KERIANN BOONE
Staff Writer
Part of being a true surf junkie, whether in Malibu or elsewhere, is knowing what else is out there. There’s been plenty written on Hawaii and California, so this week, we’re exploring a far more esoteric spot: Ocracoke.
Ocracoke is a spit of land about 25 miles off of the coastline of North Carolina. This barrier island has been home to lost explorers, shipwrecked pilots and even Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard the Pirate.
Locals today include fishermen, artists and surfers, but the island is also saturated with tourists forever inquiring how to get to the lighthouse, even though it’s visible from almost anywhere.
Accessible only by boat or plane, Ocracoke remains one of the East Coast’s best-kept surfing secrets. The local surfing community has grown over the years, and now surfers loyal to Virginia Beach and Hatteras Island flock to Ocracoke’s less crowded waves.
There is one catch, however. Because sandbars and a strong wind form the waves, they can be capricious. As a result, favorable conditions can quickly turn to slop. So why, then, do surfers continue to venture out there?
For starters, the location itself is great. The island is 13 miles long and five miles wide at its base. Most of it is so narrow that you can park on the left-hand side of Highway 12 (the island’s single main road) and step onto a beach bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, or park on the right-hand side and step onto a beach bordered by the Pamlico Sound.
Ninety percent of the island is a national park, while only 10 percent is inhabited. Park officials ensure that the beaches are always clean, so the sand is powdery white and free of any trash. Even the terns and turtles that nest there each year are protected.
Imagine surfing a break completely alone, except for a fisherman or two about a mile down the beach. The Gulf Stream is directly offshore, so the water is clear and warm. It also teems with fish that surf the waves, often leaping out of the water and flopping onto surfboards.
The island has no beach curfew, probably because the three local police officers don’t have time to search beach-bound lovers. This makes it an ideal location for bonfires. These events are never formal — one simply builds a fire and waits for other night-surfers to venture toward the light. The gatherings are often random but always welcoming.
Ocracoke Village itself is also a surfer’s paradise. With no stoplights, the town can be toured on foot within an hour. Whether strolling down oyster-shell roads lined with houses made from the offshore shipwreck parts or eating the catch of the day at the local fisherman’s dock, the island promises a cozy and relaxed environment.
The locals have a surfer-esque, laissez-faire attitude. Plumbers will hopefully come a week after they’re scheduled to fix a refrigerator, and if the fishermen are too lazy to take a boat out in the morning, there may not be a catch of the day.
For surfers, the island is especially desirable to visit during hurricane season. With the promise of 12-foot waves and one restaurant, Howard’s Pub, that will never close because it runs on a generator, a surfer needs nothing more. He or she can sleep in the car, eat great food with great company at the pub and surf amazing waves by him or herself.
That’s Ocracoke, which brings you one step closer to being a geographically educated surfer. It’s a long way from Malibu, but if you’re around the area some time, drop by for a day or two of surfing.
10-06-2005
