No ocean? No problem. No wave pool? Also no problem. Photo: YouTube//Screenshot
Adam Bennetts isn’t your average surfer. He was, for a while at least. Bennetts was quite a bit better than “average,” but he rode a regular surfboard for much of his surfing career. And then he set foot on a foil and the whole trajectory of his surfing life changed. Recently, he spent some time under a sail and over a foil in Hood River, where his not-so-newfound skills were put on display.
He didn’t spend too much time there — a measly 12 hours — but he put his time to good use. It was an early start. By 4:30 a.m., Bennetts was in the car, packed up, and on the road to the airport to catch a flight headed for Oregon. A guy in the know called him and told him that the Gorge was going to be on, so he made sure he used his time wisely. When they arrived, the wind was howling and Bennetts wasted no time in getting out there.
It’s testament to just how much surfing is changing. Between wave pools and foils and new ways to harness the wind, riding waves isn’t just something we can do in the ocean. People like Adam Bennetts are leading the charge, and it’s a fun charge to be leading.
