There are two surfing breaks off uninhabited Thamburudhoo that make the tiny Maldives island a surfer’s paradise. There’s the left-hand Honkey’s, and the right-hand Sultans, which split in two as they hit the reef off the windward point of the tiny islet. Should you visit this speck of wonder in our world, you might just catch a glimpse of a golden tanned athlete silhouetted against a crimson-red sunset. What follows is a breezy reminder of the true essence of travel.
I was first introduced to Sergey Rasshivaev some years back when I asked a friend in Russia about bold, adventurous types for a story I was writing. I knew that I was on the right track when my pal’s recommendation of Sergey came with the billing, “Phil, the dude surfs in Kamchatka and the Arctic.” Indeed, Russia’s uber surf dude pushes the envelope in that epic quest for the perfect wave. Luckily, there’s a remarkable lesson in this fearless Russian’s pursuit of the “Endless Summer.” As surfing legend Kelly Slater once put it, “Surfing is all about the experiences we have.” He meant that the travel aspect of surfing, or experiencing the world in a way only surfers can, is something unforgettable.
