Breaking Point
Big-wave surfing docs are sweet—and this one comes with a splash of conservation.
Ramón Navarro is a third-generation fisherman from Punta de Lobos (Point of Wolves), Chile, where he learned to surf frigid waters without a wetsuit and catch serious waves. The spot is famous for its left-hand break and 32-foot monsters. Navarro got good. Really good. Soon he was taking his board to competitions in Hawaii and Fiji, but his favorite place to surf has always been home. Unfortunately, industry has come to the coast—everything from tourism to timber plantations to power plants. Navarro is having none of it and is now bringing attention to his sleepy town's plight with a new book and 30-minute film titled The Fisherman's Son: The Spirit of Ramón Navarro.
If Navarro raises enough money, he’ll turn his beach into a World Surfing Reserve, one of seven totally tubular protected coastlines—from Manly Beach, Australia, to Ericeira, Portugal. Oh, and you know who also digs riding waves in Punta de Lobos? Not wolves, but sea lions, sea turtles, penguins...
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