Rip off!

I was checking some online shops lately to order a few clothes I still need for Bali. (like rashguards, board shorts and so on) As I was looking through some european stores I realized that everything is insanely expensiv. Billabong board shorts for example cost about 130$/piece here in Switzerland. As I talked to a friend who lives in the US about that, she told me that I should check out some US stores for comparison.

I first doubted that it would make such a big difference (considering that I'd still have to pay shipment fom the US to Switzerland) But when I checked those stores I couldn't belive it! The difference in pricing is just huge! Here are some exapmles:

Billabong T-Shirt: US 20$, CH 60$ (+200%)
Rip Curl board shorts: US 45$, CH 130$ (+ 190%)
Billabong Rash Guard: US 25$, CH 65$ (+ 160%)

The companies are just completly ignoring the fact, that the $ lost so much value over the last few months. What a rip off! From now on I'll just buy all my clothes in the US and have them sent to my by a friend.

I'm sitting at university in Bern right now, listening to some boring lecture about cultural geography. If this room would have any windows I could see the rain fall out of dark grey clouds. It's been pouring down for over two days now and forcast says that it'll be like this all week. How fun it is to get up in the morning...


Oh well, at least I dicovered that in about two weeks the Billabong Pro surfcontest will take place in Tahiti. Last week I've been watching the Quicksilver Pro Durban contest in South Africa. Unfortunatley they didn't get a good swell and therefore only small and unpredictible waves. Won't have that problem in Teahupoo, hehe! Live stream will be availible on www.billabongpro.com starting the 8th Mai.

Getting closer

Wow, only seven weeks left untill I'm leaving for Bali! So much anticipation to finally be surfing again! I just can't wait to leave; right now I don't have anything to hold on here. My love is far away and the only thing that brightens up my mood is when I think about my trip.

Lately I've been thinking a lot about leading a simple life on the beach. I know that this is the dream of many surfers, and it is very, very hard to fulfill. But when I'm done with studying in a few years I just might try to find a way...

The Wedge

Still not much news on my trip to Bali, just have to wait for those last 65 days to pass. I really can't wait to be getting on a surfboard again!!

In the meantime take a look at this freaky wave called "The Wedge". It's not always that big, but when the swell is just right the waves double up and create a monster! (Location is OC California) What impresses me most is that this is a shorebreak. When it brakes the lip of the wave basicly crashes down directly onto the beach. Quite some people already broke their backs there...

Skimming

I came upon an really interesting video today. I would never have thaught that you could actually to that kinda stuff with a skimboard! Check it out:



And whoho, April finally arrived and there are exactly 72 days left untill my plane leaves for Bali! Can't wait!

PS: The song is called "Road to Zion" by Damain Marley