Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Years later at about 11 or 12 a cousin of mine, neighbour taught how to do it, loaned me his balsa board and stand up surfing became the sport for years to come.

As I finished high school I was sent to Chicago, work and study became priorities, but there a big lake existed, called Michigan and had waves and nice beaches, so surfing them was the alternative of the surfing I use to do here, only with a twist, fresh water.

I came back when I was about 21, brought back my 10 foot Keoki board and started visiting the Peruvian beaches and meeting Peruvian surfers.

Then I realized that Peru had a vast coast, bays, capes, reefs, that the ocean was lively all the time and decided to learn more about it. In my Chevy pick up truck I visited the beaches near by to where I worked, I was working as Jefe de Bahía for a fish meal company, so I had to go to some remote places and waves were always near by.

I wanted to document all that later, so an SLR camera was bought and started shooting surf pictures, since then I have never stopped.

Modern Surfing came to Peru officially in 1942, when Carlos Dogny came back from Hawaii and found Miraflores as the perfect site. But, there are records, that it all started in  1925 in Barranquito by the old baños, photos and an article appeared on a paper of the time called Aire Libre.

By 1949 Waikiki Club was founded by Dogny and the legendary story of surfing in Peru started, first it was the sport of aristocrats, but then in the late 50’s and 60’s every kid that lived near the ocean wanted to surf, by the seventies it was like a national sport, international events and national competitions became popular, by the same time, some local surfboard shapers started making boards and surf shops opened.

In 1962 the Peruvian National Surf Commission was founded by Carlos Rey y Lama, a Waikiki member. The club sponsored all of the surfing events in their until 1972, then in 1985 this Commission turned into Federation. A lot of good things came by and the sport became very popular and grew fast.

In 1984, José Whilar inscribed Peru into the ISA (International Surfing Association),and since then the National Surf Team always assisted to all of the World events, step by step Peru was getting back the recognition lost for the 12 years span since the International World Federation that Peru founded in 1964 was dissolved in 1972.

Peru, has a long and vast competition history that started in 1954, there has been 53 national Championships since that date and about 30 International events also. Peru also did set the basic trends on judging competition surfing, rules that up until today are still used.

In 2004, at the age of 21, and after a long surfing career, she surfed since she was nine, Sofia Mulanovich became World ISA surfing Champion and the same time Professional WCT Surf Champion. Her winnings gave a burst to Peruvian surfing, more young boys and girls got involved in the sport. She will represent us in the WCT (World Cup Tour) event that is going to be held in Máncora this October 30^th.

Peru has a long coast, 3000 kilometres of it, surf spots have been discovered everywhere, from Northern Peru to Tacna, today there are more than 200 breaks and 35,000 surfers from the 50 of the early days.

You have breaks and waves for every type of surfer and level, long hollow ones like Herradura, Cabo Blanco, Puerto Chicama, Pacasmayo and Puerto Caballas, big ones, like Pico Alto, Punta Rocas, Peñascal, Santa Rosa, Roca Jack and an array of mild waves with long sandy beaches. In Peru you can surf every day of the year, the climate is mild and the swells are abundant, about 36 per year (big ones).

Peru is a fantastic surf destination now, there are good hotels in every beach, with nice local restaurants where you can sample the Peruvian sebiche and many other delicious sea food treats.

Sitting on the cliff overlooking the ocean made me feel all of this, as said by many, surf in Peru is as legendary as the Incas, because they too surfed on their reed horses, the Mochicas have huacos and drawings proving this theory.

Where did surfing come from, the coasts of Africa, Hawaii or Perú? It really doesn't matter, the mystery will remain and that is the perfect part of it, the search, the link, surf and the ocean make us alive, it makes me keep surfing.

For more information about the Whilar Surf Academy, click here.

To get the Peru Surf Report subscribe to: jwhilar@speedy.com.pe