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The Surfing Chief of Tiavea

From first sight, the bay looked like a surfing paradise.  A dense thicket of unbroken jungle was a stationary avalanche of chaotic, twisted trees and vines that somehow clung to the steep volcanic spires before spilling into the crystalline sea.  The coral shelves extended from the shoreline to a group of jagged black sea stacks which painted infinite shades of blue and green.  Waves peeled perfectly in every direction only a few feet above the colourful ocean floor. Little did we know we’d run into the surfing chief of Tiavea

What Dreams are Made Of

We had our pick of a left-hand point, pitching top to bottom barrels along the entire length of the reef.  A river mouth wedge, which would rear up out of deep water to double in size at the take-off, trounced the unwary.  And a gigantic heaving right bombora waited in vain for a courageous soul.  All sharp, all shallow, and all perfect.

Ben Haggar Surfing Chief Tiavea
photo: Ben Haggar

The Bumpy Road to Paradise

The rusting blue Toyota Rav4 bounced and squeaked down the steep dirt path, sending bright brown mud flying up from its bald tires, plastering the sides of the car.  As we reached the village gate, a big Samoan smile waved us on through.  Almost all of the villages on Samoa have a toll gate to enter – usually manned by the chief of the village or one of his family members.  

“We don’t have to pay here?” I asked my Aussie ex-pat surf guide, Brett.

“Na, I let him use one of the old boards and he’s cool with us surfing here.  He breaks so bloody many of them though, it’s not really worth the toll!”

Ben Haggar Surfing Chief Tiavea
A perfect wave peels down the point at Tiavea Bay. Upola, Samoa.

The Surfing Chief- Samoan Style

We parked in the shade of a giant banyan tree to get suited up.  Immediately the chief sauntered over to us from the toll gate, and in his thick South Pacific islander accent, asked us if we had a board for him to use.  Dressed in a typical lava lava (sarong) he was much slimmer than your average Samoan.  His muscular body was covered in traditional tattoos – presumably administered with a sharp bone and wooden hammer.  He grabbed one of Brett’s boards and started to paddle out towards the wedging river mouth.  

“He’s heading out just like that, huh?” I asked.

“Yup, you might get an eyeful out there…” Brett replied.

Ben Hagger Surfing Chief Tiavea
Photo: Ben Haggar

Pure Pleasure

Brett and I paddled against the currents to join the chief at the river mouth.  The water was a bright, beautiful, tropical blue and clear enough to define individual plates of coral below.  Mesmerized at the aquarium under my feet, I almost forgot where I was as a large set approached.  I paddled out towards the relative safety of a deep water channel and watched as the chief took off on a bomb of a wave.  

Completely out of control, he somehow managed to stay upright as the wave pitched over his head and he slotted himself awkwardly inside the barrel.  As he came back up the face and near the top of the wave, the board and his legs went skyward while the lava lava, along with the rest of his body, headed for the sea.

A few seconds later, he popped back up from the foaming whitewash laughing through a gigantic smile with no lava lava in sight.  Bare assed, he clambered back onto his board and paddled around looking for that pesky lava lava.

Check out another of Ben’s surf adventures here.

Posted in: FIELD TRIPS Tagged: chief, samoa, surf, surfing, tiavea

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Client Reviews

I highly recommend working with Alex both as a colleague and as a client

I have had the pleasure of working with Alex over the last couple of years in several different transactions, including one as a colisting partner, which gave me the privilege of seeing both how he works behind the scenes and on the front lines. Alex is an extremely hard worker, he gives every task his

Sophie Squamish June 17, 2018

I would never make a future real estate decision without Scott’s involvement.

Scott gives invaluable real estate advice. Both of his recommendations were spot on. We purchased in the ideal location and at the ideal time. I completely trust his instincts — I would never make a future real estate decision without his involvement.

Laura L Squamish homes August 10, 2018

I trust Scott’s experience!

I trust Scott's experience with Squamish real estate to help me make good investment decisions!

Timothy L. Squamish homes August 10, 2018

I completely endorse Scott

I met Scott by chance and he surpassed my expectations of what a realtor is all about and could do for me. Scott took the time to listen and truly understand what I was looking for. He has extensive knowledge of the Squamish area.

Christine M Squamish homes August 10, 2018

Kind, Caring and Knowledgeable

What a complete pleasure it is to work with Scott ! After being here for 6 months it is better than we could have imagined. I couldn’t recommend Scott more, both personally and professionally and some one we will be delighted to work with in the near future.

Jessica W. Squamish homes August 10, 2018

Alex knows Squamish!

As an Ontario resident moving to Squamish, British Columbia, I was very happy with the service provided by Alex Vark. He, personally, took the time to drive us around the area to familiarize us with the town and various neighbourhoods. His knowledge and patience were most helpful. I recommend Alex as your Squamish Realtor!!

Corinne B Squamish homes January 10, 2019

Positive: Professionalism, Responsiveness

We worked with Alex to purchase a home in Squamish last fall. Alex was amazing. We felt like we were his only clients, and we felt like the purchase of the right home was as important to him as it was for us. Whenever we had a question, Alex was always quick to respond! He

Matt Sprunt Squamish Duplex August 1, 2019

“could not have been a more positive experience for us”

Working with Alex could not have been a more positive experience for us. Alex knew exactly what we were looking for and didn’t waste any time finding us the perfect home. Alex is professional, transparent, and clearly very experienced in the world of real estate. We felt like we were working with a friend rather

Lauren McGill & Max Barron Squamish November 17, 2019

We were very proud to have Alex represent us

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️We were incredibly pleased with Alex's efforts in helping us find a home suitable to our needs. Our experience with Alex was far more desirable than with our previous realtor, who was foreign to Squamish. He provided us with many options, and was very detailed in his analyses of homes that we showed interest in.

Jess and Matt Squamish Townhome April 24, 2020

Dan Patching – Mortgage Broker

I just finished working alongside Alex as he helped my clients sell their condo in Squamish and buy a beautiful townhouse. Not only did he get them an amazing price for both, he also was extremely professional and quick to respond when questions were asked. It was a pleasure working alongside him, and anyone considering

Dan Squamish September 17, 2020

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MacDonald Realty - Squamish

Scott McQuade

Personal Real Estate Corporation

Scott’s Phone: 604-815-1985
Scott’s Email: scott@squamish.com
Alex’s Phone: 604-848-4997
Alex’s Email: alex@squamish.com

38090 Cleveland Ave
Squamish, BC V8B0A8

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