Marco Lang and Gonzalo Costa Hoevel created the travel project “Heading South”. It’s a trip across Argentinia down to Patagonia. Gonzalo lives in Buenos Aires, where 13 million people live, too. Marco, who recently made it in the International North Sails team, travelled with his film crew – consisting of Stefan Csaky and Matthias Zimmerman and some hundred kilograms of excess luggage to Argentinia in the beginning of January.
Gonzalo welcomed Marco and the crew and some hours later they sailed on the Rio de la Plata in front of the Buenos Aires’s skyline. The Rio de la Plata is the homeground of Gonzalo, where he prepares for all the competitions. Due to the steady winds it’s an excellent spot for racing.
Windsurfing action at Buenos Aires. Gonzalo on his new gear. He recently left Fanatic/North and joined Starboard/Loft. Stefan Czaky and Matthias Zimmermann behind the cam.
Gonzalo has packed the Pickup and is ready to leave his home.
Afterwards they drove to Cuesta del Viento, which is an artificial lake located nearby San Juan and next to the almost 7000 m high Andes. The lake is in a distance of 1200 km from the capitol Buenos Aires, 1280 m above sea level. They had a good session there with ok wind. But the wind can get really strong there with 50 knots+.
Gonzalo and Marco have fun on their racing gear at the Cuesta el Viento lake (Pic: Heading South).
They continued their trip in southern direction directly afterwards. After a 2000 km long drive with their pickup they arrived at Bariloche located at the Nahuel Huapi Lake. It’s the so called Switzerland of Argentinia. The landscape reminds a bit of Switzerland, but as well it looks like the country of American Indians. It’s a green area and steady winds blow from the Pacific coast over the lower Andes.
Marco and Gonzo crank a jibe at Lago Nahuel Huapi.
The lake offers great freeriding conditions and when it gets really strong it’s possible to ride breaking waves on the Nahuel Huapi. The lake is 460 m deep and stories of the Indios tell that Nahuelito, a big monster lives inside the deep blue jewel.
A big glacier wall in Patagonia (Photo: John Carter).
Now the two PWA Slalom sailors, the filmcrew and the photographer already drove further south to Patagonia – around 800 km from Bariloche – to windsurf on the Perito Moreno glacier lake. It’s a famous place as our friend Thomas Miklautsch sailed there several years ago as the first windsurfer and was lucky to not get killed by the ice of the calving glacier.
