There are few things in this world that Nic Von Rupp loves more than getting barreled. Probably his dog, his partner, and his family and friends, but barrels rank way, way up there. And for a person who loves barrels, there might not be a better place on this earth than Namibia, home to tubes of nearly unimaginable length.
“As a kid,” Nic says, “I always dreamt about getting barreled for a minute. There are only very few places in the world where you get such long perfect waves. Namibia is the queen of all queens when it comes down to riding endless barrels, as a goofy I had to go there.”
So go there he did. It’s not an easy journey; the Namibian desert isn’t what you’d call welcoming. When they finally got to where they were going, Nic and the rest of the crew were greeted by something no one who’s just traveled a very long way for waves wants to see: no waves. Patience, however, is a virtue, and good things come to those who wait. After a few painful days, those good things arrived, and they arrived in spades. And that one-minute barrel Nic dreamed about? Yeah, he got it.
