Formula One racing track had disappeared into thin air. The wave suddenly went missing in the spring, provoking bewilderment in the town, and fears that it will soon wave goodbye to its tourist industry.

The Basque government has dispatched scientists and academics to find a solution. The wave's disappearance is a huge blow to surfing's World Championship Tour, which must now find a way of bringing the wave back before Mundaka hosts a competition that attracts 10,000 surfers.

The town is divided over the cause of the conundrum. Some blame the local authorities sanctioning dredging along the coast to make easier access for shipping, and shifting sand banks near the mouth of the local estuary. Others believe the forces of nature are responsible, such as the Boxing Day tsunami in Asia.

Two decades ago an Australian, Craig Sage, now 47, "discovered" the Mundaka wave, which rushed in from far out at sea, giving a magnificent run. He pioneered the trade that put Europe on the international surfing map, and runs a local surf shop. "Mundaka is the symbol of surfing in Europe," he said.

"If we lose it, it will be like losing part of our soul. Mundaka should be marked as a wonder of the world. There are only 12 or so surfing spots like it. That is why we cannot sit back and do nothing."

The town's bars have already noticed a slump, as surfers abandon the beauty of the Spanish Basque coast in favour of areas closer to Biarritz in France.

The region's Surfing Foundation, a school for the sport, is also braced for disaster. Last week it called for action against dredging. A government commission has promised to publish a report in September "recommending action to be taken to restore the natural system, and so, the wave".

"So far there has been a positive evolution in conditions that looks set to regenerate the wave," it added.

But, seen from the shore, the little waves breaking in the estuary do not look promising.

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macca202
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Post by macca202 » Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:12 pm

something very sus about that story.

i did a google and found this pic. do you notice anything unusual about the cleavage of the girl on the right? (i think its Samantha Cornish)
http://64.78.63.45/photos/maui03/winner ... aren_l.jpg

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loco4olas
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Post by loco4olas » Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:17 pm

I hope this is a hoax-I haven't been there for years (83') but had epic waves there for days camping out nearby quaffing sangria and chomping cheese and baguettes (being mistaken for bastard English and protesting innocence-time of the Falklands War and of course the Spanish had even yet another reason to deepen their dislike of the English)-very light crowds at that time too-just weren't that many surfers around there then.

Maybe it'll work out like Kirra and the Superbank-some other wave will appear nearby even better-and covered by manic wave hungry Queenslanders.

Matt

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Post by Johnno » Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:28 pm

Immmmmmmm

Link below is swell forecast for the next 6 days. Today its 2.2m at 9 sec from the N/E

http://www.surf-forecast.com/breaks/Mundaka.4to6.shtml

Oh and check this link out :shock: :lol:

http://www.surfingireland.net/phpBB2/vi ... php?t=1450&

Don's getting around :wink:
Last edited by Johnno on Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

dan
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Post by dan » Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:29 pm

I'd laugh if the superbank dissappeared.... actually no I wouldn't.

The flow-on effect could be quite nasty. Imagine 100-500 people at any given time crowding other spots in the goldy. Burleigh, Kirra & the Alley would become even more crowded (I guess it's possible). This chain reaction would encourage people to go on more surf trips to escape the crowds, thus encroaching on even more surf spots.

The greater number of surf spots the better!

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One Mile Point
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Post by One Mile Point » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:52 pm

dan wrote:This chain reaction would encourage people to go on more surf trips to escape the crowds, thus encroaching on even more surf spots
meaning they would come south

dan
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Post by dan » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:07 pm

yeh and no doubt they'd be invading straddie and noosa more than they currently do. Bloddy queenslanders :p

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One Mile Point
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Post by One Mile Point » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:51 pm

is it because of lack of swell or sand dredging i dont see how sand dredging cause 1foot dribble?

Nick Carroll
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Post by Nick Carroll » Tue Jul 05, 2005 10:41 am

My finely honed media nose detects the reek of a ferocious Beat-up.

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Meataxe
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Post by Meataxe » Tue Jul 05, 2005 2:04 pm


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plan b
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Post by plan b » Thu Jul 07, 2005 9:59 am

i haven't been to manduka, but i was in the south of france (lafitenya, barritz, hossegor etc) in january, and damn they get the biggest swells i have ever seen. Got some pics of 25ft tow ins at hossegor, and perfect (8 -10ft) lafitenya with 4 dudes out riding this monster point break all the way into the beach.

how do i post pics ?
Last edited by plan b on Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:44 am, edited 1 time in total.

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plan b
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Post by plan b » Thu Jul 07, 2005 10:42 am

cool, thanks

hope this works

the first two are of a friend sebastian st jean towing in at hossegor

the 3rd shot is at lafitenia

Image

Image

Image

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macca202
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Post by macca202 » Thu Jul 07, 2005 11:03 am

plan b wrote:cool, thanks

hope this works

the first two are of a friend sebastian st jean towing in at hossegor

the 3rd shot is at lafitenia
no probs :lol:

if your talking the size of the face of the wave, i wouldn't even call that 3rd pic 8-10ft face, but i guess i wasn't there.
Wheres the jetski in the first pics?

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plan b
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Post by plan b » Thu Jul 07, 2005 11:18 am

macca202 wrote:
plan b wrote:cool, thanks

hope this works

the first two are of a friend sebastian st jean towing in at hossegor

the 3rd shot is at lafitenia
no probs :lol:

if your talking the size of the face of the wave, i wouldn't even call that 3rd pic 8-10ft face, but i guess i wasn't there.
Wheres the jetski in the first pics?
i agree, the third pic does not do the general conditions that day justice, but its one of the only shots i got at lafitenia that day.

the jet ski is behing the face of the wave, they pull off over the top

Laurie McGinness
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Post by Laurie McGinness » Thu Jul 07, 2005 12:31 pm

Surfline are reporting the Mundaka story so there might be something in it.

http://www.surfline.com/surfnews/2006_07_06_mundaka.cfm

surfspert
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Great surf spot

Post by surfspert » Fri Mar 24, 2006 3:40 am

Mundaka is a great spot,

I have seen it at 15 ft on a really big swell. The swell the next day was ever bigger but the spot couldn't hold it and it was just white water.

The biggest the wave can ever get is fifteen feet.

I have been all over the world and this is one of the best breaks I have surfed.

Bit of a shame it never can go any bigger than fifteen foot.

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