Stab Magazine | How Natxo Gonzalez And Kepa Acero Spent The Last Indo Mega Swell

Live Now: Chapter 11 Mini-Documentary With Dane Reynolds

558 Views

How Natxo Gonzalez And Kepa Acero Spent The Last Indo Mega Swell

“I’ve heard stories of guys surfing this spot wearing motorcycle leathers because the reef just tears you up.”

cinema // Mar 4, 2019
Words by stab
Reading Time: 3 minutes

“It looked like it could have been as good as Skeleton Bay, but a right.”

That’s what Kepa Acero saw in India on Google Earth a few years ago. So, being the good surf explorer that he is, he sojourned to the subcontinent to see what he could find. When he finally got there, he found himself barred from accessing the long, sand point. Kepa calls it the most arduous trip of his life, which says plenty. 

“It took me like three days to get to this point I wanted to surf. I drove all the way out there. I was right in the bay close to the point, there was a swell coming, and I waited there,” Kepa told Stab. “After two weeks in India, waiting for the spot to come alive, someone told me because it was on a military base, I couldn’t access it. But It was just in front of me: right there. I could see the waves right there in front of me. I went all the way there and it didn’t happen. I tried to pay money, to the police, to anyone, it didn’t work.”

Unable to disregard the potential, the wave has remained in Kepa’s mind ever since. And last summer, when the Indian Ocean turned into a giant purple blob and places like Nias were firing, Kepa decided to return to India. But this time he’d have company.

By a funky twist of fate, Natxo Gonzalez had also noticed the same set-up on Google Earth. Unbeknownst to the two Spaniards, they’d independently been watching and waiting for the opportunity to suss the place out. Eventually, they connected, realized they shared similar visions of Indian perfection, and a plan was hatched. Aritz Aranburu would play the role of the proverbial third wheel.

“It was the hardest trip I ever did,” Natxo said when Stab caught up with him. “It was a historic swell, huge in Indo, it was the biggest one I’ve ever seen in my whole career. So we decided to go try and find this spot rather than go to somewhere we knew would have waves.”

Facing similar hurdles to Kepa’s first experience, they were denied access by police and military officials. Refusing to take no for an answer, they ended up paying off a small fishing boat that was willing to break the law and take them there. 

“We finally did it. We got there! But after all that, the wave was just too fast. It was perfect, but it was too fast,” Kepa admitted. “It looked so good, but there was just no way to make it.”

Undaunted, Kepa and Natxo decided it was time to pull the plug and head somewhere more dependable (Aritz had to split for other career obligations). They beelined it to Indo. It took them a couple of days to zero in on a spot, but again, they commandeered a fishing boat and found themselves staring at a wave they really didn’t want to ride.

Remote, heavy and shallow, Kepa and Natxo decided to paddle out against their better judgment. 

“We should have had helmets. I’ve heard stories of guys surfing this spot wearing motorcycle leathers because the reef just tears you up,” Kepa explained. “Neither of us felt comfortable out there, even wearing fullsuits, but we’d come so far.”

In the end they got their share of barrels. Although it may not have been the score of a lifetime, they both admit that it was a journey neither will ever forget. 

“Adventuring is the most difficult thing to do. You have to keep up your energy and deal with all of the problems that come up,” Natxo said. “But what I learned is that adventure is the best thing I’ve ever done. If you find a wave, it’s all totally worth it. After that trip I want to keep adventuring…I will never stop, I think.”

Comments

Comments are a Stab Premium feature. Gotta join to talk shop.

Already a member? Sign In

Want to join? Sign Up

Advertisement

Most Recent

Full Frame: Scandinavia Is Surfing’s Next Frontier

A 30-hour drive, bathymetric maps, and 10 years of searching yield surfing's newest discovery.

Mar 29, 2024

Watch: João Chianca Had A Remarkable Hawaii Season Before His Injury

Plus an update on his condition.

Mar 28, 2024

Pittar’d And Feathered

Do the WSL judges deserve the internet's wrath? We asked the man of the hour.

Mar 28, 2024

Robbo, Pickles, And Tyler Wright Become The Underdogs Breakfast At Uninspiring Winkipop

The foreboding blade sharpens and inconsistent judging prevails on Day Two in Torquay.

Mar 27, 2024

“I Don’t Always Win Heats, But When I Do, I Try To Beat John John”

Slater shines and the axe begins its descent on Day 01 at Bells.

Mar 26, 2024

Back Against The Wall: The Ramzi Boukhiam Redemption

Morocco's first CT surfer on speaking six languages, having no coach, and snatching Fil Toledo's…

Mar 25, 2024

Will Kirra, Babies or JJF Stop a GOAT Winning at Bells?

Bluesky BOAG advice from a Superman specialist and former Trials winner.

Mar 25, 2024

Bells Preview: The WSL’s Victorian Sword Dancing Equinox Ritual

Will a Brazilian crack the Top 10 at Bells?

Mar 25, 2024

69 Shin Bones Later + the Anticlimactic State of Big Wave Record-Breaking

Lucas Chumbo might have surfed the biggest wave ever this year. But how will we…

Mar 23, 2024

Watch: ‘Fresh and Fried’ Ft the Quik Kids

How taxing is it to tackle the Gold Coast’s Triple Crown in a single day,…

Mar 23, 2024

The Popular Vote: The People’s Stab In The Dark With Kolohe Andino Champion

Which board looked best — to you —under Kolohe's talons?

Mar 22, 2024

Six Key Learnings From Portugal

Three CT events in, what do we know? 

Mar 21, 2024

‘Zipper’ Is Going On Tour, Here’s Where You Can Watch It  

Dates, times + locations for the Venice, Encinitas, Sydney + Byron premieres.  

Mar 20, 2024

Dane Reynolds On His Future, His Past, And Chapter 11’s Raison D’être

Our 9-minute plunge into the collective psyche of Ventura's pillar(s).

Mar 20, 2024

From ‘Blue Ribbon Cross Country Runner’ to Vogue – How Steph Again Is Back With A Rip Curl Remix

Everything we know about the she-GOATs sponsorship boomerang.

Mar 18, 2024

Stab Interview: Darren Handley Explains Why You Can’t Buy The Winning Stab In The Dark Model

And his decades-long standoff with Slater.

Mar 17, 2024

Griff Embraces Portugal’s Eternal Time Loop To Vanquish Medina + Ewing, Defay Delays The Inevitable

A redeeming closing act at Supertubos.

Mar 16, 2024

The Secret Behind Lungi Slabb’s Inconceivable Greenmount Funnel

Six broken boards, one leaking forehead, and five days of Superbank mysticism.

Mar 16, 2024
Advertisement