If you ever get the chance to come down to Melaque you are sure to run into one of the Barba brothers. Jorge and Diego’s house is akin to that of the Volcom House on the north shore, overlooking the best skim spot in Melaque and is the headquarters during the contest they hold every March. Their shop down the road in Manzanillo, X3M, supplies boards to the local kids and provides a place to hang out, watch skim and surf videos, and froth out on the waves they found the day before. Since we landed, the Barba brothers have been amping harder than us, driving us through the jungle, down back roads, and over mountains to put us in the best waves in the area. I have known Jorge and Diego for a good while, and seeing their patience and positivity is inspiring to say the least.
That positivity of always finding something good around the next cove paid off as we stumbled upon a wave that was set up perfect for long plane outs into dreamy wraps. Diego said he had never seen the waves that good for skimming at this certain spot as the guys were sprinting back to the truck to grab their boards. Watching the boy’s plane as far as they could to hook into a long wall screaming toward the sand was something special. Johnny Salta was the stand out, making the biggest waves and sticking some large airdrops, which lead to us calling the spot “Johnny’s”. As the sun was setting we all took a moment to appreciate the opportunity to be in such a pristine place, doing the thing we love. Skimboarding is more than UST rankings and who is riding what, it brings people together and is a common language we all understand, and I am happy to see it alive and well in Melaque.
– Words by Kyle McClure / pictures by Diego Barba
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