Blue Orange Green Pink Lilac

Reflections of searching for surf in Russia / In search of Russian wave

October 13

photo source: Surfline.com / Chris Burkard

Surf journalist and writer Michael Kew, who visited Vladivostok Last month together with the surf photographer Chris Burkard and pro-Surfers Mike Losness, Josh Mulcoy, Warren Smith, Cj Kanuha and Sam Hammer and experienced a lot of things in my Hometown (except of surf itself as Mike was in charge of the other things;), has written a story about their surf trip in Vladivostok. For Original English version please check Surfline here. Here comes my translation. But you'd better read the original text!

At Surfline part of the article published 1yu surf journalist and writer Michael Kew of their trip to Vladivostok in search of surf. In the surf trip participants (and otozhgli!) Surf photographer Chris Burkard (Chris Burkard) and pro-surfer Mike Lozness (Mike Losness), Josh Malkov (Josh Mulcoy), Warren Smith (Warren Smith), C-Jay Kanuha ( Cj Kanuha) and Sam Hammer (Sam Hammer). Well, I translated the article and added their comments party events. Although you know that, if read in English, better see the article in the original, my translation has turned out a little too me.

On the banks of vodka
In search of Russian wave
Text: Michael Kew
Photo: Chris Burkard and Michael Kew

"No!" - Tamozhnitsa plump with curly hair, wrinkled her nose and looked sullenly out of the glass booth passport and visa control Vladivostok airport, lifting the opened passport photographer Chris Burkard at eye level. "Bad!" - "She hissed at him, pointing a long red fingernail at the date of its entry Russian visa costs 236 dollars. It seems that the comrades in the United States sealed a date when he should arrive Burkard, so that formally enter to Russia he was supposed to only 2 days.

Shamora Beach. Photo by Chris Burkard http://burkardphoto.com/

Russian voice: Our guards have proved very principled. And vigilance, what can you say - a mistake in the visa did not notice the Consulate General of Russia, nor the firm, the visa nor the airline nor the passport control in the United States, neither Chris, but from the Russian service Zorkaya she hid. 3 o'clock talks with them at the airport gave 0. Rather, it is not 0. And as much as 5 pages of the protocol on "citizen's arrest of Chris Burkard, by negligence of its American trying to cross Russia's border without a valid visa. By the way girls, a protocol, marital status, Chris pointed out as "unmarried". Probably - like them! And Chris - married. Dear our Russian women, who statistics ... But to hell with the statistics. Many of the guards, we felt sorry that it happened, and even asked not to carry guests through the famous city dump on the ermine. We call it simply "hell", because it burns day and night, and even in the rain. And of course there lived mutants. In general, this article is about how well relax and surf in Vladivostok.

(text and many wonder pics below)

Theoretically, Chris should have been sent to Seoul first return flight, departing after 45 minutes. But after 2-hour of fruitless negotiations with the border guards at the airport someone with authority said: "It's time to go" - and as many as 3 armed guards escorted the photographer on the street. Rainy skies hung darkening twilight, exaggerated silhouettes of industrial chimneys, clubs brown haze and ridges of ancient mountains of the Primorsky Territory. Gave the cool air and humidity, with the south-east was a powerful storm with strong wind, but showing the wave.

Russian voice: "Yes, the wind created waves with Valerii we really wanted a ride to the guests along the coast and immediately see what the waves, then ... we just went through the same scrap heap! And what to do, this is where the coastal highway and passes. Unfortunately, the terrible mutants landfill somewhere hiding from the rain, so we did not see.

"Zis big problem Faure S (well you hit)," - pronounced the highest guard, vtolknuv American in a small room for detainees near the airport (we call it simply a "tank" - Russian voice notes), which was a converted hotel room. Musty, too. And the door handles inside were not even. And as much but 5 locks and skeletal key - were. Key disposed hamovaty one-eyed, even to the same and bald, a policeman with a youthful acne on his face. Toilet in the "cell" proceeded, the moisture collected on the cement floor. On the cracked window - grille. And no, you know, room service. Bedding everything in place and with a suspicious odor. The guard shut the door and left.

Russian voice: Prikol - a night in these apartments we still had to pay 900 rubles.:)

After 8 hours, somewhere in the morning, there was a knock. The guard opened the door and pantomime, depicted eating: "Food?" "Yes", - said Burkard, one of his friends taught him a few Russian words before a trip to Russia.

Russian voice: My friend, obviously, was the original sense of humor, taught Chris to say "nada me an enema, in the sense of" Where is your toilet ... Chris, I think so, and did not tell you what it means to "enema", just did not know at the time of such words in English, and then somehow it was not until enemas. But I looked in the dictionary. That word - «enema».

The next few hours an American photographer spent in telephone conversations, trying to resolve the situation with the U.S. Consulate, Korean Airlines, and his faithful wife, who was unable to nothing to help him in California. However, Chris eventually fed. As stated in the original of this text - rather disgusting halophyte with meat and cucumbers.
And the rain was still walking.
After lunch the next day, Chris released and sent back to Seoul, where he spent the night in the sauna at the international airport, returned to Vladivostok through the day and missed most of the waves for our two-week trip through a small mistake in the visa.
Better late than never? "No!

Russian voice: Yes, Russia likes to feel the strength. And more often for some reason - most of his sweetheart. A Russian and she does not first century is experiencing. Chris, after all these inconveniences, Russia still smiled. But this - in the next section.

Gallery by Chris Burkard, Michael Kew, source: http://surfline.com

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10 comments

Dima October 14, 2009
translation and excellent photos and article! in general, is not superfluous to cover surfing and in the eastern part Rosii! Considering that there, although there are resources, but still not as specialized ... (and Bali, and so is nice, but it is not Russia )
Wei Nihao October 15, 2009
I liked it!
Here I suggest - "A money-cho is not given, would not have to fly anywhere?"
Dara October 15, 2009
Thank you!
The answer to the question is encrypted in the phrase of my comments: "Our guards have proved very principled" ...
Wei Nihao October 15, 2009
I understand that visas would not be ... But what chic photo!
CT October 15, 2009
great trip, photos of five points
cool was a trip
Dara October 15, 2009
Oh, glad you're here)
Dara October 15, 2009
Yes, Dim, if you were suddenly moved to Vladivostok, the eastern-Russia surfing would be cool lit:)
Dima October 16, 2009
hm "moved" ... is problematino and then there is the overall picture - when, how often and what waves and waves of desirable photo!
Dima October 16, 2009
By the way, screw the Quote Comments Plugin For Wordpress
Dara October 17, 2009
general, the overall picture is, we have made this trip - even the statistics of typhoons over the past 5 years have risen. Look at wannasurf Russian section - there just upgrade was bound to happen:)