#surfisrael

[lioridan]

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@nblenergy, you still can do the gas platform 120km from Israel shores. End keep the sea, the beaches, the air clean and safely. . . #surf #surfisrael #sup #supisrael #travelblogger #travelisrael

[waxsurfco-blog]

WAX Rides Israel

Hani Ovadia invited us into his second home in Jaffa, his shop where he and a few others shape and glass the most popular boards in Israel—most every surfer we encountered carried his planks, emblazoned with his signature "Hani Bee" logo. His hospitality and craft were inspiring and we realized that regardless of our success and satisfaction with our own work, we had a lot to learn from our new friend and fellow shredder. The dude is a meticulous and practiced shaper; steady and deliberate in every shave and cut. He welcomed us to his country and his shop with a few laughs and a loaner board, perfect for the mushy waves brought in by the day's wind swell; he even lent out a jacket when it started to pour. Thanks Hani, you're a legend.

The waves couldn't be more different from our home break at Rockaway beach; we went from chilly, coffee-colored barrels to warm, teal Mediterranean mush, which was a much-welcomed transition for winter surf. Looking into the ancient and holy city as it rises and falls with you can trick your eye, make you feel at home and easily ready to catch the next roller alongside riders eager to do the same. As WAX's Tyler waited and watched on the borrowed Hani Bee, he checked his watch over and over; not because he had any place to be, but because the local surfers vying for the same ride would ask him the time just to hear his accent and cadence. Our presence was as much a novelty to them as it was life-changing for us.

  Tyler has spent some time in the Middle East in wholly different circumstances as an engineer with the U.S. Marine Corps. The stresses and dangers of his tours in Iraq lay in the past, however he knew as he sat on his loaned board that for the young dudes in the Haifa water, military service and the prospect of war is a constant. Under the umbrella of community, no one thinks about that in that moment; politics and hardships are left on land when the weather is right.  The locals were impressed when Tyler caught a wave and cut to the left when everyone else cut right, but it likely didn't matter if he shredded hard or bailed all day. Everyone wore a smile above their wet suit and was there to escape their daily lives for a few hours. There's some deference, some etiquette that we recognize and employ when visiting new breaks—chill, watch, and learn the customs and motions of the locals. We may have been given a leery side-eye once or twice but they weren't there to defend their home break, just to rip it up; they fought for space but accepted the new guy, teased and watched him just as we might in Rockaway. Their kindness, coupled with Hani's warmth and generosity, gave WAX an unforgettable trip filled with so much more than we can share in this one post. There's still more to come on Israel, Hani, and WAX's globe-shredding travels.