RIDING THE WILD WAVES A MALIBU SURFER STALKS THE WORLD'S BEST WINTER SWELLS.

Byline: Rochelle Kaplan Special to the Daily News

A common misconception among the general population - most probably spawned and perpetuated by Hollywood in film and television - is that surfers are constantly in search of a never-ending summer. Images of bronzed and buffed boys running into the surf at Malibu with long boards in tow during the summer months are as much a part of the area's culture as the bikini-clad babes who wait for them on the beach. In fact, Malibu's famous First Point, which is synonymous with long-board surfing when the south-swells of summer hit, is widely accepted as one of California's best waves.

Even though waves of varying sizes can be found year-round off most Southern California beaches, and surfers try to make the best of what they have to work with, any serious surfer knows that the biggest waves are produced by winter swells. And, the really big waves are nowhere near the Los Angeles area, but rather hundreds, even thousands of miles away.

Big-wave surfers, those charging waves that are at least 20 feet and in many cases well over 40 feet, know no bounds to their search. They will seek out far-off, exotic destinations in either hemisphere as they look for the ultimate wave while simultaneously trying to balance their lives according to the world's weather pattern.

Allen Sarlo of Malibu, proprietor of his own real estate company, understands that balance and is a living example of how a dedicated big- wave surfer follows his passion over many oceans and continents in search of an endless winter. His business affords him the leisure and means to pursue those winter swells, which often means leaving home on a few days' notice.

``We always said the name of that movie should have been the 'Endless Winter,' for big-wave riders, instead of 'Endless Summer,' '' said Sarlo, 44, a pioneer of big-wave surfing and former professional surfer, ``because big waves are generated by winter swells.''

With international weather reports easily accessed on the Internet, surfers such as Sarlo are literally just a plane ride away from dropping in on waves wherever they might be. Sarlo and other surfers carefully monitor swells coming out of Japan and Alaska during our winter months to determine when they will break in Hawaii as well as in California and even Mexico. Swell watching has become very scientific of late and surfers know exactly how many days it takes for a particular swell to hit a particular spot with dead-on accuracy. Places such as Mavericks near Half Moon Bay in Northern California, Cortes Banks off San Clemente, Todos Santos off Ensenada, Mexico, as well as the North Shore of Oahu are some of the more popular big-wave destinations that break from October through March.

Professional big-wave rider and San Clemente resident Mike Parsons has been surfing Todos Santos nearly every week for the past three years and travels anywhere else his sponsor sends him around the globe in search of the ultimate wave. Last week the 2000-2001 XXL Big Surf Champion surfed off France's Atlantic coast.

``Europe has some of the biggest waves,'' said Parsons, 36, who is part of Billabong's ``Odyssey to Find the Biggest Wave'' campaign. The company sponsors big-wave surfing events around the world not only as a marketing tool but as a way of generating interest in the sport. Until recently, big-wave surfing was done simply for the challenge and thrills it produced and was never accepted as a part of the mainstream surfing community. Now, companies such as Billabong are creating big-wave surfing events.

``The most interesting thing about the Odyssey is it's all about the exploration and finding something new that you never thought possible,'' Parsons said. His next ``company trip'' is to Chile.

Although Sarlo considers Malibu home as well as the ``best wave in California,'' his heart is in Hawaii, where he travels at least twice a month during the winter to charge the North Shore. There, he'll use boards ranging in length from 7 feet to nearly 12 feet, depending upon the size of the wave. (The typical Southern Californian surfer riding small- to medium-sized waves will use boards between 6 feet and 6 feet 6 inches). Longer boards are metaphorically referred to as ``guns'' by those involved in the sport.

``I use my Waimea guns when I want to hunt down big waves at Waimea,'' said Sarlo, who keeps about 20 surfboards of varying sizes at his vacation home on the North Shore. Fittingly, the biggest wave he's ever hunted down was at Waimea Bay, a 40-foot monster.

Ken Bradshaw, another trail blazer of big-wave surfing and a North Shore resident, shapes all of the boards Sarlo uses in Hawaii. Sarlo is assured of having the right-sized board at his disposal at all times. ``I don't do drugs,'' Sarlo said with a laugh, ``I do surfboards.''

Being able to ride a ``triple overhead'' wave - each overhead being 6 feet - is a feat that takes years to accomplish, if ever. The feeling one gets from surfing a big wave, Sarlo said, is like the sensation one feels snow skiing, ``but with the mountain pushing you, coming after you,'' as you descend the face.

Of course, not everyone has the desire or the fortitude to even try such a thing. Sarlo, who grew up in Venice and is the son of a lifeguard, began surfing at age 9 and graduated to big waves 15 years ago. His talent, passion for challenges and hard work afforded him a professional surfing career from 1980-1992.

``I was a pioneer back then and I think I made about $3,000 a month, which is nothing compared to the money surfers get these days. Kelly Slater (who came out of retirement recently) just signed a five-year, $3 million contract.''

Sarlo has neither resentment nor regrets for missing out on the big money. His real estate business is thriving and his reputation within the surfing community is as strong as ever. And he is able to command respect whether at home or abroad. The reverence bestowed upon him came out of the dues he paid in the early days in Hawaii by demonstrating that a nonlocal could hang with the best.

``In the old days, in the '70s, you had to prove yourself in Hawaii and show that you could handle the North Shore,'' said Sarlo, who, at the age of 16, became the youngest person to win a professional contest at his home break in Malibu. ``There's a pecking order (in surfing) and because I was from California and not there all the time, I had to make a name for myself. Once you have that, you don't want to give it up. That was instilled in me at an early age.''

Not ready to give up the torch, he plans to keep surfing big waves well into his 50s or as long as he is able to, He is, however, passing on his support and knowledge to others who have the same passion and drives as he. His 9-year-old son, Colton, already is ripping up Malibu's First Point and his 12-year-old daughter, Sophia, just placed second in her junior high school's long-board contest.

Ricky Shaffer, a professional surfer who lives in Woodland Hills and is a friend and business associate of Sarlo's, looks upon his mentor as an inspiration. Although Shaffer's main focus this season is on the Professional Surfing Tour of America (PSTA), he's scratched the surface of big waves from time to time.

``Allen set the standard for big-wave surfing, there's no doubt about that,'' said the 32-year-old Shaffer, who will be competing in six pro events this year. ``In order to get to his level, you've got to start small, surround yourself with good surfers and surf every day. You don't get to be a black belt (in karate) overnight. And you won't be able to surf big waves overnight. It's definitely not a kid's game.''

Because of the inherent danger involved in big-wave surfing, if one doesn't drop in precisely and get properly positioned, which results in being submersed violently to an unknown depth by the tremendous force of the wave and then immediately sucked up through the back of the wave with a possibility of repeating the process and then experiencing disorientation underwater for several minutes, many big-wave riders cross train in order to build stamina and breath-holding capabilities.

A regimen of walking on the ocean floor carrying large stones is widely accepted as a viable training method by some, and others choose to practice breath-holding in their own swimming pools. Sarlo, on occasion, will windsurf, kite surf and snowboard - mainly for fun - but only when surfing conditions are bad. Parsons walks underwater in his pool with weight belts on and mountain bikes when he can. Still, all surfers agree that the best training for surfing, whether big, medium or small waves, is, simply, surfing. ``Surfing all the time,'' Parsons said.

Even when a big-wave surfer is at the peak of his sport and in top shape, tragedy can strike. Sarlo's best friend, Mark Foo, lost his life surfing Mavericks several years ago on what many say was a routine wave for him. Fatigue could have played a part in the tragedy as Foo was operating on little sleep that day. He had flown in from Hawaii to drop in on Northern California's famous break.

``Mark pushed himself all the time, he was a daredevil'' Sarlo said. ``He was always looking for the biggest wave. I'm more of a safety-first kind of guy, even though I put myself in dangerous situations.''

For people such as Sarlo, big-wave surfing is a natural progression from the standard fare especially for those seeking more thrills and challenges. But, he says, you have to be wiling to travel a lot - usually with little notice - and be willing and able to spend a great deal of money. Not only can the traveling and accommodations be costly, but the special equipment needed might be prohibitively expensive.

While some spots can be accessed by simply paddling out and dropping into the wave, other locations break a half-mile or even several miles off shore. And when the waves get too big to paddle into, the only way to successfully surf these waves is by being towed into them by a dependable partner on a personal watercraft (PWC). As such, big-wave riders train and surf together, switching off towing duties so the other can surf, too.

In our spring and continuing into our summer - the Southern Hemisphere's fall and winter - swells are generated in the Pacific Ocean off New Zealand and travel thousands of miles to places like Fiji, Tahiti, Samoa and eventually California (most notably Malibu with its south-facing beach). This is the time that Sarlo puts the North Shore on hold and heads out to Tahiti and its famous reef break called Teahupo'o (pronounced Cho-poo). Although a short wave when compared to others, Teahupo'o is renowned for its speed and intense barrel, one of the main reasons surfers get hooked on the sport in the first place.

Having the best of both worlds, Sarlo can surf Tahiti in the summer months and then return to Malibu a week later and experience the same swell, though much less intense than the awesome wave in the South Pacific.

``Malibu is a good place to learn and practice, but if you're a professional, it's not the place to be,'' said Sarlo, who spent this past week in Hawaii. He will have, no doubt, surfed every day, all day long, getting little rest, taking full advantage of the North Shore's winter swells.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Allan Sarlo of Malibu challenges the surf off the North Shore of Oahu in Hawaii, one of the more popular big-wave destinations that break from October through March.

(2) ``We always said the name of that movie should have been the 'Endless Winter,' for big-wave riders, instead of 'Endless Summer, because big waves are generated by winter swells.''

- Allan Sarlo, big-wave surfer from Malibu

big-wave winter; season; wave