Chilean Surf Report: Edición Terremoto

Weighing on my mind and that of plenty of other surfers around the world since last week's terremoto is the state of Chile's incredibly pristine surf spots and the pueblos that support Chile's surf community. I have dreamt about breaks like Punta Lobos (right) in Pichilemu and Buchupureo, since my friend Zach returned from studying in Chile nearly a decade ago weighed down with surf flicks and stories of cold water, tree covered bluffs and plenty of left points. 

Patrick J. McDonnell, an LA Times reporter with a long history in Chile (read his play by play on how he and photographer Michael R. Chavez got to Chile in the hours post-sismo), provides some answers on how several of these coastal villages fared following the earthquake and multiple tsunami waves. 

"A quick tour Saturday indicated that quake damage in the area was spotty, but downed buildings, damaged bridges and severed roads were in evidence everywhere. Especially hard hit was Pelluhue, about five miles to the north, where a scuba team searched for bodies in an estuary."

Also, a first-hand account from Pichilemu describes how people instinctively headed for higher ground under the light of the full moon. There are accounts of campers drowned by the surging ocean and whole swaths of coastline have been reshaped.

The Save the Waves Coalition, an organization that works to protect coastal areas and strengthen local communities, has worked in Chile for years and is collecting donations to assist in the recovery.