Andy Nieblas He is one of those guys who seem to come from another era: his long hair and bushy mustache give him a retro image that is completed when one sees him in the waves, with a very particular style, a logger at heart who navigates with an art that can be enjoyed even by those who have never seen surfing. A unique way, typical of those who were born for this sport.
Skinny, almost gangly, he is not the prototype of a surfer that the popular imagination has either, but when he goes into the water, one realizes why he is a world figure, a rider of quiksilver global. For days their excellent quality was broken by these in our breakers, inspiring those who were close to them and being the excuse for a true surf party in chapadmalal.
Thursday I arrive at sea of silver and quickly got into to surf with the team quiksilver and Roxy, over the weekend gave a lecture on a demo she did with her girlfriend (makala smith), also a talented surfer, to close the Ala Moana Longboarding Festivalelite tournament that meant the first date of the Argentine circuit of long boards that took place in the Chapatrapa spa and on its last day proposed a challenge of fernando aguerre.
The man from Mar del Plata, responsible for the olympic sea surfing, he had a board built similar to the ones used by his reference, the Duke Kahanamoku, a Hawaiian who is considered the father of modern surfing 100 years ago. We are talking about a simple plank of wood, wide and long, that weighs 40 kiloswhen a longboarding average does not exceed 10.
It was hard to get to the beach waikiki and its limitations, especially its weight, concerned everyone. How will you manage to maneuver it? mists He took it into the water with total naturalness, passed the breaker and surfed waves, among dozens of surfers, as if it were a modern board. All without pita. Shocking.
Andy, in fact, captivated at every turn. Outside and inside the sea. Extravagant, charismatic, he showed off his sense of humor and simple and relaxed way of being at all times, without airs of a star, respecting, thanking and feeling the privilege of having been invited in a special way by quiksilver Argentina.
He enjoyed the food, especially the meat, and the warm treatment of the Argentines, to whom he quickly adapted, and ended up giving a talk for boys at the surf academy at the Honu Beach resort. Of course, nothing that happened was coincidence. What we enjoy in these lands has to do with its essence and roots…
Descendant of a Native American tribe, the Acjachemen Juaneñoshistorically subjugated and unrecognized, mists he started surfing on his own. Despite being from California, an iconic spot for this sport, he recently went on a trip to Hawaii when he insists his parents to get into the water.
No one in his family surfed, but he, at the age of eight, asked to rent a board and went to a beach with a calm wave. When he was able to stand up for the first time, he was flashed and didn’t stop anymore.
But, of course, as a good boy who was not born in a golden cradle, he continued as best he could. At first with a board that he found in a garbage can. He learned by watching, he never took a class, but he immediately discovered his special connection with the sea that explains a unique style that generates reminiscences with the mythical gerry lopez.
Andy It is a special case: it is not usually the case that someone reaches the top starting from such a low base, later than usual, without family members to advise them and with so few resources. And, in his case, due to talent and uniqueness, he is called to mark an era.
There is no doubt that Andy he was born for this. It is clear to see him handle his longboard -boards of more than 2m75- as if it were a short one, read the sea like few others and show such a special sensitivity in the water that sometimes allows him to take waves even without paddling… Already on the board, never stop creating. “When I surf my mind is blank, I let myself go and everything comes naturally”, he admits.
He is literally an artist who walks back and forth, spins and even appears to dance, even changing direction on the wave. He prefers to rely on the water, although he has competed, winning the Duct Tape Invitational three times, the most prestigious long board tournament created by joel tudor, the most important longboarder in history. Just some believe that mists is its continuity.
He also shows a high level of surfing with short boards, something that can be enjoyed -as well as his charisma- in his documentary Spam, but he prefers the long ones. “The longboard chose me, not the other way around”, he admitted while enjoying the longboard festivalevent presented by Fordsponsored by quiksilver Y roxythat had the best exponents of this discipline at the national level.
The winners of each category were martin perez, Evelyn Gontier (both in Open), Marco Calandra Y Vera Jaricz (in Junior), but the 700 people who gathered in Chapatrapa to appreciate surfing from the cliffs enjoyed everything, to the rhythm of the music of a DJ and on a day that threatened rain but gave away beautiful moments of sun.
Not to mention the riders and guests, who had breakfast, lunch and a hydration sector, with a living room set up for the occasion in the highest sector of the cliff.
The event also had the live presence of the radio program street dogs and the surf gathering was completed at night, in the courtyard of the wing moana de Chapa, with an epic improvised recital.
they touched lost marplasthe sons of flavio cianciarulo with the presence of the bassist of the Cadillac but, suddenly, a friend of the house, of aguerre Y wing moana, Fernando Ruiz DiazHe went on stage to meet his friend again and there was a very special moment.
The 120 guests exploded with León Santillán’s version and then they were ecstatic when they both began to jam, to play chained themes. Nothing was coincidence. Surfing brought them together and they displayed a very special talent.
Downstage one of those who enjoyed the most was mists, dancing and with a smile drawn on his face. “My visit could not have been better. I find very good vibrations. I found the people very friendly and warm, I loved the food, especially the meat, I was surprised by the surf and beach culture they have, with similarities to the California style”.
“I enjoyed every moment, the way I like it, both in the water and outside”, counted Andy. “They were very special days. Actually a real surf party in Chapa and Mardel,” she concluded.
