dad then brought the family to the Cook Islands to stay
where they had been planning on living. Straight away he
got onto the reef breaks, and says, that moment changed
everything. “I instantly fell in love with what a reef break was
like, and what the waves were like on the reef.”
Selam says he was first inspired by a local kid who was already
taking on the world’s best in Tahiti. Turns out that Rarotonga
based bodyboarder was Dominic Ruther, whose parents run
Chillis in Tupapa.“That kid inspired me so much growing up,
as he was doing the most amazing things you could see on the
reef breaks. The biggest and deepest barrels, just pure skill.”
While still a grom, Selam adds, Ruther’s talent drove him
to also reach the top in Rarotonga bodyboarding, but after
winning a bunch of contests he made the switch to stand-up.
Hospital grounds
The born-again surfing convert says
straight away it gave him a
feeling of extra speed and a greater appreciation for the size of
the barrel standing up. He immediately stopped bodyboarding
and focused all his attention on riding short boards.
Selam has let us in on the handful of excellent local breaks
that he cut his teeth on, becoming the experienced surfer he
is today. At Nikao’s Social Centre beach, known as “Social’s”,
is a wave he’s surfed a lot, as well as Rutaki on the southwest,
and Matavera on the eastern side of the Island. The various
left and right breaking ten plus foot waves afford challenges
with differing weather conditions and tides. The best time to
surf is usually on the rising tide, he says, but on the dropping
tide some breaks can dish up even more powerful barrels.
“The wave gets hollower and hollower, because there is less
water on the reef, and the barrel gets nice and round.”
As someone who likes to push the limits in the surf, Selam
admits his boards don’t last long, punishing them to the max
on the reef, and says he quickly adapts to whatever shorty he
rides. He says on Raro, you don’t get to be really picky when
it comes to boards because we snap them like biscuits. “So
whatever boards come our way you just have to be flexible
and ride whatever you get your hands on, because they’re not
going to last long.”
When asked if there is rivalry amongst local surfers, Selam
says a small group of experienced surfers push each other out
on the waves, but without any real competitiveness. “We’re
just happy if we all make it out of the water safely without
a scratch. More often than not, we take someone to the
hospital. So, one day it’s going to be your turn, and you don’t
want to be a rival with anyone, cause there’s no point. But we
do push the limits. If someone gets a big barrel you’re going
to try and get a bigger barrel.”
Reflecting on the deep tissue damage, bone fractures, and
deep cuts he sustained on his back, hip, and pelvis, after
missing an “air drop” and being slammed by a wave onto the
reef recently, Selam adds, Rarotonga is not a place you come
to learn to ride waves. If you come here to surf, he says you
should already be skilled, as straight up you’re on the sharp
reef with powerful waves offloading heavy barrels. “So, if you
can’t air drop, don’t know how to air drop, you’re looking
at being
careful.”
Air
dropping
is just one
of those
things
you need
under
your belt
he says,
because
the wave is square, top to bottom.
Being able to radically surf the local Rarotonga breaks means
Selam can also smoke it out on one of the world’s most iconic
waves, Tahiti’s Teahupoo. Renowned for producing some of the
biggest and most powerful barrels on the professional world
Kevin - fishing.
surf tour, it’s a break that could have made a young Selam turn
pro. Back in 2006, the then 21-year-old landed himself in the
Tahiti Billabong Pro trials as a wild-card entry, coming up
third in the Taapuna Masters, after dispensing some seasoned
professional surfers in monster waves. Although Selam says
he enjoyed the experience of mixing it up against the best, he
never went on to compete at that level again.
So, after not hitting the bigtime of world surfing, and settling
down with his own family, he naturally fell into his second love
of the ocean, fishing, pelagic style. His daily catch of tuna, mahi
mahi, wahoo or marlin, supply local hotels and restaurants to
satisfy the insatiable seafood appetites of tourists and locals alike.
But, when fishing outside the reef, he still keeps one eye on the
breaks in the distance, to see if any of his mates are out in the
line-up. And, when the waves are pumping, you can’t keep him
out of the water on his days off.
Selam says he has made the most of his time surfing in
Rarotonga, with a few other kids along the way. “The truth is,
I’ve just been a lucky guy, fortunate enough to be brought up
here with waves like this. And it’s been my surf journey so far.
You only take what you can while you’re here. But these waves
will keep breaking for the next few million years and there will
be many like me that will come and go.” In the meantime,
following his last recent serious injury, Selam adds, he gets
“to live another day, to ride some more waves, and catch
another fish.”
And when asked if he’s worried about the gnarly breaks one day
not being Rarotonga’s best kept surf secret, he just shakes his
head and says visitors are welcome. But adds, when tourists do
occasionally bravely paddle out, most end up just watching the
locals do their thing on the reef anyway.
So, if you’re out cruising around Rarotonga, keep an eye out
on the horizon, as you may just spot one of the Island’s secret
surf breaks in the distance - with a loan surfer getting another
massive barrel. And if they’re flashing a trademark surfer
hang-loose hand sign and a massive smile back at you, that will
probably be Selam… having “the best day ever”, again.
Escape Magazine • 65