#65 Maine Thing To Do - Surfing in Maine
Surfing Maine - Perhaps it’s the frigidity of the Northern Atlantic, or maybe just the Vacationland spirit, but Maine has been fortunate to develop as a surfing locale largely devoid of the rules and hierarchies of traditional surfing Meccas. Surfing culture deems it taboo to disclose your spots, but Maine surfers are an encouraging (as well as hardy) lot who are usually more than happy to point you in the direction of waves to slide.
Higgins beach, as most New England surfers can tell you, offers up consistent (and occasionally crowded), waves for sliders of all skill levels. Summer is without a doubt the most popular time to surf, though the real wave season doesn’t usually roll around til after Labor Day. And, when the fog lifts, you can check out the very handy Higgins Beach Surf Cam from anywhere in the world! (http://www.higginsbeachproperties.com/id46.htm).
Further south, Long Sands and surrounding beaches in York offer up equally as consistent and welcoming surf – though when the swell picks up, watch out for barrels! Long Sands is presided over by the surf and soup outpost of Liquid Dreams (http://liquiddreamssurf.com/), one of Maine’s premier Surf shops. Another great shop in the region is Aquaholics, which provides a variety of clinics for beginner wave riders (http://www.aquaholicsurf.com/).
Maine is also fortunate enough to support a thriving surf and art culture, which is exemplified by the likes of Eugene Cole’s spectacular photo blog, (http://eugecole.wordpress.com/) Corduroy Boutique’s oft-updated Surf.Skate.Art.Love (http://surfskateartlove.blogspot.com/), and the locally based Sliding Borders, which emphasizes the coastal connection with our neighbors to the north, (http://slidingborders.com).
For forecasts, surf reports, and more, check out www.magicseaweed.com and www.surfline.com
-Tyler Boucher
-Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968) was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, and businessman credited with spreading the sport of Surfing He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.
Wanna Take a class and build your own board,…? Go Here
The Northern New England chapter of the Surfrider Foundation is rooted at Maine’s coast. The environmentally conscious organization strives to keep Maine oceans clean and is made up of activists and surf enthusiasts alike. The organization holds fundraisers, events, tests water quality, and holds beach clean ups frequently. The Northern New England chapter likes to think of themselves less as an organization, and more of a movement to promote their values regarding keeping Maine oceans clean and surf-able. To learn more about the Surfrider foundation visit the website at:
http://www.surfrider.org/nne/index.php?page=about-us
David Turin leads the Scarborough Beach Surf Camp for kids ages 9-17. The camp is a week long, running Monday-Friday from 9am to 3pm. He also organizes surf lessons for kids and adults of all ages which can be held privately or as a group. All equipment (wetsuits and surfboards) is supplied by the surf camp for campers as well as those taking private lessons. David Turin will respond to any questions regarding lessons or surf camp and can be reached at surfcampme@aol.com. To learn more about the Scarborough Beach Surf Camp visit the website at:
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