Surfing in Micronesia
Lure: Catch the greatest wave on Earth
Location: Pohnpei, Caroline Islands, Micronesia(密克罗尼西亚)
When the big winter swell starts breaking on Palikir Pass (pictured here), a channel in the surrounding barrier reef(堤礁，珊瑚礁的一种) of mountainous, jungly Pohnpei in Micronesia's Caroline Islands, it is one hell of a wave. Aussie pro(职业的) surfer Dylan Longbottom has called the hollow, glassy barrel, which is accessible only by boat, "by far the best right in the world." Though they can indeed get huge, most days the waves run a manageable two to six feet (0.5 to two meters). And even if the water goes flat, there’s still plenty to do. Kiteboard(玩风筝板) the cross-shore winds at Sokhes Pass, dive the reefs of the outer atolls, or hike(徒步) to one of Pohnpei’s shampoo ad-worthy waterfalls that tumble(忽然坠落) out of the high country—where rainfall averages 400 inches (1,016 centimeters) annually—into cool, swimmable pools.