Surf Trip along the Southern Coast of Hokkaido

Wave hunting in Hokkaido!

We're driving along this long coastline on a search.

These surf buddies are seeking the perfect waves

created by specific land formations and miraculous timing.

We're off on a surfing trip to find that special moment

when we become one with nature.

Wild Hokkaido!

Facing the Pacific Ocean,

the shoreline on Hokkaido's southern coast

stretches several hundred kilometers.

There are numerous great surfing spots in the area

with nothing blocking the swells from the open sea.

The tide, wind, and the shape of the ocean floor,

when these conditions come together just right,

beautiful, powerful waves ideal for surfing are produced.

Niseko residents Toni and Stu are on a quest

to find such ideal waves.

Toni is a surfing instructor.

This is Toni's regular surfing buddy, Stu.

They use a weather app to find their destination.

Strong swells coming in from the open sea,

with light winds from inland, makes an ideal surf spot.

And the wind will also be...

in that case, the ideal is that it's offshore,

that it's coming from land to sea.

At last, they hit the road.

Will they be able to find their ideal waves?

It has been a long drive since early morning.

They have finally reached one of several surf spots

on the west side of Cape Erimo, protruding into the Pacific.

However, the waves they find there are too small for surfing.

The water here, the whole thing is kind of like...

we call it "choppy," it's broken.

Strong onshore winds break down large swells into smaller waves,

and their power is dispersed.

Since wave conditions on the west side are worse than anticipated,

they decide to search for a spot on the east side of Cape Erimo.

What is it like here?

Big change.

And a little bit more uniform in the way that it's coming.

So when it breaks and then we have a steep face...

and you can see, like, it kind of carries on

and it keeps the shape all the way.

So that's what makes the conditions here better than

what we saw on the other side.

So, we're going to try here.

After a long morning of searching for waves,

the two finally begin paddling out.

(Permission obtained from local community)

Their aim is to ride a wave for as long as possible.

However, the waves are small,

so they aren't able to get the rides they hoped for.

About 40 minutes later...

the two come out of the water.

So when we first came it looked really good, so we got ready and got in.

But then, the conditions changed while we were in the water,

and the tide started filling in,

so there was more water on top of the bottom of the sea.

So the energy couldn't really break as well,

and it was difficult to find the position.

The swells coming in run up against the ocean floor.

Since their forward motion is blocked,

the swells rise upward, and the waves break.

However, when the tide comes in and the water depth increases,

that upward motion weakens, and the waves don't break as easily.

Such waves have less power and are unfit for surfing.

Not even the most seasoned surfers will find the best waves every time.

They must capture the miraculous moments in ever-changing nature.

Surfing is an art of timing.

They continue their search into the night.

Tomorrow, the waves should be more interesting than today.

They should stay for longer,

and with the tide condition and the wind condition,

we're looking at more consistent, ridable waves.

There's going to be stronger, bigger waves, and less wind.

Will they be able to find waves

that will give them longer rides tomorrow?

The next day...

the two decide to check on a point some distance to the north.

The conditions look pretty fun.

Kind of a bit more shallow in a certain place.

So it forces the waves to break, and they run really long.

So I think we're going to try to get out and get some long rides.

With that hope in their hearts, the two set out.

Here comes a good wave!

In order to get the longest ride possible,

he checks his position on the wave and times his start.

He paddles to catch up to the speed of the wave.

He stands up and uses the downward rush to increase his speed.

As the wave moves forward,

the water on the face of the wave rises.

Utilizing that, he gains height.

To extend his ride for as long as possible,

he slides and maneuvers to maintain his momentum.

He can increase his speed where the wave is about to break,

and is able to adjust his position

even if he is separated from that area.

He is always jockeying, like he's dancing with the wave.

Soon, a huge wave approaches.

And he's off!

He makes a sharp bottom turn and turns at the top with a huge splash.

Next, he gets up on the edge of a breaking wave.

He turns again and again, extending his ride as long as possible.

That was his longest ride of the day.

That is the best wave I had for the last couple of days.

It had the best feeling.

From the takeoff, it had a nice shape the whole time.

It stayed nice and steep all the way until the very end.

That's why I feel like it was the most enjoyable that I had.

The waves may not have been perfect,

but they enjoyed the waves they caught to the fullest.

The brief moments they are able to stay on their boards

are the most precious moments ever.

After three hours playing on the waves...

the two talk about what it is like to be absorbed in riding the waves.

How long do you think you spent standing on the waves in one day?

If you have a one-day surf trip, how long...

Probably altogether, maybe less than one minute.

Less than one minute, maybe.

This is it. The joy is in a super short time.

And it's the best feeling ever.

To be honest, it's the best feeling.

Like you know when sometimes when you drop something by accident

and you can see everything in slow motion?

So when you're on the wave, time slows down

and you can kind of visualize everything,

and it might be so fast,

but the feeling that you get, it makes it feel like a long time.

The time they spend on a wave is an instant that feels like forever.

They would spare no time or effort to capture that glorious moment.

The two head further west in search of better waves.

There, they happen upon some magnificent waves.

The beautiful waves that appear before them are as smooth as glass.

We didn't have much wind, and it was going from land to sea.

It makes a really nice clean surface for the whole ocean.

So when we're talking about glassy conditions, this is what we get.

And that's the ideal conditions if you want to surf.

It's always what we're looking for.

The two enjoy these nice waves to their heart's content.

The joy of surfing is...

I guess it's after the effort of paddling out

and the little challenge of doing duck diving

and finding the right spot

and then finally getting that wave.

It's like a nice prize.

And once you get one, you want to get another one.

And another one, and another one. It's really, really fun.

A summer surfing trip along the southern coast of Hokkaido...

The magnificent waves these two came upon

at the end of their long journey

will surely encourage them to go on another one soon.