Easter Island in Spring

STANDING on a 160 km2 island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has certainly been one of the most inspiring experiences ever; maybe because I always wanted visit Polynesia, and Rapa Nui, also known as Easter Island, is a good start. Words and pictures by Alan Thiznau. It is spring time on the island and the weather is very changeable and so driving from the west coast (the downtown side where the friendly spots are) to the south coast (the side of the most demanding and dangerous spots) becomes a daily routine if you don't want to miss any reefs working. The island itself is an open sky museum and once you leave the town, drive along the coast, park your Jeep at some random cliff and sit on the top of it with an endless view of the Pacific Ocean, you truly understand how tiny we all are. At this point, you feel how powerful and fragile Mother Nature is and you really forget about what is happening in the rest of the world. Here are a few postcards from the once-in-a-lifetime experience of surfing on Rapa Nui. © 2013 Alan Thiznau

Mataveri, a world class left pointbreak, looking pretty friendly.

A surfer and an artist, "El Kenny" is one of the coolest locals around.

You will be amazed by what lies beneath.

The art of surfing and sculpture by Brandon and Te Pou Huke respectively

After the session, Chileans, Peruvians and locals Mandy, Zuzuki, Kenny and Tama gather on the rocks just to enjoy the show.

Hetereki at his front yard, taking a rest from work.

When isn't big, the waves are likely to be more dangerous. Here is Fabio, from Peru, hoping to make it on a very shallow lava bottom at Mataveri.

Vivi, another gem of the south coast.

Uti Araki's got the tow-in equipment ready for the big days on the south coast. Unfortunately, it didn't get big enough at this time of the year.

The two sides of paradise: Pakaia and Hanga Roa