Chasing Northwest Waves

Jeremy Richards
08/08/2009

The Northwest isn't known for its surfing — and most local surfers would like to keep it that way. The best spots are so well protected, you have to prove yourself with the surfing community before they'll tell you where to catch Washington's best waves. Some areas are only known by word of mouth.

Amy Waeschle has spent years tracking down the best surfing spots in the Northwest. She's a former science teacher and the author of a book called "Chasing Waves: A Surfers Tale of Obsessive Wandering." She found that surfing takes more than balance and coordination. It takes a keen eye for the social order among veteran surfers. KUOW's Jeremy Richards recently met with Amy Waeschle in Westport, Washington, to learn what makes Northwest surfing worth the chase.