Yemen's most widely read English-language Newspaper, Yemen times, caught up with SURFING photographer DJ Struntz, and surfers Jesse Hines, Cheyne Cottrel and Kyle Garson on a recent "water skiing" trip to the remote island of Socotra off the coast of Yemen. Keep your eyes peeled for the overhead sand blown barrels in an upcoming issue. Here is an excerpt from the Times:
"U.S. team surfs Socotra coasts
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."
For the full article and to catch up on the latest Middle-Eastern happenings, check out www.yementimes.com