Words & Photos  John Carter

There have been a few exceptional windsurfing sessions that I have been fortunate enough to photograph that will stick in my mind for years to come and the last day of my recent trip to Mauritius was certainly one of them. The famous writer Mark Twain once wrote “Mauritius was made first and then heaven; and that heaven was copied after Mauritius” and he certainly was not wrong.

“ This windsurfing slice of heaven really does have conditions to suit every level of sailor and all disciplines ”
^{John Carter}

Right from the day I arrived on this beautiful island, a sizeable long period swell was looming which was setting up to hit on the last day of my trip. Sure enough, the Southern Indian Ocean waves hit full power and my final afternoon was a story in itself, but prior to that, this incredible location provided plenty of other amazing experiences that made this trip truly one to remember.

REWIND

I had visited Mauritius once before way back in 2006 along with Nik Baker and the ‘Moreno’ twins. I vowed that someday I would try to make it back. Without doubt, the most vivid memory that stuck with me from this stunning island was the notorious ‘One Eye’, a beast of a reef break, heavy and offshore with all sorts of nasty consequences on any sizeable Indian Ocean swell. Aside from this mind blowing wave, there was so much more to this stunning water sports playground at the south tip of Mauritius; this windsurfing slice of heaven really does have conditions to suit every level of sailor and all disciplines.

LAST MINUTE

A decade later, just when I least expected it, I received a message from Karin Gertenbach from Fanatic with sad news that their photographer for their annual dealer meeting had to cancel and was I available? Hmmm, the news was not quite so sad for me, although it was kind of a tough decision to make since the dates were sandwiched between PWA events in Germany and France, which would mean no time at home. However the allure of revisiting this Indian Ocean Island with a monster swell forecast was enough to sway my decision. In order to seal the deal, my wife, Suzanne, managed to manoeuvre her way into the equation and join me on the trip.  Tickets were £880 a pop with Emirates from London to Mauritius via Dubai, with two six hour legs on comfy Airbus A380’s divided by a three hour stopover which at least allowed us to stretch out between the long haul flights and the wife to empty out half my bank balance in the fancy shops at the airport. We heard many of the guests at the dealer conference had flown in from the UK direct with Air Mauritius, with not so favourable reports of cramped seats and ancient in-flight entertainment systems.

“ The main channel was closing out; we were not sure if a boat could even make it to the outside to shoot from ”
 ^{Klaas Voget}

RIU AND CLUB ION

The Riu Resort, which is actually three adjacent hotels, is home to the new ION Club (formally Club Mistral) and was undoubtedly the best place to stay. En-route we were treated to a decent tour of the Island with the transfer taking just over an hour from the airport. Once you arrive at the Riu, there really is very little reason to leave, since it is located in one of the most beautiful spots on the island and also slap bang, right in front of one of the world’s most incredible windsurfing playgrounds. The ION club is literally a stone’s throw from the water’s edge and is well stocked with North sails, Fanatic boards plus SUP and kite equipment. The spot enjoys wind and waves all year round with the premium window being between July and September when the south easterly trades are most consistent. The centre also boasts two safety boats which are imperative in this area since all the water from the lagoon has to drain out somewhere and any equipment breakages at Manawa are quite a long way offshore. The beauty of Le Morne is that one group can be blasting or freestyling in the safety of the inside lagoon while more advanced parties can head out to two different reef breaks, both with new challenges and equally fun to ride.

I asked German windsurfing legend Klaas Voget for his opinion on the conditions at Le Morne:  “Mauritius is amazing! If you wanted to sketch the ultimate windsurfing location, you’d probably end up drawing something very similar to the lagoon of Le Morne with all the different waves around it. Flatwater on the inside, leading into an intermediate level reef for jumping and small wave rides (Middle Reef). On the outside a side shore wave that is like an opposite wind version of Ho’okipa without rocks (Manawa). Then on the other side, a super-fast wave (One Eye) with cross offshore winds; perfect for huge aerials. All that, with temperatures similar to Hawaii and in crystal clear water; I don’t think there is any other windsurfing location in the world that combines so many aspects”

ISLAND STYLE

Once settled in to our room at the Riu we immediately acclimatized into the rhythm of staying at Le Morne. In the morning the day starts calm, so paddle boarding and surfing are popular for those that are keen to rise early and take advantage of the glassy water. The resort has a boat that departs at first light to take surfers to the outer reef, while for the SUP guys it’s an easy paddle to the middle reef from the ION centre. After a chilled breakfast, the wind slowly fills in and it is time for the windsurfers and kiters to hit the water for the rest of the day. The hotel has an amazing pool out of the wind which was perfect for Suzanne, although I managed to persuade her to join me on the photo boat a couple of times so she too could enjoy the action from close quarters and savour the amazing views of Le Morne from the water.  The wind generally starts to fade around an hour before sunset at 5pm which is the ideal opportunity to return to the beach and enjoy a sundowner while watching the sun dip down on the Indian Ocean.

“ I had this inner urge to go. I wanted to ride one of those beauties, be part of this spectacle of nature ”
 ^{Uli Hölzl}

THE CREW

Joining us at the Fanatic Dealer meeting was no other than ex PWA world wave champion Victor Fernandez, six times freestyle world champion Gollito Estredo, the UK’s most successful wave sailor Nik Baker, the German big wave and gnarly conditions specialist Klaas Voget and Fanatic’s crazy all round waterman Airton Cozzolino. Also on the island was Austrian big wave charger Uli Hölzl who had heard about the big swell hitting and had extended her ticket to hopefully charge One Eye in mast to double mast high conditions…fair play!

Sure enough the reliable Mauritius trades and constant Indian Ocean swells delivered the goods as all the dealers and pros feasted on the conditions out in front of the hotel. Nik Baker was having an amazing trip with his group of UK dealers out on the water from dawn ‘til dusk with the added bonus of all-inclusive drinks in the bar to top off the evenings. I couldn’t help noticing every guest was smiling ear to ear once off the water. Looking at rainbows in the spray and incredibly lush mountains in the background from the boat in Manawa it was not hard to figure out why!

Gollito and Airton were also having a blast on the inside and at middle reef freestyling and kiting alongside each other and fooling around swapping over gear in the evenings. Once Gollito is in his element there is no stopping him on the water, of course he is an amazing talent but as one of the world’s greatest freestyler’s, he is also an amazing entertainer and loves to show off for the crowds. Not only could he strut his stuff just a few feet from the beach on the inside, the first reef was well within range for him to bust out some ridiculous air moves that had everyone on the shore hooting and hollering.

EPIC SESSIONS

There were plenty of incredible evening sessions at Manawa to be savoured. During the day the reef can become slightly overloaded with kiters and wave sailors all hungry for a slice of the action but after five, we hired our own personal safety boat and scored the break with a handful of riders just as the wind flicked a tad offshore and the light was at its best. Craig Gertenbach from Fanatic was a stand-out, screaming as he kicked out of mast high bombs, trading waves with his team and definitely enjoying this rare escape from his normal office grind back in Germany!
A DAY TO REMEMBER!

As the days progressed, the big forecast for my final day was holding firm. I was already apprehensive about heading out at One Eye, since the last time I was on the island there was a 5m swell at 20 seconds and it was un-sailable, too big, too much water and no way out for the safety boats. This time round a 4m at 17 second swell was on the menu so I was crossing my fingers that this swell would not close out the channel. My transfer from the hotel to the airport was at 6pm so I already knew I’d be cutting it fine if I was going to be out in a boat at One Eye anywhere past five! The last morning finally arrived and when I peeled back the curtains to check the ocean all I could make out was one huge line of white water closing out the horizon; yep it was massive! As the day progressed it was soon obvious that the conditions were maxed out and all of the guests were advised not to sail out to the reefs. We eventually found a boat driver possibly willing to venture out, but he wanted to assess the conditions in the afternoon to check if the swell was still rising and if the channel was negotiable. Even the thought of being in a boat in these seas was pretty nerve racking, any mistake from the driver and no bones about it we would be in a world of trouble once anywhere near the entrance to the channel. If you ever see an aerial shot of Le Morne it is easy to see the way all the water from the lagoon exits through this channel, especially on a big day and once outside the reef the wind blows offshore along with the currents. Klaas was adamant that he was up for a session, although Victor was looking slightly apprehensive, especially considering his world title campaign would be on the line a few days later in Crozon.

Around 1.30pm, I spotted a lone sail heading out through the Manawa channel and it turned out to be Uli, venturing out to meet a Russian sailor who had hired his own personal safety boat for a session at One Eye. Seeing Uli disappearing through these huge swells in the channel put a real scale on the size of the waves out there and now my nerves were really tingling at the thought of our upcoming boat ride.

At 2.30pm myself and video cameraman Manu, were in the boat both feeling kind of anxious at what we were about to let ourselves in for. Manu had even brought fins with him just in case the boat would flip which was not exactly reassuring! Looking back at the shore I waved goodbye to Suzanne wondering if I would make it back in to catch our transfer to the airport in less than 3 hours. The sensible decision was to wait for tomorrow when One Eye would most likely be mast high and perfect but for me there was ‘no tomorrow’, it was ‘now or never’ and I was totally committed to this adventure. On the beach, Klaas was rigged and headed out whilst Victor had chosen wisely to not risk his title race and opted to sail on the inside reef instead. Five minutes later we were blasting full speed between the swells at the entrance to the channel. From the beach Suzanne had watched us disappear between the huge waves and was seriously concerned that the boat had no chance to make it through the mountains of white water. Luckily the boat driver was incredibly skilled and knew exactly how to navigate through the closed out reef pass. We had one or two moments where I just held my breath as we inched over mast high breaking waves, but all of a sudden we were out into open water and heading around towards One Eye. Now for the next mission, to somehow be in the right place at the right time to shoot Klaas and Uli riding one of these monsters. Out in the line up, the volume and length of the swells were like nothing I have experienced before. Some of the lumps were twenty metres thick and about two hundred metres long as they pulsed through the water towards the reef. By this time Uli was out on her own since the Russian guy had reportedly been crushed by a double mast high close out!

Upwind we were keeping an eye that Klaas would make it out since, the wind looked pretty light as he headed through the channel. Finally we spotted his sail emerge from the chaos and I heaved a sigh of relief that we would not have to head back and attempt some kind of crazy rescue mission. Joining us for the session was Airton, easy to spot with his Red Bull endorsed North kite. I heard he is one of the craziest guys in hollow big waves and this ex kite wave world champion certainly did not disappoint. Over now to Klaas and Uli for their recollections of this crazy session, trading mast to double mast high barrelling bombs outside the safety zone of the Le Morne lagoon.
KLAAS VOGET

“When I first saw the charts I was always trying to compare it to the last huge swell I rode in Mauritius back in June 2014. I had scored a massive day at One Eye which was pretty solid but when this one finally hit this year, it was way bigger! The main channel was closing out; we were not sure if a boat could even make it to the outside to shoot from and if we would have a backup in case things go wrong. We checked with one of the most experienced boat drivers if he’d even try to go out and he said he would have to check the conditions around lunchtime. Before our driver showed up, Max Matissek told me he watched a Russian windsurfer try to sail One Eye. He had a boat there, which was positive news, but Max also told me he watched him getting beaten up by an over double mast high wave which destroyed all of his gear.

At 2:30 our boat arrived and the captain seemed positive about the channel. Manu and JC, both looking pale, jumped on with their gear and started to make their way out through Manawa, which was a bit messy with over mast high waves breaking all over the place. I sailed out next to the boat and had OK power in my 5.0, but once I made it into the current of the channel the wind in my sail was minimal and I was just floating and hoping for the best. The boat pressed over towards One Eye during a quiet moment, leaving me drifting in the channel. Luckily I made it without getting trapped by one of the freak sets that suddenly appear and break as a massive peak against the current.

About 10 mins later I found myself in between massive walls of water with a few kites and one other windsurfer; Uli Hölzl. The fearless Austrian world traveller made her way out under the backup of the other boat in the line-up and charged down an almost double mast high set right when I arrived. I don’t think I know another female Windsurfer in the world who’d have been out there that day. Uli told me later she was sitting on the beach for about three hours watching the wave before she finally built up the confidence to sail out. She couldn’t really hold back, as she changed her flight ticket and delayed her trip for a full week just for this swell, knowing she’d be missing the PWA Event in France she had signed up for. The smile in her face after the session told me she made the right call!  The wind was not very strong, so I was floating to the outside and waited for quite some time for my first set. On a day like this you don’t want to take a smaller one and get a big surprise after you kick out that the next wave is double the size. Every mistake is most likely the end of the session, as you are likely to be beaten into the reef with a big chance of destroying your gear. The current inside the lagoon is so strong on the very big days that there’s a high risk you’ll not be able to get back to the beach with a broken rig before getting sucked back out through the big channel.

So with that in mind I took it easy on the first couple of waves, but then wanted more. The wind picked up to planing strength, so I sailed to the boat and rigged my smaller backup sail I had thrown in before the boat took off.

After that I started to feel more and more confident and looked for that big air section but the wave never walled up nicely in front of me, but a couple of late carves more than made up for it. After one of them, the wave suddenly hit a shallow part of the reef and started to throw a big lip, letting me airdrop into the flats. I tried to pass the next section, but One Eye was too fast and decided to eat me. By that time it was almost low tide and the thick lip just pushed me straight into the reef. I managed to protect my head with my arm and got away with reef cuts on elbow, leg, foot, back and my knee.

Two waves later I was comfortably sitting on the dry reef like a turtle on its back with the corals sticking out left and right of me. Thanks to my harness I was almost laughing, finding myself sitting there waiting for the next whitewater to push me into the lagoon. Surprisingly my gear didn’t have a scratch and I managed to get my hands on it, before the current could suck it towards the small channel at the end of the wave. With the dying wind, it took me almost twenty minutes to get back to the beach. Uli took a more comfortable ride back into the lagoon with the boat.

Even though all week, we’d already had epic sessions in logo to mast high, really rippable waves, this session at One Eye will stick with me forever. Being so close to these huge barrels and coming in on one of these massive and fast moving lines is such an intense rush!”

ULI HÖLZL

“I had already spent four weeks on Mauritius, when I saw this huge swell showing up on the forecasts. Until then we had windy conditions, swell wise it was not the best year. So I was definitely waiting for big One Eye, but unfortunately I was supposed to go home on exactly the day the swell was arriving….Klaas Voget was there as well and he had already predicted my response – ‘’Hey Uli, I know you, you will stay here, you just cannot go home with that forecast’’. Well, he was right. I changed my ticket once more!

On that day I was on the beach early. It was huge. Nobody was out there. A lot of dust was in the air from the white-water. The swell was southerly, so One Eye was breaking really nicely. Huge walls, maybe some of them double mast high, breaking fast, rolling perfectly from Chameaux to the little One Eye channel, and not closing out. But getting out there seemed to be the challenge.

The big channel was closed. There was so much water moving, the inside was like a river. Although there was no wind yet, there were whitecaps in the lagoon because of the current. Two local kiters were the first ones heading out. They had the big advantage of being able to go straight over the reef and keep on planing. They looked so tiny on the huge waves!! Although the wave was peeling perfectly, it was clear how fast it was breaking when I saw the kiters just going straight down the line of these huge walls. I was still in doubt about going out. My biggest worry was passing the channel as the sets were breaking so far outside. If I would have had a problem out there, nobody would ever see me to make a rescue possible, nor was I sure if the boats would even make it out there. But as always, I had this inner urge to go. I wanted to ride one of those beauties, be part of this spectacle of nature.

A very good friend of mine, Nick, a local kiter, encouraged me as well. He told me that he would sail out with me and accompany me through the channel, keeping an eye on me. Without him I maybe wouldn´t have gone. I took my biggest sail, 4.7m, to be able to make it through the channel. In the lagoon I was planing well with the 4.7, but in the channel I was only bobbing around due to the strong current. There was so much water moving, and I couldn´t see the horizon with all the white-water and couldn´t tell if I was ok to get past the sets coming in. But now there was only one way to go. My legs were shivering when I passed the most critical corner, so much further outside than normal. There were mountains rolling in. Around the corner the swell was much more organised but the current was still a lot stronger than normal. Even 2 kilometres offshore the water was ‘dirty’ from all the sand being dragged out with the current.

I positioned myself on one of the mountains. I was still full of adrenaline but a lot calmer than on the beach. Unfortunately I was fully overpowered with my sail; the offshore wind accelerating on the huge wall. When I was doing my first bottom turn the wave was starting to build more and more… I felt like I would never reach the bottom speeding down that monster. When I looked down the line I wasn´t able to read the wave and backed out. Safety first!

The dimensions here were totally different.  It took me several waves and a lot of watching until I tuned into it and calmed down a bit. I just rode three waves, but they will always stay in my memory. There was so much energy out there. The detonations and the thunder of the wave breaking behind me was monstrous. But nevertheless, when riding those beauties everything somehow was quiet around me. I was fully in the moment, fully concentrated. Part of the ocean. Part of this energy and the nature. Everybody who was out there was cheering for the other person. The atmosphere was so energized. Days like this are a gift which I will always remember”

UNFINISHED BUSINESS

By 5pm the wind started to fade to less than ten knots which was perfect timing for me because there was no way Manu would have wanted to cut off the session early to give me a lift back to the beach. The ride home was equally thrilling as we flew between the waves at the Manawa reef pass, finally into the safety of the inside lagoon and just in time for me to run to our room, pack and make my transfer to the airport. Like I said at the beginning of this piece, some days in your life will stick in your memory for years to come and this was certainly one of them. The thrill of being out in those waves and watching those huge barrels charge down the reef was so awesome, while at the same time I know I probably didn’t capture the perfect moment on camera that I had hoped for. So once again I have some unfinished business in Mauritius and definitely have it in my list of locations that I’d love to have another shot at some day in the future. In the meantime, I would certainly recommend this amazing location for any level of sailor as a group or family destination. After all, there are not many spots in the world where everyone on a holiday are kept happy all in one place; even my wife loved it!

For more information on Le Morne – see www.ion-club.net.

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