The headlights show me no hope! Only pitch black emptiness lies ahead of me. The sole thought bouncing around in my head is my Chilean friends words: "Take care while driving in Chile; there are many, many roads at cliffs' edges!!! He was the only human being we came across in the three days it took us to cross the Andes mountain chain.
We traveled from Salta, Argentina to Iquique, Chile via a "passage" 5.550 meters above sea level think 3 degrees Celsius in summer, eternal snow on the mountain peaks and basically no roads, no towns or gas stations. A spare gas tank and two spare tires are a must this is the Atacama Desert, the driest place on earth! The rubber of the car windows' seal resembled wood and to climb to such altitude you have to constantly adjust the air entrance of the car's engine's carburetor.
Suddenly, a blow-out on the left-hand side front tire sees our car slide to the side of the road only two wheels remain the paved section of an abandoned highway. Mind you, I'm going down hill, proceeding in a sharp, long descending curve. As I managed to bring our 1978 Ford Berlina station wagon back to the road, the rear of the car (loaded with gear from a two and a half month surf trip throughout the Pacific Coast of South America) slides even more, the vehicle re-entering the road completely sideways!
From that point onwards seconds seemed an eternity! Firstly, the car stayed entirely on its "left tip, practically airborne and then right after, it slammed on its left side busting all windows to then roll over upside down, four wheels up in the air with glass and sparks flying everywhere to add to the surreal-ness taking place in the deep darkness of a desert night! With the wreckage, our spare tire, gas tank and surfboards were also scattered around. We traveled upside down for a good 60 meters, finally coming to a stop on the other side of the road when we hit a big rock.
What happened next is a whole another story for a future Renato Files, but I can tell you that true "Angels" helped us in a way we could never expected. Chilean Angels they were! Six days later, 11 kilos thinner and still in the same car, I made it back to my town in Southern Brazil, my dear Mom started crying as soon as she saw me walking through the door.
The year was 1982. My good friend Osmar and I were on our way back from Peru and Chile and had just surfed a wave on top of the rocks off a little island off the coast of Arica City, just on the border of Chile and Peru. The isla Alacran was pure desert, there was no construction, jetty or lighthouse in sight, and if there were surfers in Chile back in 82, we sure didn't meet any.
So now, 25 years later, I am back in Arica!! And what an amazing return it is! The city has doubled its population from 100,000 to 200,000 inhabitants. It has also rebuilt its entire beach front section, added an airport and is in the process of becoming one of the most famous surfing destinations in this country with some good talented surfers too.
Chile is a unique nation! A 4.300 + km narrow strip of land, never exceeding 350 km wide. It's squeezed between the power of the Pacific Ocean and the beauty of the Andes Mountain chain. Seventeen million people lived in a republic system of great yearly growth that is currently governed by a female president, Michelle Bachelet. The official language is Spanish and eighty percent of the population is catholic. The Peso is the local currency and the exchange rate is around 500 Pesos to 1 US Dollar. It has Argentina, Bolivia and Peru as neighboring countries.
Contrast and diversity characterizes Chile's geography. In the north, the climate is extreme these are the most ardent desert in the world located in the Atacama region. While in the centre and the south of Chile, green and fertile valleys multiply and provide fruits and vegetables for the population and international markets accustomed to Chiles high quality products and famous wines.
The city of Arica sits on the north border next to Peru, region of Tarapaca, some 2200km north of the country's capital, Santiago. The south is most known for its numerous left hand point breaks while the north for the powerful reef breaks. It's no place for beginners. You must know how to surf heavy waves if you come to Chile.
The place of the event, "Ex Isla Alacran," is best known as the "Chilean Pipeline. The left breaks over an under-water canyon demanding a quick take off/pull in technique in order to succeed with a good tube/score. The right hander has a longer wall with an equally nasty tube. Both are dangerous. History dictates that it was first surfed around 1978-79 by an American surfer called Greg, thus the other name of the break: "El Gringo.
This is the third edition of the Rip Curl Search. It started in 2005 in St Leu, Reunion Island, to then go to Huatulco, Mexico and now Arica, Chile. And what a formula it proved to be! Rip Curl's "The Search" campaign suits the spirit of the Foster's ASP World Tour, the so called "Dream Tour," perfectly it adds a spicy component of unknown and surprise for the competitors, media and public alike!
After two years in tropical waters and point break venues, Rip Curl has brought the "Search" to a cold water/heavy peak wave location during its prime winter season la "Marejada de Inbierno - Winter Big Swells"!
As I'm writing these files, we're expecting huge surf for the opening rounds of the event, some saying around the 12 feet plus mark! So after June 20th, stay tune on aspworldtour.com for plenty of action at the Rip Curl Search Chile 2007.
Renato Hickel
Foster's ASP World Tour Manager
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