A-frame

Aaberg, Denny

Aaberg, Kemp

Abberton, Koby

Abbruzzi, Sid

Abellira, Reno

Abubo, Megan

academia and surfing

Adler, Tom

advertising and surfing

Aeder, Erik

aerial

Aguerre, Fernando

Aichner, Scott

Aikau, Clyde

Aikau, Eddie

Aipa, Ben

air-drop

airbrush

Airshow

Ala Moana

Alabama

alaia board

Alaska

alcohol and surfing

Alexander, Kala

Allen, Chuck

Alms, Paige

aloha shirt

Alter, Hobie

Alvarez, Pepe

Ancell, Kevin

Andaman Islands

Andersen, Lisa

Anderson, Craig

Anderson, Simon

Andino, Kolohe

Angel, Jose

angle

Angola

Angourie

Antarctica

Apocalypse Now

Arabian Sea

Aragon, Janice

Arakawa, Eric

Archbold, Matt

Arena, Eduardo

Ashton, Juan

Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP)

Atlantic Ocean

August, Robert

Aurness, Rolf

Auster, Ken

Australia

Avalon, Frankie

Azores

backdoor

backside

backside attack, Pipeline

backwash

bail out

Bain, Rob

Baja California

Baker, Bernie

Baker, Grant “Twiggy”

Baker, Tim

Bali

Ball, John “Doc”

Ballard, Bill

Ballard, Rochelle

balsa

Baltic Sea

Banks, Jim

Barbados

Barilotti, Steve

Barland, Michel

Barreda, Sergio “Gordo”

Barry, Michael

Bartholomew, Wayne

Baxter, Jackie

Bay of Bengal

Beach Boys, The

Beacham, Debbie

beachboys

beachbreak

Beachcomber Bills Grand Prix

Beachley, Layne

beavertail

Becker, Phil

Bedford-Brown, Stuart

Belgium

Bells Beach

Bendall, Ma and Pa

Bennett, Barry

Benson, Becky

Benson, Blanche

Benson, Linda

Bermuda

Bertlemann, Larry

Oil-rich tropical country on the northern coast of South America, bordered by Colombia, Guyana, and Brazil. The majority of Venezuela's 1,750-mile coastline faces north into the Caribbean Sea, with some Atlantic waters to the east. While the country's biggest and most consistent surf is found along the Atlantic, most surf breaks in this lightly inhabited area remain uncharted. 

Venezuelan surfing is centered around the reefs and points near the capital city of Caracas; La Pulga, a fast, tubing Caracas beachbreak, is one of the country's most popular surf spots; Cuyagua and La Punta de Los Caracas are generally regarded as Venezuela's two best waves. There are also several breaks located on the small nearshore islands, including Margarita Island, a popular tourist destination. 

Venezuela's coastal climate is warm and humid all year, with air temperatures averaging 80 degrees and water temperatures generally in the upper 70s. The best waves arrive from December to April, although incoming swells from Atlantic nor'easters lose power as they're filtered through the West Indies, and are slowed by Venezuela's continental shelf. Powerful hurricane swells occasionally hit between August and September; rarely, however, does the Venezuelan surf exceed eight foot. 

Surfing was introduced to Venezuela in 1965, when central coast native Rodrigo Octavio began using a surfboard left behind by a visiting American cousin. Valencia resident Oswaldo Lebrum meanwhile began surfing on the northern beach of Patanemo, while Antonio Ruiz got things started near Caracas. 

The first Venezuelan Surfing Championships were held in 1967 in Caracas, organized by the just-formed Venezuelan Surfing Association, and the following year saw the opening of Surftique, the country's first surf shop. Venezuela surfers began competing in the World Amateur Surfing Championships in 1968; the country was a founding member of the 1993- formed Pan-American Surfing Association, and has twice been the host (in 1993 and 2002) of the biannual Pan-American Surfing Games. The Venezuela national team won the 2002 event. The Venezuelan Surfing Federation, founded in 1999, is currently the nationwide governing body for competitive surfing. Native surfer Augustin Cabrera competed in the 1998 Reef Big-Wave World Championships, held at Todos Santos, Mexico; other top pros include Pedro Rangel, Justin Mújica, and Magnum Martinez. 

As with South American country Peru, surfing in Venezuela is practiced for the most part by the upper class. As of 2003, Venezuela was home to about 50 surf shops (many on the verge of closing due to nationwide economic woes), 25,000 surfers (up from 1,000 surfers in 1992), and three surf magazines (Xtremo, Al Maximo, and Session).

Venezuela

Subscribe or Login

Encyclopedia of Surfing

Encyclopedia of Surfing