American sets out to destroy Mauritius’ reputation as Surfing Destination

An American surfer, Evan Quarnstrom (photo), is currently out to destroy Mauritius as a surfing destination allegedly due to the aggressive behaviour of the local surfers, particularly at Tamarin Bay.

His article titled “The Irony of Surfing at Tamarin Bay” first appeared on his blog and is now being republished under the title “Why You Should Think Twice about Planning a Surf Trip to Mauritius” in a growing number of international specialised Surfing platforms, including Surfer.

In the article, Quarnstrom  recounts personal experiences of encountering “localism”, where foreigners are met with hostility. He describes incidents of intimidation and being forced out of the lineup by locals.

“It’s a paradise, as long as you aren’t a visiting surfer. The locals have built a global reputation for being unwelcoming to foreign surfers. They have formed a mafia of sorts that they call the ‘White Shorts’ to enforce their localism policies.”

“Thus, when I bought my ticket to Mauritius I knew what I was getting into. I was expecting the worse, but hoping that it was somehow exaggerated. It only took about 20 minutes of sitting in the lineup at Tamarin to see, unfortunately, it was true,” he writes.

Despite attempts to navigate the situation, the surfer said he ultimately concluded that the waves at Tamarin Bay are not worth the confrontations. 

He suggests that there are other destinations with better waves and more welcoming surf communities. The author advised travellers to consider alternative options for a more enjoyable surfing experience.

Source: Surfer.com