» Three Queens / Surf Caribe

Thursday 15 September, 2011

Three Queens

Hurricane season in the Caribbean can be hit or miss, feast or famine, win big or lose the farm completely. There’s really no way around it. So far this year we’ve seen three named storms deliver surf across the region; Irene, who was a bit of a biyatch (if you don’t mind me saying) for Puerto Rico, but not nearly as much of a wench as she was for the Northeast US, Katia, who delivered the goods from Windward to Leeward Islands and beyond, and Maria, who, although smaller and less buxom than her two siblings, did serve up some tasty morsels of wave energy. Join us now as we relive some of the highlights from what has so far been a reasonably good tropical weather surf season.

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When Irene kicked back some swell after going by Puerto Rico, the lighthouse at El Morro was keeping watch. Photo: Angel Vázquez

From left; Sebastian "Binladen" Cabrera, Daniel Marrero, and Jeanmi gear up for a session in the shadow of El Morro. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Daniel Marrero was super keen on Irene’s smooth curves. Photo: Angel Vázquez

This unidentified logger took Irene for a walk on the nose. Photo: Angel Vázquez

When Katia started gearing up in the intertropical convergence zone, the lines pouring into the shores of Barbados on Friday afternoon, September 2nd, were clean as a whistle. Photo: Tarik Browne

The following day, Puerto Rico local, Brian Toth, was there to greet Katia on the East coast of Barbados, and found her quite to his liking. Photo: Tarik Browne

Another Bajan local proving his salt in the seriously round conditions was Andrew Rapson. Photo: Tarik Browne

Late that afternoon a certain reef in Bathsheba began to show some promise. Photo: Tarik Browne

By the following afternoon, Sunday, September 4th, Matt Capel was carving some old school arcs on a new age Rusty single fin. Photo: Tarik Browne

Come Monday the swell was really beginning to fill in along the shores of Borinquen, and native son, Babby Quiñones, was all over it with his 7D. Photo: Angel Vázquez

Although all the rain from Irene created some murky water, that didn’t keep Angel Vázquez from getting pitted with his housing. Photo: Angel Vázquez

By Tuesday the offshores had kicked in, grooming the swell into corduroy lines for this Puerto Rican local. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Don’t believe the hype. This wave is really a gutless mushburger. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Here’s another local cashing in at his local break on Tuesday morning. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

When Maria came to dance this local taina followed her right on to the Piñones dancefloor. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

But there were also lots of open faces to carve, as this local proved with a stylish cutback. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Maria was just what the doctor ordered for Tommy Bursian to launch Flight 6381 on Piñollywood Airlines. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

This guy wasn’t just turning, but looking for pockets wherever he could find them, too. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

As Maria exited at stage left she pulsed a few last lines for the faithful, and now the wait is on for the next fetch. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

This unidentified local was intent on pulling into this little pocket. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick

Dimension Surfboards shaper, Raymond Rosado, took advantage of Maria to do some research and design on a new template he recently mowed for himself. Photo: Steve Fitzpatrick