Axi Muniain p2

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datrip: What big wave venue fascinates you most?

Axi: Mavericks, Todos Santos, every wave at home that I can take.

datrip: With whom do you usually share your big wave sessions?

Axi: Usually I share my sessions with Inigo Idigoras “Palotes”. But if he canīt come I also team up with other partners.

datrip: What is – in your opinion – the difference between surfing big waves by paddling in and by towing in?

Axi: The satisfaction of surfing a large wave at paddeling in for me makes it a passion. For me this is a thing of – a lot of – respect and an obligatory stage of surfing before you jump on tow in surfing. On the other side Tow In surfing has opened us new horizons, to a point where the biggest waves that one can surf now are so much bigger than the waves that you can catch with your own natural forces. And this new challenges give a lot of new dedications to the sport. But I think that tow in doesnīt get the proper value by many surfers, as many do not really know the strengh and dedication that are necessary for tow in surfing.

datrip: I heard that you made a trip to Ireland to surf some slabs. Surfing slabs with tow in has become a new way of surfing massive waves. Whatīs the difference between surfing waves with big heights and slabs?

Axi: The problem with both is the lack of speed necessary to get into a mass of rapidly moving water. A problem that we solve by using the jet ski. But despite that the risc allways stays. The difference between large waves and slabs is that large waves come at a much bigger speed than smaller ones. Itīs a huge mass of water moving fast and to catch one of these waves you often need the help of jet skies. Slabs on the other side move at a speed proportional to their size and period (less than the one of large waves). But they jack up so rapidly when they abruptly hit shallow rocky ground, sucking up so much water from the base of the wave and leaving the surfer who catches them no chance of getting down to the base of the wave.

About big wave surfing at Spains north shore:

datrip: Itīs still pictures of large waves that dominate the view on Spains north shore. Are there also massive slab like waves that we will see in the future?

Axi: Itīs not a place where slab type waves jump into your attention. The truth is, that despite there are things yet to discover, slabs are not the dominant thing at this coast. It is a place that is much more suited for surfing big waves.

datrip: This winter we have seen some pictures of very impressive waves from this area, but they didnīt manage to reach the final of the XXL award. Does the region and the locas surfers have the potencial to win this event one day?

Axi: Sure, I dondīt doubt it. I thing we have surfed waves that have scratched at the world titel for big waves, but these local records will be shattered by the current and the follwoing generation of local surfers. Itīs just a question of time and dedication!

datrip: Axi, thanks a lot for the interview!