Thurso East (alternatively, the North Shore) is a coastline section of the Atlantic 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of Thurso, [1] Caithness, northern Scotland. [2] It is situated at the mouth of the River Thurso, overlooked by the remains of Thurso Castle. The reef is made of layers of Caithness flagstone (the same stone that paves the Strand and much of Paris). It is Scotland's prime surfing venue on the north coast.
Thurso East is a fast reef break and has hosted many international competitions. [3] The reef holds swell from 2 feet (0.61 m) upwards of 15 feet (4.6 m) and is primarily a long walling right-hander [4] with several barrel sections depending on tide and swell direction. Thurso East came into the spotlight in 2006 when it was used to host the inaugural O'Neill Highland Open WQS surfing competition. [5] The event was won by British surfer Russell Winter. From 2006 to 2011 O’Neill sponsored an international surf contest at this location which was latterly called the Coldwater Classic and the event regularly attracted big name surfers. [6] In 2012 O'Neill announced that it wouldn't be renewing their sponsorship deal, in order to direct resources elsewhere. [7]
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer, uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable for surfing are primarily found on ocean shores, but can also be found in standing waves in the open ocean, in lakes, in rivers in the form of a tidal bore, or in wave pools.
Thurso is a town and former burgh on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. Situated in the historical County of Caithness, it is the northernmost town on the island of Great Britain. From a latitudal standpoint, Thurso is located further north than the southernmost point of Norway and in addition lies more than 500 miles (800 km) north of London.
Robert Kelly Slater is an American professional surfer, best known for being crowned World Surf League champion a record 11 times. Slater is widely regarded as the greatest professional surfer of all time. Slater is also the oldest surfer still active on the World Surf League.
Caithness is a historic county, registration county and lieutenancy area of Scotland.
Laird John Hamilton is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model and actor. He is married to Gabrielle Reece, a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model.
Reay is a village which has grown around Sandside Bay on the north coast of the Highland council area of Scotland. It is within the historic Parish of Reay and the historic county of Caithness.
The Banzai Pipeline, or simply Pipeline or Pipe, is a surf reef break located in Hawaii, off Ehukai Beach Park in Pupukea on O'ahu's North Shore. A reef break is an area in the ocean where waves start to break once they reach the shallows of a reef. Pipeline is known for huge waves that break in shallow water just above a sharp and cavernous reef, forming large, hollow, thick curls of water that surfers can tube ride. There are three reefs at Pipeline in progressively deeper water farther out to sea that activate according to the increasing size of approaching ocean swells.
Cortes Bank is a shallow seamount in the North Pacific Ocean. It is 96 miles southwest of San Pedro, Los Angeles, 111 miles west of Point Loma, San Diego, and 47 miles southwest of San Clemente Island in Los Angeles County. It is considered the outermost feature in California's Channel Islands chain. At various times during geologic history, the bank has been an island, depending on sea level rise and fall. The last time it was a substantial island was around 10,000 years ago during the last ice age. It is possible that this island was visited by the first human inhabitants of the Channel Islands, most notably San Clemente Island, whose seafaring residents would have been able to see the island from high elevations on clear days.
G-Land, also known as Plengkung Beach, is an internationally renowned surf break on Grajagan Bay, Banyuwangi, Alas Purwo National Park, East Java, Indonesia, about half a day by road from the popular tourist destinations of Bali. It is most commonly reached via boat charter from Bali.
Bobby Martinez is a professional surfer from Santa Barbara, California.
Steamer Lane is a famous surfing location in Santa Cruz, California. It is just off a point on the side of cliffs in the West Cliff residential area near downtown Santa Cruz, providing easy access and a good vantage point for viewing. The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum is housed in a lighthouse there. "Steamer Lane" is the preferred form of the name used by the people surfing there. Steamer Lane was named by Claude Horan while he was a student at San Jose State in the late 1930s. One flat calm day he and his friend Wes Hammond thought it would be a good idea to hire steamships to cruise back and forth to generate waves for surfing. It was at Steamer Lane that the modern surfing wetsuit and the leash were mainly developed by Jack O'Neill, who had his surf shop nearby for many years.
A surf break is a permanent obstruction such as a coral reef, rock, shoal, or headland that causes a wave to break, forming a barreling wave or other wave that can be surfed, before it eventually collapses. The topography of the seabed determines the shape of the wave and type of break. Since shoals can change size and location, affecting the break, it takes commitment and skill to find good breaks. Some surf breaks are quite dangerous, since the surfer can collide with a reef or rocks below the water.
Christiaan "Otter" Bailey, is an American professional surfer, known for his experience as a surf safari guide and skill as a big wave surfer and skateboarder.
Teahupoʻo is a village on the southwestern coast of the island of Tahiti, French Polynesia, in the southern Pacific Ocean.
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oʻahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oʻahu between Kaʻena Point and Kahuku. The largest settlement is Haleʻiwa.
Turkey offers warm and transparent waves of Mediterranean on the south as well as wind swells of Black Sea on the north. The wave period is shorter than the ocean waves but can reach up to periods of 11-12 second swells although the average swell period is 6–7 seconds.
Uluwatu is a region on the south-western tip of the Bukit Peninsula of Bali, Indonesia. It is home to the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple.
Thurso Castle is a ruined 19th-century castle, located in Thurso, Caithness, in the Scottish Highlands. Situated in Thurso East, off Castletown Road, east of the River Thurso, the site can be seen from across the river. The current castle ruins date to 1872; A large part was demolished in 1952, although there has been a fortress here since the 12th century. Part of the castle is still habitable and remains a home of the Viscounts Thurso.
Auld St Peter's Kirk is a ruined parish church on Wilson Lane, in Thurso, Caithness, Scotland. Dedicated to Saint Peter, it dates to at least 1125, and at one time was the principal church for the county, administered by the Bishops of Caithness. It became a scheduled monument in 1929 and from 1975 until 2016 it was also a Category A listed building.
Surfing in the United States is a popular hobby in coastal areas, and more recently due to the invention of wave pools, inland regions of the country. It contributes to a lifestyle and culture in which millions participate and which millions more have an interest. USA surfing is the governing body for the sport of surfing in the United States, with surf leagues such as the World Surf League available in the country. Surfing can be traced back to 17th Century Hawaii and has evolved over time into the professional sport it is today, with surfing being included for the first time in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Coordinates: 58°35′57″N3°30′37″W / 58.59917°N 3.51028°W
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