U.S. team surfs Socotra coasts [Archives:2006/977/Last Page]

By: Musad Swaileh Soma'
U.S. surfing team including famed surfer D.J. Struntz, Jesse Hines, Cheyne Cottrel and Kyle Garson – all professional water skiers – now is enjoying time on Socotra.

Nowadays, Socotra is witnessing seasonal winds with speeds reaching 95 knots causing high tides, particularly on the southern coast where the environment is suitable for water skiing.

Struntz, who works with his team for Surfing Magazine published in California, said the two-week visit to Yemen, especially Socotra, aims to discover new surfing sites. He further commented, “Socotra's beauty and magic is incomparable in the world. It's also one of the most suitable places for surfing.”

The team visited some locations in the south and west which were suitable for surfing. Struntz added that the team is preparing an article for publication in specialized and widespread newspapers across the world.

Struntz praised efforts exerted by the Socotra Development and Protection Program and the General Authority for Environmental Protection branch to maintain Socotra's environment and develop its society. He further called for more efforts to prevent Socotra's poor residents from resorting to unreasonable use of natural resources.

Team members aren't only good at skiing and surfing on water, but also surfing Socotra's high sands, which appear as ice mountains.
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