It’s ironic and somewhat hard to understand that in a country known for its awesome beaches and fine weather, surfing has only been embraced as a sport relatively recently. Graphic artist and DJ Dimitris Karaiskos is part of the thirty-something generation that is establishing the surf lifestyle around Athens and on the Greek islands. And last year he and a partner launched a small business, Tinos Surf Lessons, to accommodate surf lovers from near and far on “the windy island” where he visits throughout the year.
When did you start surfing and where?
Until the end of the 1990s there was no one around who knew anything about surfing in Greece. I kept asking but no luck, and one day i saw Dimitris Liossis–one of the main guys that kick-started the boarding scene in Greece–on a boat to Ios carrying a surfboard, so I discovered some guys are actually doing it here. We grouped together with these few guys and bought boards from abroad and started driving around looking for spots. I don’t remember where my first ride was. I think it was either Kokkino Limanaki in Rafina or Kaifas beach in the Peloponnese in the summer of 1999. The incomparable feeling of softly sliding on moving water, while standing tall above it, is just unforgettable. I remember myself screaming out of joy and getting instantly addicted...I still can’t find the words to express the mysteriously extreme and pure joy it gives you. They have a word for it–“the stoke”–it’s a special word that exists in no other activity.
Where have you surfed in Greece and worldwide?
Few spots, actually: mainly Kolibithra Bay on Tinos, Apollonas on Naxos, Plakoto on Ios, Ateni and Korthi on Andros, Voidokoilia, Lagouvardos, and Kaiafas in the Peloponnese, Vouliagmeni and Rafina in Attica. Abroad, I’ve only surfed in Senegal.
How long have surfing and windsurfing been actively pursued as sports in Greece?
Windsurfing is much older than surfing; it started sometime in the early 1980s, and became huge by the end of the decade. By the 1990s it was already a very big sport in Greece. But surfing was literally unknown until the end of the 1990s. We first surfed the local beaches (Kokkino Limanaki in Rafina) then tried the north shore of Evia (Hiliadou) and then we went to Tinos and hit Kolibitrha and Livada. Also Apollonas in Naxos, the north shore of Ikaria, Crete (countless spots–need to be explored!). Then you have the western swells that are more like big sea swells. They produce great waves–sometimes worldclass–and hit the west coast of the country from Parga to Lagouvardos to Kyparissia to Voidokilia to Methoni. These
western winds occur mainly during the autumn and winter, whereas the north winds occur year-round, especially during the summer months.
How would you describe the surfing scene in Greece?
It suffers from the same lack of a sense of humor we do nationally in other areas. It’s a new thing, a new discovery, and an excellent one, ‘cause we might not have perfect waves but we have a huge coastline and there’s lots of potential. Plus we are people that traditionally love–and know–the sea and beach life and culture. So many people take it far more seriously than they should though; I think surfing should be just pure fun. The combination of our gifted landscape and surfing produces magical moments.
When did you set Tinos Surf Lessons up?
Summer of 2010. It was the first of its kind on the islands, one of the very few in Greece; there’s also one in Ikaria and one in Varkiza.
What does the school offer?
Surfing tuition for both beginners and more experienced surfers. Our instructor is Yiannis Vidalis, a kid with roots on the island who left Athens to live on Tinos, where he has been exploring the local surf potential for the whole past three years. He became an expert surfer and traveled to Cornwall last spring to get his License of Surf Instructor and Lifeguard by the British Surfing Association. Also we offer surfboard rentals–we have boards for every level/kind of surfing, plus bodyboards and canoes. The main thing is that you don’t need to bring any equipment with you–you just land on Kolibitrha Beach and rent anything you want. Prices are low (from 10 to 20 euro /hour for a board, depending on the board) and tuition costs 25 euro per hour for solo tuition or 20 for group lesson. There’s also a wooden “surf beach hut” there where you can hang and check out the boards for rent, and a beach bar called ‘Wipeout’ selling beverages and playing cool music all day.
What kind of demand have you seen for surfing?
In our first year, on a day with good waves, our line-up was almost full. In Greece, waves are not generated by an ocean swell; the Aegean is a small sea and the swell is generated by wind, namely the meltemi. The north shores of islands like Andros, Tinos, Ikaria–even Naxos–are hit by the meltemi swell thus some beaches generate surfable waves, that is, waves that break and produce a clean run on their face. You’re sure to find surfable waves at Kolibitrha bay, which is a pure sand bar and danger free, as opposed to more dangerous, rocky reef Livada bay also on the north shore of Tinos or Apollonas on the north shore of Naxos, when the winds blow at more than 5 on the Beaufort scale. So once you check the weather forecast and you get a pretty good picture of whether it’s worth it hitting Tinos or not. Kolibitrha is the prime spot for Athenians for surfing northern wind swells.
What are the big surfing events of Greece?
There are no surfing events! Don’t forget, it’s a very new activity. But I’m sure we’ll see some happenings starting up soon.
Hottest surf spots in Greece?
Fellow surfers say the western coast of Greece has the best spots. Parga can be amazing, and I think a good call is Kolibithra–no bias here!–or Vouliagmeni–amazing how we have a great surf spot a fifteen-minute drive away from the center of Athens–and Voidokoilia in Kyparissia, partly due its sheer beauty.