The Zicatela Experience

Mitch Tölderer, österreichischer Snowboardpro und Surftraveller erzählt im Anschluss von seinen Paddle-In und Tow-In Erlebnissen im heftigsten Beachbreak der Welt: Playa Zicatela in Puerto Escondido / Mexico

The Playa Zicatela Experience

Surfing a medium swell in zicatela can be an intense experience. the locals dont use a leash so they would not break their boards to easy. well, i thought that is smart so i did paddle out at a medium day, they would call it 6 foot zicatela day without using a leash. when a set exploded on my head i did loose the board in a second. no big deal i thought, trying to swim in turned out to be a 20 min caught between the rip and the incoming sets experience: diving, swimming, bodysurfing, getting ripped back right into the impact zone… at one point i thought: what the fuck, am i going to drown or what? finally i made it to the beach, where my board was waiting for me.
but not enough, after relaxing a bit and a little coffee break i went back out again, this time using a leash like half of the surfers do to avoid another intense swim. i would rather break my board than getting stuck by trying to swim in again without a floating peace of board leashed to my ankle.
what followed was exactly that, dropping late, wiping out, broken board, feeling like a stupid tourist but at least i made it to the beach easily.
you see people getting the sickest barrels and you see a lot of broken boards, thats playa zicatela, some people love it, some people hate it, but up from medium size its for sure a hardcore spot where you will only find the guys out there who dedicate a good part of there live for surfing this mad barrels, so you would not find me out there unless chris tows me into some of this beasts.

here a few ipressions of a medium zicatela day

myself after breaking the third board on this trip

TOW-IN und STEP-OFF in Zicatela the last days we were practicing in the playa zicatela beachbreak, puerto escondido, towing in with and stepping off the jetski. getting up at 5h30 every morning and playing until noon. now we feel ready for the big swell that we expect next week, vamos a ver!

getting the ski ready

stepp off: you drive up to the peak of a wave, the guy sitting in the back jumps of right into the wave. seems you can catch them all. matty is getting a good one.

tow in: you get towed into the wave on the robe behind the jetski using a special tow board which is way more havy than a normal surfboard and which also has straps. we use a 6´0 with 4 fins, this board picks up so much speed and still does feel so loose, i love it! impossible sections become possible.

i am pulling chris into a little one

driving the jetski is even more challenging than riding the waves, you wanna put your buddy in a good spot and pick him up before the next set wave gets him, which doesnt always work. today i got worked by a 6 foot set, right on my head before i got back on the sled and out of the bomb zone.

i am catching a little fast right

Text and pics by mitch.at