We'll freely admit that our only experience or understanding of surfing comes from Michaelangelo from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or Patrick 'Bodhi' Swayze in Point Break.
Other than, we got nothing. As it turns out, North Korea's favourite megalomaniacal despot Kim Jong-Un is a proper surf fan. The tubby little dictator has approved plans for the construction of a 'surfing camp' on the eastern coast of North Korea with some twenty surfers from Italy, US and China helping to oversee the project.
Leading the bizarre holiday resort will be Nik Zanella, who's also the coach of the Chinese National Surfing Team - which is totally a thing and not the name of an indie band who play in your local dive bar on Thursday nights. Joining Zanella is Andrea Lee of Uri Tours, who's charging $3,200 for the trip.
"It looks like there are wild forests that lead to pink- or yellow-sand bays. It is promising for surfing, as the cliffs protect the bay from wind coming off the ocean, but at the same time leaves the bay completely exposed to coastal storms," Zanella explained.
For him, it's serious business. Zanella's a pro-surfer who spent over a year studying North Korea's beaches via satellite imagery to determine where the best place to pitch their tents.
Will Kimmy turn up to hit the waves, we wonder? Probably not.
Via Outside Magazine
