Weblog for the employees, friends and customers of the outdoor clothing company Patagonia. Visit Patagonia.com to see what we do.
Continue reading "Deep Water Video Series – Ocean Adventures with Kohl Christensen" »
Patagonia ambassadors Kohl Christnesen, Jason Slezak and Fletcher Chouinard are down in Chile right now hoping to score south swell and good wind for kiteboarding. Kohl just called in with a surf report:
Listen to Kohl Christensen Chile Phone Report
(mp3 - right-click to download)
We're hoping to hear back from the boys as the swell fills in. If you're a regular reader, you'll remember what happened the last time Kohl lured Fletch down to Chile.
Update: Already received a new photo of Kohl getting ready to go kite. Follow @fcdsurfboards on Twitter and Instagram for more pics as they come in.
[Photos by Rodrigo Farias Moreno (@fariasmoreno)]
Editor's note: When the Patagonia community banged pots and pans in protest of the proposed dams in Chilean Patagonia, a large protest was scheduled to happen at the same time down in Santiago. Patagonia surf ambassador Kohl Christensen – who was visiting Chile for a surf contest – attended the protest and sent along this report with photos from Rodrigo Farias. At the end of this post, we have a new opportunity for you to Take Action against the dams.
Seeing ¡Patagonia Sin Represas! (Patagonia without dams) spray painted above bus stops all around the capital of Santiago gives you an idea of where most Chileans stand on the proposed construction of the five hydroelectric dams that will destroy certain areas of Patagonia. I got invited to the protest that was happening in Santiago and happily agreed to check it out.
[May 19, 2011, Santiago, Chile. Tens of thousands of Chilean citizens who marched in opposition to the proposed construction of five mega-dams in Patagonia's Aysén region. All Photos ©Rodrigo Farias]
Editor's note: The Surfer's Journal subscribers will recognize our ad from the new 20th anniversary issue (Volume 20, Number 1, February-March 2011). Today, Fletcher Chouinard shares a story about the trip he made from California to Chile to ride some of the biggest surf ever at El Buey. Photo: Rodrigo Farias
Saturday
Kohl: "Bru, it's going to be puuummmmpiing! Meet me in Chile!"
Sunday
Kohl: "Looking SICK! I'm in Houston. I'll be there tomorrow. Coooome down!"
A couple weeks ago we told you about Kohl Christensen's win at the Nelscott Reef contest up in Oregon. Here's a video from our current digital surf catalog featuring Kohl and Fletcher Chouinard talking about the shapes they've been working on together, and some time-lapse footage of one of Kohl's boards being built by the crew at FCD surfboards -- a board Kohl says is for "pulling into 20-foot barrels." [Video: Patagonia]
Congratulations go out to Patagonia ambassador and FCD team rider, Kohl Christensen, on his first place finish in the Nelscott Reef Big Wave event. According to event organizers this year's contest took place in the biggest conditions ever surfed at Nelscott Reef.
Stoked for you, brother!
Photo: Tyler Roemer. Hit the jump for more photos from the event.
Continue reading "Kohl Christensen Wins Nelscott Reef 2010 Big Wave Contest" »
[Video: "STANDING - Chile Tsunami Relief Film" by SaveTheWaves via YouTube]
"This tsunami was the biggest wave we've ever surfed but we surfed it together."
–Sergio “Pocha” Salas: surfer, earthquake & tsunami survivor and relief activist, Constitución, Chile.
In a sense, all of us did surf this earthquake and tsunami together. While Pocha and others were in the impact zone, tsunami warnings echoed across the Pacific, and NASA claims that the 8.8 quake literally changed the length of our planet's day. Save The Waves would like to offer our sincere and humble thanks to all who came together in the face of this extraordinary disaster to help with relief efforts – from the international surf, environmental and humanitarian communities, to the Chileans on the ground who lifted themselves up, dusted themselves off and jumped in to help their fellow countrymen and women.
Editor's note: Today's post comes from our friends at Save The Waves Coalition. If you didn't donate to the relief efforts the first time around it's not too late. Help Chile now with a secure donation at savethewaves.org.
Continue reading "Chile Earthquake / Tsunami Video and Thank You from Save The Waves Coalition" »
When Save The Waves Coalition reacted to the recent earthquakes and tsunami in Chile, their first priority was bringing clean drinking water to the more remote areas of the country. That phase is now complete but the larger work is far from over. Read on for an update and a new batch of photos from the devastated VII Región del Biobío. [Chilean family in Licanten, VII Region, in front of what was their house. Their tap water comes out yellow with small bits and dust floating. Now they have filters that provide clean drinking water. Photo: Philip Muller]
March 17, 2010, Pichilemu/Curanipe, Chile – Save The Waves Coalition, operating though a passionate volunteer ground team led by professional surfers Ramon Navarro, Greg Long and Kohl Christensen, completed the first phase of its Chile relief efforts by distributing nearly 1,000 water filters along with other essential supplies to coastal Chile. The water filters, provided by partner nonprofit Waves for Water, are now providing clean drinking water for up to 10,000 Chileans, many of who live in remote coastal areas and were cut off from clean water in the wake of the 8.8-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami on February 27, 2010.
Through national press recognition of the “surfers without surfboards who distribute water filters,” all of Chile is aware of the organization’s relief efforts, and the heartfelt appreciation has been overwhelming. The recognition led to an invitation this week to the home of the US Ambassador to Chile, Paul Simons, to discuss Save The Waves’ relief operations in Chile in the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami.
Recent Comments