High Life A WEEKLY FORUM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS : Surfing Right Across the French West Indies

The waves looked the same, but their location was quite different for the 14 high school surfers and body boarders who hit the beaches of the French West Indies over winter vacation.

Through the cooperative efforts of the International Surfing Assn., Sports America and the nonprofit Kalos Kagathos Foundation of Laguna Beach, the teen-age water enthusiasts visited the islands of Saint Barthelemy and Guadeloupe as part of a cultural and instructional exchange program.

The teens, including freshman Josh Vesque and juniors Michelle Wilkins and Sky Weaver from San Clemente High School, stayed with host families and competed against the islands’ surf teams, both of which are affiliated with the French National team.

Bruce S. Hopping, Laguna Beach resident and founder of Kalos Kagathos in 1956, said the purposes of the trip he helped to organize and went on were to make water sports more visible throughout the world and “to help establish relations between the young people of the United States and their foreign counterparts.”

The following are excerpts from a diary kept by Wilkins, who made a similar trip with her peers and Hopping to the Cook Islands in 1989.

Dec. 22: Our adventure to the French West Indies began on a disappointing note, brought on by delayed and unconfirmed flights and our team of 14 being split into three groups.

Three hours after we arrived in Puerto Rico, a third of our team was directed to a nine-passenger plane destined for Saint Barthelemy.

Because of heavy winds, we failed in two landing attempts. These strong gusts whipped our tiny plane, and the pilot chose instead to land at nearby St. Martin.

At the airport, we boarded a taxi bus that took us to a primitive yet clean motel off the main road.

Dec. 23: Our group took the first plane out to Saint Barthelemy. As we neared the tropical island, I could see the white beaches, the few narrow roads and the unbelievably deep turquoise shade of the surrounding water.

I was to stay at a cute little beach house right on the sand.

We ate lunch with Saint Barthelemy’s mayor and some of the locals, who put on a meal of blood pudding sausage (which I didn’t eat), other meats and vegetables. The people were very friendly and welcomed us with kindness.

Dec. 24: I awoke at 6:30, eager to surf. We drove to a local spot called Point Milou. I was a little hesitant because to get into the water, you had to jump off a broken jetty, synchronizing your jump so you wouldn’t get knocked into the rocks by oncoming waves.

Dec. 25: I woke up this morning and had forgotten it was Christmas until my friend reminded me. My present was another great day of surfing.

As I drove to the beach, I saw someone dressed as Santa Claus with a parachute jump out of a helicopter.

Dec. 26: I woke up before it was light to surf with a friend. We paddled out in the dark and watched the sunrise from the water. It was pretty to see the water and clouds change colors.

Dec. 27: I went surfing at a spot called Point Toiny. I had to walk through a jungle to reach the beach, but the waves were good. However, the crowd of 15 surfers reminded me of having to fight for waves back home.

Dec. 28: Today, I moved in with a French family, which I was happy about since I could learn a little French and also absorb the culture.

Dec. 29: Today we met at Point Toiny for our surf competition, but it was windy and at one point began to rain. It was strange to be in stormy weather and not feel cold. After the wind calmed, the waves took excellent shape.

The team from Saint Barthelemy had no girls, so Erika Shanahan (the other girl on our team) and I surfed against the boys. Neither of us advanced past the first round.

The contest ran all day, and we won.

Dec. 30: We had to bring our surfboards to the airport at 8 this morning so there was no surfing at all today.

The 50-minute charter flight to Guadeloupe went by quickly. Looking down on the island, it appeared to be several times larger than Saint Barthelemy.

Dec. 31: Three teammates and I checked out the surf spots close to our hotel. The waves looked pretty small, so we decided to go grocery shopping instead.

Later, I paddled out to a break on the reef. It was a little scary because the bottom of my surfboard hit coral on the way out.

After dinner, five of us decided to go to a restaurant where a reggae band was playing for New Year’s Eve. Right at midnight, about half our team arrived at the restaurant.

Jan. 1: After breakfast, we decided to spend the day searching for good waves. First we drove through miles of sugar-cane fields to the east end of the island. Many of the homes we passed were in run-down condition. Last year’s devastating hurricane Hugo had left its mark.

Jan. 2: It was a beautiful, sunny morning as we rode in search of waves. From out of nowhere, however, huge, black clouds appeared and it began to pour. The rain lasted only a short while, followed by a beautiful rainbow. This happened many times throughout the day.

Jan. 3: We were going to surf at Le Moule, the site of our next contest, but the waves weren’t very good. Instead, we decided to explore the other side of the island.

The 50-minute drive into the mountains was exhilarating. The winding road elevated through ferns, trees and other green plants.

Jan. 4: We surfed all day to prepare for our contest tomorrow. The waves were very choppy but quite big, and it was so strange to come in from the water to see cows and goats grazing on the beach.

Jan. 5: The surf competition against the Guadeloupe team began today at Le Moule. Three rounds would determine the winning team and a fourth would decide the top individuals.

I went into my first-round heat in the right frame of mind. I knew that for my team to win this round, I must take first place. That thinking helped me to surf well and I won.

The first round and part of the second lasted all day, so we were exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel.

Jan. 6: The contest began again early this morning and I was in the first heat of the day. I didn’t catch the minimum of four waves and placed third. We lost the second round and got defensive about it.

Many of us believed the judging system was not fair, but it’s always easy to find excuses for losing. Our team was also at a disadvantage because of the age difference. All our members are under 18, and most of theirs are in their 20s.

We also lost the third round, though the judging had improved. I surfed one more heat and placed second, so I qualified for the finals.

There were quite a few spectators on hand, but I didn’t let the crowd affect my concentration. I had to surf a 20-minute, woman-vs.-woman heat in the finals against a 23-year-old. I started out with two good waves and felt confident, but my third wave was a disaster. I fell and swallowed a lot of water.

The waves that crashed down on me were pretty big. I was relieved when I saw one of the Guadeloupe coaches paddling out to help me. It took 10 minutes to get back to shore, but by then, the heat was over. I was upset that I didn’t have time to catch any more waves, but I was glad that I was OK.

Our team ended up losing, but we all had fun competing. At the awards banquet that followed, I talked with some of the Guadeloupe kids and thanked them for their hospitality because tomorrow morning we would be leaving.

Jan. 7: I awoke early to catch the plane back to Los Angeles. Although I had experienced a fun and educational trip, I was ready to go home. It’s good to travel to learn and appreciate what you have, but it is always comforting to have somewhere you call home.