Paddle Out for Pabs 021613 at Bolsa

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Surf: 1-3 feet

Water: Cold

Atmosphere: Sunny!

Winds: Light off shore

Today was our “Paddle Out for Pabs” day.  Pabs was a fellow blogger who passed away recently.  Surfing Grandma of the OC aka Michelle organized a day for all of us bloggers to get together and to do a paddle out for Pabs.  The event was an open invitation to anyone who could show up. 

Matt and I planned to go down to Bolsa Chica’s Tower 27 together in the  morning.  We were going to leave at 7:00 AM, but those plans were quickly thwarted by my gurgling stomach.  As soon as I woke up, I had explosive diarrhea.  After my first round, I had to call Matt to tell him I would be late.  “No worries man, no rush,” he told me.

Just then, the second wave gurgled from my behind.  “Ok, I gotta go, I’ll call you soon.”

The second wave was followed by a third wave in the same sitting.  Phew, got that over with at least.  Hideki had texted me that he was paddling out soon at tower 27.  It was barely 7:00 AM and he was almost there.  Crazy guy.  Love it. 

I picked up some flowers from Ralphs, and headed to Matt’s.  He picked up some donuts and we were off to Bolsa.  On the way over, we talk about what’s been going on lately with our lives and the drive down flies with the wind.  We get to Bolsa right before 9:00 AM and find Michelle and Valerie, aka Surf Mama of Mere-Made Surfboards.  We greet each other with hugs, and chit chat.  More people that I have always read about but haven’t met show up, including Cynthia, Irma, Surf Sista, Lauri, Goofy Kook, and Michelle’s hubby, Brian aka Brownie.  We all look over the pile of donuts that have accumulated, and talk over warm coffee and goof vibes.

Hideki comes out dripping wet, and he helps himself to some water and a tangerine from Michelle and Brian’s place.  Brownie recruits a kid to get a donut since we have so many of them.  It was definitely a fun morning to start off with. 

Yesterday, I had gone to a funeral ceremony for a client who’s son passed away.  I think the greatest pain for any parent is to out-live their own child.  Our client and friend is a super nice, amazing human being and is always a cheerful man.  However when he lost his son, he understandably went into a funk.  I hope the ceremony helped him, his wife, and his daughter cope with the loss of their beloved son and brother.  The ceremony was amazing, with nearly 100 people showing up for his son.  They read passages, sang songs, and gave moving speeches.  At the end of it all, my boss and I were drained, emotionally and physically.  I was feeling kinda down, and to have two ceremonies seemed to be a bit much for me.

However, this paddle out seemed to help with the heavy feeling.  Michelle gave a nice speech before our paddle, citing Pab’s blog writings in her speech.  “Pabs would want us all to be stoked and having fun,” she said, and so “We should all feel that stoke that he was always chasing after.” 

The emotional up and down wasn’t so bad after this.  I just felt pure joy holding hands in the line up with flowers clenched in my teeth.  We splashed water for Pabs as we threw our flowers in to the circle of friends.  Just imagine, a man that I never even met has connected me with all these lovely people. 

I talk with Michelle in the line-up.  “I wonder who’s gonna draw first blood?” I asked her, with a smile. 

“Oh, I know!  I wonder who it will be,” she said.

Just then Matt catches a wave on the inside.  He pumped on the inside to milk it for everything it’s got.  And then he comes back out, only to catch another insider left.

“Guess Matt draws first blood!” I said.

“Oh, what a show off!” Michelle teased.

The sun was shining, and the water was cool.  The winds were slightly off shore, and I just felt some joy in my heart to be a part of this surf community.  And right on queue, Pabs sends me a wave.  It was a small right, but it was good enough to pump on the face and go down the line.  I had a smile from ear to ear, baby. 

Michelle’s hubby Brian, aka Brownie, got a nice right that I hooted him into.  He seemed pretty stoked on it.  The wave peeled perfectly from the outside to right where he was, and he popped up right to his feet and took the right as far as the wave carried him. 

Goofy Kook had a high wave count today.  He caught a lot of nice rides on his board, and always came back with a huge smile on his face.  One wave had some backwash on it, but he somehow muscled his way into the wave and took the wave all the way to shore.  On more than one occasion, I would see him paddle back out from a long ride to shore.  I think he had the highest wave count out of all of us. 

Michelle got some nice waves.  She was going for the bigger ones, which is a “new” thing she’s been trying to do.  I feel like Pabs was sending her some extra oomph on the waves for her though.  She would get some rides all the way to shore too.

Hideki was going for it on his yellow board.  However, he was already double seshing it and so his arms weren’t able to muscle in to the waves.  He did catch this nice left that peeled perfectly for him.  He popped up perfectly and did one pump on the face before bogging out. 

Laurie had a gnarly wipe out for the day.  She went for a close out that engulfed her right in front of me.  But, like a champ, she came up and paddled right back out. 

Cynthia went for this wave, and as the board picked up, she hesitated, and put her legs in the water, immediately pulling the e-brake on her board.  The wave passed her up, and I gave out a long, drawn out “Awwwww” for the missed wave.  She said she didn’t think she had it, but I told her that she did. 

“Next one, next one,” I told her.  And just like that Pabs sent another wave for her.  This one, she didn’t pull back on, and popped up perfectly on the shoulder.  She glided down the face all the way to shore on a right. 

Valerie surfed with style, going both left and right.  When she took off on a left, she would grab rail and direct her board down the line, let the rail go and just glide down the face. 

Matt got a lot of waves going both right and left.  I’m not sure what was cooler, him going for the waves, or him doing the 360 twirl at the nose of his board.  Even Goofy Kook was laughing about that one.  And I think that was what today was all about, laughing and spreading the joy and aloha. 

The “heat winner” was clearly Surf Sista.  From the get-go, she was just killllllllin’ it.  Her first wave was a right, and once she set her line, she walked up towards the nose, flipped the switch and went switch foot, walked another step and came back to her regular stance, and walked up more. 

“It’s so fun going switch foot!” she said.

She also went for lefts that she was able to pump and walk casually to the nose and back.  And the best part?  Her smile that was bright as the sun today. 

Everyone was just so stoked today.  Although it was a somber gathering, I think it was undeniable that the spirit of Pabs was around us and inside of us.  We can all feel the stoke and pure joy that Pabs always wrote about. 

My last ride was definitely my longest ride, and I felt that Pabs had sent me just one last wave before getting out of the water.  It was a right, and the peak formed just for me.  I paddled and popped up, and started to pump down the line.  I saw Goofy Kook paddle for it, but he backed out for me as I kept pumping down the line.  It was a perfect way to end the session. 

Back at the lot, we all hovered over the mountain of donuts we had accumulated, and tried to recruit the people biking or jogging or walking to have a donut.  Some obliged, most denied their inner fatties.  They all wanted to eat a donut, but they shut out that little kid inside of us like a smelly wet dog on a rainy day. 

Overall, this day was just perfect.  I was really glad that I got to see everyone.  I was really stoked to have shared in the vibe.  I was simply STOKED.  Surfing is such a funny sport.  We are all united with this one silly activity of riding a wave that formed thousands of miles away on these planks for just a few seconds at a time, and keep coming back for more.  I would never had met any of these people if I hadn’t surfed, and if I hadn’t written a blog. 

I am so grateful that I was part of this Paddle Out for Pabs today.  Mahalos to Michelle for organizing this.  Mahalos to all of those who came out today.  Without having a group of stoked surfers, the Paddle Out for Pabs wouldn’t have been so joyous!  Mahalos to Mother Ocean for bring us some great weather.  And Mahalos and Aloha to Pabs for being there with us today.  We know you sent us those waves to us.  We’ll be surfing with you always!!!  

::Post Script:: 

An entry from Pabs (one of my favorite entries written by him, and also read by Surfing Grandma before our paddle out):

"But think about it...that's what makes it so rewarding for me: You're no longer in TOTAL CONTROL.

Moreover, when you surf, you're entering a realm that humans have no control over. An environment that can kill you at any time.

Though we would like to think we know what we're doing when immersed within the stoke-zone, we are in fact mere passengers upon a liquid carpet that can either unfold in glorious beauty, or be pulled out from under you in a surprisingly and humbling wipe-out.

Giving up and allowing yourself to abandon all control, including all of the life shit that we carry into water...is what makes it such a spiritual experience for many of us stoke seekers.

You have to simply allow yourself to "BE" in the moment...that also includes those times when mother water forces us into "going deep"...a metaphor for reaching into ourselves and finding our soul."

Lessons Learned 021013

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Surf: 2-3 feet, with the occasional 6 footer

Water: Cold

Atmosphere: Sunny

Winds: Offshore, not as strong as yesterday

Four times the amount of people, and half the size.  I remember this session being fun, but the crowd factor was getting to me.  Luckily, Dais showed up.

The session started off slow, because I was running late.  I was out until 11 something the previous night because it was my homegirl Lydia’s birthday party.  We went to a “meh” Italian place, and then to a bar called Villains Tavern.  That place was fun, and there was a live band playing, which we couldn’t see since the place was packed to capacity.  I cut out early since my body was tired and I was feeling a sore throat coming on all night.  The waves weren’t as big, and there were already a lot of people in the line-up by the time I arrived.  I guess that’s what happens when you sleep in for a few minutes more. 

There were a lot of the locals out today.  Davey paddled up and sardonically said, “Where were all of them yesterday??”

“Well, when it becomes half the size, they come out to play,” I said, matter-of-factly. 

This session I kept telling myself GO FOR IT.  Go for it.  Go for it.  Go for it.  It was a really fun session, but I wished that one of my homies was out.  It’s great surfing with the locals at 26^th Street, but it isn’t the same without surfing with one of your mates. 

And as if on queue, Dais showed up.  And as soon as Dais showed up, the waves started to pump like yesterday. 

Dais was riding his Rocket too, but his is the twin-fin.  His board was the original Rocket that made me decide to get a Rocket shaped by Don Kadowaki.  He took a right that set up perfectly for him to pump front side.  He also got this left that I hooted him into, and at first, I thought he ate it, but he made the wave all the way onto the inside.  I was super stoked seeing this.  I haven’t surfed with Dais in a while, but seeing this means he is still paddling out and is getting better.  It’s always cool to see your friends getting good, fun rides. 

I don’t really remember too many rides for myself for this session.  I just remember Dais’s two really good waves that he caught right near me. 

Actually, I remember one wave.  It was a set wave, and I paddled hard for it.  I was on the peak.  It was my wave.  Dais was on my inside, and so was Oscar.  I can hear the wave start to lift and feather in the wind.  My board was picking up speed and I felt my heart race faster and faster.  “Go!! GOOOO!!” Oscar shouted.  And then, I backed out.  UGH!!!!!!!! What the fuck man!!?? What are you doing?? I asked myself.  Why didn’t you go for it??? I couldn’t believe myself. 

In the parking lot, there is a man and his wife, who have two dogs named Orca and Princess.  Orca is a beautiful Alaskan Husky, and Princess is a precious mix-breed (?) of some sort.  I love petting these dogs, and they love the attention.  The man, Al, said that he used to ski, and even taught skiing in his younger days.  He was saying how the double black diamond runs he used to go on used to scare the shit out of him, but not as much as a wave has ever scared him.  He used to scuba dive, and tried to body board in California but got worked and never tried it again.  He said that on the double black diamond runs, you can see just a steep drop, and you just HAVE TO GO.  There’s no half way in on these runs.  If you do the double black diamond run, you do the whole thing with all your guts and glory. 

“If you fell,” he said, drawing out the last word, “then you just get dragged down a few hundred feet.” 

He smiled.  “Hopefully there aren’t any rocks in your way when you’re falling down the cliff side,” he laughed.  “But, I always remember you just had to GO FOR IT, and then you’ll see if you can ride the double black diamond runs.” 

He also said while teaching skiing, when a kid fell and started to cry, he would distract them or divert their attention away from whatever was making them cry.  He would compliment a girl’s cool jacket, or a point out a tree fallen down sideways to a boy.  

And so, there you go.  I learned two lessons in one talk. 

CC showed up as Dias and I were getting changed.  She told me how she went to see the Lunar New Year with Khang and DK the previous night, and how she was talking with her Aussie boy in the morning.  She was about to paddle out, so I wished her good luck and gave her a hug. 

I hung around the parking lot a little while longer, just relaxing and talking with the people who came around.  It was definitely a good day. 

Mahalos Mother Ocean!!

Go For It 020913

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Surf: 4-6 feet, with the occasional 8 footer marching through

Water: Cold

Atmosphere: Sunny

Winds: Strong off-shore

I’ve been lagging on my blog posts, so here we go…

I remember this day to be an awesome and challenging day.  The day was awesome because there were only three guys out for the majority of the session.  The day was challenging because there were only three guys out for the majority of the session.

The few days before, it had rained lightly over the skies of Los Angeles.  I knew Matt was at National Guard duty, Khang was still nursing his neck, and the rest of the crew… no idea, really.  I just knew that I will be surfing on Saturday.

I got to the parking lot and the lot is one-third full.  Ross was getting changed.  He seemed pretty psyched about surfing.  There was still no one out in the line up at 6:40.  I scratched my head in confusion.

Then a set rolled in, creating hurdles of white water on the inside.  A lot of the locals looked at this, shook their head, and mumbled amongst themselves.  Ross changed his mind and said he was headed to the Avenues in Torrance. 

“Is it any better there, than here?” I asked him.

“No, but it will be closer to where I live.  Go Klaude, GO!”

Well if Ross told me to go, then I have to go.  I marched down to the sand and watched Calvin and Davey paddle out.

The paddle out wasn’t so bad, just a few sets on the head, and I was ducking them all with ease.  I got out to an empty line up, and stared at the horizon.  When a surfer is out alone in the big empty Ocean, it gets a bit lonely. 

Calvin waved me down and said, “Man, I’m glad you came out,” as if he shared the loneliness in the line up. 

Davey paddled towards us from South of the tower, and we three bobbed up and down together. 

Davey got a nice right to start off.  He hacked the first turn and made a sweeping cut back on the second before kicking out. 

Calvin was further North of us, and took a nice, long left.  He snapped three turns off before reaching the inside. 

Then came my turn… a nice set right.  I paddled and gunned for it.  This wave was all mine.  I felt the board flutter and feather from the wind rushing up the face of the wave.  The sun was in my eyes, the spray was covering my face, and I popped up.  I start pumping long lines on the face.  I never felt so fast on my Kadowaki Rocket shape.  Before I knew it, the wave mushed out from the tide, and I had to kick out. 

Davey was the clear cut stand out performer of the day.  He was going both left and right on his tiny board.  He always rides boards around 5’5” or smaller, and tears shit up!!!  He has the overall greatest skill set of 26^th Street.  He was taking off deep on the rights and making almost every drop.  He would kick out on a lot of the rights because they mushed up so much though.  The lefts were definitely where the open faces were, and since Davey is goofy footed, he took full advantage.

Some of the real sets of the day bludgeoned me.  They made me realize that I needed a bigger board for these sets.  On two occasions, I had to ditch my board in an effort to save myself.  These rogue sets were solid four foot Hawaiian scale, with eight foot faces.  The set that clobbered me first was a behemoth that boiled from the outside.  The peak was beginning to spike up as I saw and paddled furiously to the outside.  The crest of the wave broke right where I wanted to be, and so I ditched my board at the last second and plunged into the dark, sandy bottom.  I felt the lip pushed me down, and so I protected my head with my arms and balled up my legs.  The wave washed me around and around, and then picked me up once more.  The same wave washed me up, and pounded me all the way down.  I felt my right leg being tugged by my leash.  “I’m probably tomb-stoning,” I thought to myself.  As bad as this was, I didn’t feel any panic.  I knew I could hold my breath, so I just waited until the wave let me go.  Once she let me go, I paddled back up, and laughed.  I smiled all the way back to the line-up. 

“Yo, I saw your board tomb-stoning,” Davey told me.  “I was wondering if you were gonna be ok, but you came up and laughed so I figured you were ok.”

“Yea, that was heavy, but it wasn’t that bad.  I felt my leash tugging on me, so I figured the board was tomb-stoning,” I told him. 

After I got a small left, I got caught inside.  I drifted passed the lifeguard tower, and so I got out, ran around, and waited to paddle back out.  Orlando called me over to say hi, and we both waited for the sets to die down.  And then we see Davey, paddle for an outside set – the bomb for the day.  He took off at the perfect spot, and tagged the lip once.  Then he pumped a few times, and did a sweeping carve.  Then he pumped a few more times and hacked the lip for a third turn.  Oh, but he wasn’t finished yet!  The section ahead of him started to break, so he put the pedal to the metal, and bolted off to the races.  He made it around the first section, then around the second section, and finally came to the inside.  He then tucked in, and disappeared from our view.  The wave was sandy and brown-white from the inside froth and then the exit started to close.  At the last second Davey gets shot out of the closing barrel and exits through the doggy door.  Elvis has left the building!!

Orlando and I hoot and holler like little groms at Davey.  He gives a wide grin at us and acknowledges us.  Then, he paddles out for more. 

The second paddle out was definitely gnarly.  I thought I waited long enough, but I was wrong, getting caught on the inside.  Water started to shoot down my suit and I thought to myself how in the world did I get out so easily earlier? 

The rest of the session is a blur, except for the fact that I got worked on the inside a few more times.  I had a few waves but they weren’t as good as the first ones I got.  And now, the line-up was crowded.  Well, crowded was a relative term for a day like this.  We went from three people in the line-up to about eighteen.  Still a 500% increase in the crowd is a lot.  

The session was awesome because of the lack of a crowd.  The lack of a crowd allowed for me to pick and choose which waves I could go for.  The session was challening because of the lack of a crowd.  The lack of a crowd meant that I had to go for waves I might normally not go for, and I felt that I backed out on a lot of waves even if I was in position.  I am kicking myself in the ass for that.  Today, I learned that I need to GO FOR IT.  I really felt like I could have pushed a little harder than I did today.  I could have gone for bigger waves, I could have put more oomph on my turns, and I could have done better.  I need to go for it.  For anything in life.  Go for it.  Go for it.  Go for it!!!!

Mahalos Mother Ocean. 

Surf In Paradise, Pabs (1964 - 2013)

I got a text from Surfing Grandma that one of our fellow bloggers, Pabs, had past away.  I never met the guy in person, but I felt that I knew him through his blog.  His blog was genuine and always STOKED when he hit the water. 

A few months ago, he felt a POP in his lower left chest area.  The fellow bloggers left him encouraging comments to stay positive, and that injuries will heal. 

Fast forward to a few days ago, and his close friend posts a reply on his blog that he had past away.  I was in shock and couldn't really process the fact that Pabs had passed away.  Is it weird that I feel like I lost a friend, even if I hadn't met him once?  I suppose that is why we surfers call it a "surf community."  No matter where you come from, or no matter what you do besides surf, we are all connected by surf, by Mother Ocean, and by the overall feeling of the STOKE. 

Pabs always wrote about the stoke.  It didn't matter if it was 1 foot or 5 foot.  He surfed the icy cold waters of NorCal all the time, searching for the stoke.  Towards the end of his life, his blog was sparse and not stoked.  But from what I've read, it seems that his stoke filled up a lifetime and a half of anyone's life. 

Surfing Grandma proposed we do a small paddle out for Pabs.  I hope this becomes a reality.  We are a surfing community, and when we lose one of our comrades, it is only fitting to see them out to Sea.  We are all children of the Ocean.  The Ocean does not divide us... She unites us. 

Here's one for you, Pabs!

Small and Perfect 011313 26th Street

Surf: 2-3 feet faces

Winds: Off-shore

Atmosphere: Sunny

Water: Cold (low 50’s)

Sunday what a fun day!  I knew today was going to be smaller than Saturday, so I checked out Rosecrans first.  The lines seemed to be rolling in, but the higher tide was killing it.  I thought that I missed the window because I woke up so late… I woke up at 600 and arrived at the beach around 700.  I passed on Rosecrans and headed to 26^th Street.  Old, faithful 26^th Street…

There were barely any heads in the line up.  Actually, there were barely any heads in the parking lot.  Calvin was barely getting changed into his wetsuit.  Ross was already changed, and I saw Roy’s car (my old surf mobile) already parked in the first stall.  So, I figured it had to be somewhat good, since yesterday was pretty good while it lasted. 

The sand blistered my feet as I walked down to the beach.  The sun was just peaking over the million dollar houses in Manhattan Beach.  The sun did little to warm any part of the beach though.  The winds were biting at my bare face.  My feet hurt just from walking on the sand.  My fingers felt frozen from the wind chill.  It was another cold, blistering morning at the beach. 

There were only a few heads out when I paddled out.  There was Oscar, Eric, Tim, Ray, Ross, Calvin, mystery surfer #1, and myself.  The waves just peeled perfectly from the north around the shit pipes to a bowl-like shape.  Eric was the first to pick up a gem from the outside.  He was perfectly on the peak and was pumping up and down from the take off.  He took that wave passed the Mons Pubis. 

Ross was killing it as always.  He would take off deep on the rights, check pump, snap, pump, pump, snap, pump, stall, and go totally vertical for a finishing backside snap.  He repeated this a few times and called it a day by 800.  He actually meant “One more wave,” when he said it.  Usually, when he says “One more wave,” it means ten more waves.  He probably had to take his kid to a baseball or basketball game. 

Ray, Tim, and Oscar were all on bigger boards, but kept hooting us shortboarders into waves.  All of us were truly just enjoying the spot, trading waves, and not giving a damn about how we surfed.  We went left and right on all of the set waves.  It was just amazing being able to share the spot with a few guys out.  I took off on a right that had a section ahead of me.  Ray was on the other side of the section, so he took off.  I bottom turned and did a small snap on the face before the white water section broke.  Ray apologized if he snaked me.  I told him not to worry, since he was in better position for the shoulder, and that he had been waiting for a while for a good one.  The older dudes were hooting us in to waves continuously.  We were hooting them into waves too.  It was just a good energy to be in at the moment.  Not a bad vibe was felt, even with myster surfer #1.  Eventually, the cold took a toll on all of them, and so they left. 

The north spot belonged to Calvin and myself.  I can hear Roy hooting further south near the tower, no doubt scoring another good left.  Him, Davey, and Don were on that peak. 

Calvin and I traded waves for a good half hour.  Small to medium waves rolled our way, pealing perfectly.  Calvin was on his blue bonzer board, and was super stylish pumping down the line.  His board was super responsive and he was able to bottom turn to the lip with ease on his bonzer. 

I was able to squeeze some of the cleanest rides out of the smallest waves.  The waves were peeling that perfectly this day.  I just couldn’t believe how good it was. 

“Oh, here we go!” Calvin said.

A set detonated on the outside, and started to bend and peel towards us.  I paddled furiously to meet the peak.  I swung around and started to kick and scratch.  I felt the wave lift me up as I took off on an angle.  I stood up, and instinctively stiffened up and put all my weight on my back foot.  I was on one foot for a split second, then fell off the wave of the day.  Un-fucking-believable.  I blew it. 

Oh well.

I caught more rights with Calvin as the spot grew crowded with the second shift.  They were the same dudes that “didn’t belong” that one day with the draining low tide.  They were having trouble catching the waves, especially since the high tide was now making the waves more mushy.  Calvin and I made our way towards the 26^th Street tower.

Roy was on the tail end of the surf session, and so was I.  For some reason, the waves just south of the tower jacked up and made a difficult take off on this small day.  Roy caught a “last wave in” and headed back to the lot. 

Glen saw me and shouted my name to say hi.  I waved back in acknowledgement, asking how he was.  “COLD!” he said.  We both laughed. 

My last wave was a left where I tried to drag my leading arm into the face of the wave.  The little wave wedged up and created a nice face to caress.  The wave broke on the shore, and I was done.  My feet and hands were frozen cold, but my spirits were high. 

Although I blew the wave of the day, I didn’t really care about any of that, since I had a lot of waves under my belt.  There were just waves galore with only a few heads out.  Yes, it was small, and yes it was inconsequential surf, but man, how good is it when everyone is trading waves for a good hour and a half?  I don’t really recall a lot of the waves for the day because each wave was a carbon copy of the wave before: peeling, perfectly-shaped rights.  You just had to get up early and hit the water while it was still freezing cold. 

Mahalos Mother Ocean!!  Mahalos for rewarding the dawn patrollers. 

Cold Winters and Close Outs 010513

Wave Height: 2-4 feet
Atmosphere: Sunny with patchy clouds
Winds: Off shore
Water: Cold

I woke up late today... super late!! At about 6:30 AM, I got out of bed, and started doing my morning routine.  It's been a while since I woke up this late, but I was in the study zone last night, and needed a bit more rest for my weary head.

I really wanted to travel too, but I didn't muster up enough reasons to go north by myself.  I knew Dais and Tom would be out at 26th, and then my friend Mellie Mel texted me asking if I was surfing 26th.  I texted her back "Yea."

Matt was saying that he couldn't surf too long since he had to drop his brother off at the airport by 8:30 AM, and so he could only surf until 8:00.  He was already on the road and looking at Porto. 

"The winds are stroooong off shores... but there's no shape," he said.

Well, if I see ya at 26th, I'll see ya there, I told him. 

I got to 26th around 730, and saw that the lot was pretty empty for my late arrival.  None of the locals' cars were there.  Only a few scattered faces like Bruce were perched on the parking lot.  The winds were still off shore, but the waves were dumping. 

I couldn't quite catch any good waves this day.  The rip current was so strong that I was pulled out of the impact zone on my initial paddle out in record time.  I was actually amazed that I was able to read that while other surfers struggled to make it out. 

There was a left peak right in front of the brick house north of the Mons Pubis, and Davey was tearing it up.  Davey always rides thick, wide boards, and is probably the most skilled surfer out of all the locals.  He knows how to do it all: carves, floaters, and airs. 

He kept blasting the lip off of these lefts that would warp and wedge in front of us.  They were like small slabs where the Ocean just seemed to fold under and explode in a curtain of white water twice the size of the wave face. 

There were a lot of people that didn't belong in the line up out today.  There were a lot of surfers that didn't know how to paddle, or those who had a weak duck dive, or would wipe out on the worst choice of waves.  I wasn't fearful of their safety, I was more fearful of my own.  They could really hurt someone out here, but they probably don't notice that.  They are fully enthralled in their own struggles as they get pounded by the Ocean. 

Tom came out and I was super stoked to see him.  Up to that point, I was bickering to myself if I had made the right call to stay local.  I was questioning and doubting my choices, and wasn't having a fun time.  But, since a friend of mine showed up, the mood lightened up.

Dais showed up too, adding to my better mood.  He was saying that CC and Mellie Mel were in the lot, changing.  Another plus too!

It took CC and Mellie Mel twenty minutes to make it out into the line up.  They got caught on the inside shore pound, which wasn't really a shore pound, since the waves were just folding over themselves.  They were more like dangerous guillotines.

I remember having to keep paddling in because of the rip current.  But oh no, how the Ocean just punishes us for reading her incorrectly.  Out of no where a three wave set would show up, and just destroy us.

I suppose the one memorable ride for today was Dais, Tom, and me sharing a single wave.  We only went straight, but it was very fun just to catch it with the three stooges on it.

My legs were starting to cramp up.... no doubt because I didn't hydrate enough before coming in to the arena.  I massaged it out, and tried to catch that last wave that was never coming.

I saw Christina get pounded on the inside, and she finally made it over the last breaking wave.  But, I saw from the corner of my eyes that there was another rogue set approaching.  I signaled to CC of another wave, and started to paddle out.  Little did I know that I was going to get pounded by this one.

I was in the worst position ever.  I was right where the lip was going to land, and so I ditched my board (sorry, Randy.  I know this is a big no no) and dove under the wave.  I felt the wave pull me up and shoot me down.  I felt my leg being tugged by my leash, and then a sudden jolt and release.

There goes my board, I thought.

I resurface, and luckily no one was around me.  My board was no where in sight.  Another wave pounded my head, and I dove down once more.  I looked around to see if CC was ok, and she was paddling back out with a look of exhaustion.  She must have gotten pounded like fresh veal.

I started to paddle in, and my right leg cramps.  I stop paddling, and look around if I could hitch a ride from anyone.  No one in sight.  Fuck.  So, I started to paddle again, without kicking my right foot.  My paddling power felt weak without one foot, but I kept trucking through the waves, looking back occasionally to see if there was a wave breaking near me.  I had to roll under a few times from waves breaking on my head, and eventually made it to the shore.  A guy was nice enough to lay my board down on the sand as he exited the arena.

There were some guys on the beach, board to their side, with a look of defeat on their face.  They probably couldn't make it out.  There were some groms that were wet but were disinterested in the surf.  They probably got pounded too.

We were all victims today of the Ocean.  I hobbled up the beach with CC.  My cramp had lasted a good minute or two while swimming, and so it was going to last me a few days to recover from it.  I probably paddled a good thirty yards in the impact zone since it took me so long to get to shore.  Not even a cramped leg could slow me down that significantly.  Luckily, the leash of my board didn't break, but rather the little string that connects the leash to my board.

CC, Mellie Mel, and I went to Pho afterwards.  It was a warming experience, and a cherry popper for CC.  She had never had pho before.  We parted ways and headed to our individual destinations for the rest of our Saturday morning.

Mahalos Mother Ocean! 

Happy New Year at 26th Street - 01012013

Surf Report: 2-4 feet with the occasional 5 footer

Water: Cold

Winds: Off shore

Atmosphere: Some patchy clouds, but sunny

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Dawn patrol today!  I slept at 11:00 PM in order to be able to watch the sun rise and surf some waves on the first day of 2013… and I was successful!

Matt tagging the top off of a left

My dad came out to shoot some photo’s of us today, and Christina was riding in my car today since her car was still MIA.  Matt and Randy showed up, and so did Chris.  The usual local crew of surfers were out this morning, but the crowd was thinner than usual.  That’s what I love about surfing on holidays such as New Years where heavy drinking is involved:  not a lot of people make it out! 

I for one was still drunk when I woke up early in the morning… I honestly remember shooting a text to photographer Ruben Pina and putting my iphone down… and that’s it.  I don’t remember going to bed at all.  I must have been drunk and tired from the day. 

CC back in action... kinda. 

Anyways, the air was extremely chilly, but the water was even colder.  Apparently it was 54 degrees in the water today.  The waves were mushy and started out slow, but occasionally there were some draining set waves that rolled through the line up.  Christina and I caught up on how her trip back to the East coast was, but she was definitely out of synch with the Ocean.  She was on her Aussie board and seemed to have difficultly paddling in to waves today.  She did catch one nice right, taking off right at the peak.  I saw her go straight, so I decided to snake her, and I ate shit.  I came up from the white water, and saw Christina further inside, saying that she had a thick take off, and that satisfied her surf bug. 

“Was it like a thick cock?” I asked her.

“Way better than any thick cock,” she replied.  “I’ll take that feeling of the drop over a thick cock any day.”

Love her. 

Chris showed up unexpectedly, and we chatted up on how surf has been.  I swing around to take a left and he snakes me.  Well, I owe him a few waves since I snaked him before, so we can call it even now. 

Go Chris!  I mean, WTF man?!?! Well, i owed him a few

Chris went for a lot of rights today.  He got a clean right where he turned really hard on the cut back, and came unstuck.  He also took a crazy set wave close out towards the end of the session.  He took off pretty late, tried to make it, but free-fell and went over the falls.  It was probably one of the gnarliest wipe outs I’ve seen Chris take.  Happy new year to him!!  Gotta pay to play…

One of Chris's better moments today :P hahaha

Matt and Randy show up, and I give Matt some lovin in the water.  Matt and I catch up on the antics of last night, and reflect on his brand, spanking new board.  Randy occupied his usual spot at 33^rd, barrel hunting the whole time.  Actually, my dad got a shot of him making a fat turn, so he wasn’t barrel hunting the WHOLE time, but barrel hunting the majority of this surf session. 

Matt seems pretty stoked on his new board.  Not only is he stoked, he is surfing really well on it.  I think the board suits his power style and he seems lighter on his feet.  We surfed together, separately and then together towards the end.  He got some nice rides in going backside, but I’m sure he wanted to go left a lot more. 

Roy was doing his thing as always.  He was catching set wave after set wave, taking them all the way to shore, cranking out two or three turns almost every time.  “Just surf every day, Klaude, you’ll get better,” he says to me.  He has only missed about ten days out of 2012.  I suppose if you do something every day, you’re bound to get better at it. 

I asked Christina if she had any New Years Resolutions.  She told me how when she went back to the East Coast, she noticed that all her High School friends all either had a family of their own, were engaged or getting married, or owned a house.  She explained how she has none of those currently, and that she wants to be ok with that.  She wants to establish her own roots this year, she said.  “And the first step in establishing those roots is through surfing,” she said. 

BAM!! and the lip had no chance of survival when Randy attacked

Christina got out of the water first, since she was tired, and was freezing cold.  I don’t blame her.  She has been out of the water for over a week, and so her paddling muscles must be worn out.  On top of that, the wind chill and water were downright cold for Southern California standards. 

Chris took his last wave, which was a right, to shore, and exited the water. 

I had a small turn on a right, and waited for the “last wave.”  Waited and waited and waited.  The second shift came out and made the Ocean a little bit more crowded.  I waited even more for the “last wave.”  It never came.  I took a close out and paddled in.

My dad asked, “What, you’re done already?  Why did you give up?” 

“I thought you’d be cold and wanted to go home already,” I told him.

“No, I’m fine, go surf more.  Go catch a good wave,” he said to me.

Well shit, I have to go back out now.  I strapped on my leash and headed back out. 

Davey, local rippah, on the second shift

Randy, barrel hunting all day

Matt was sitting with his brother, and I sat next to Roy.  Roy was egging me into some waves, but they weren’t breaking because of the higher tide.  The sets were big close outs, and the inside seemed like they were working better.  The inside seemed too drained out and dangerous though, so I opted to stay on the outside.  Don was on the inside, catching wave after wave. 

A small peak came my way, and I had the left all to myself.  I paddled for it, popped up, and saw Don in my line.  I stalled for him so he could duck dive under the wave.  I kept going down the line casually, not really pumping for speed.  My board just carried me through all the way to the inside where the wave sectioned off and closed out.  I was happy with that last wave, and came in. 

That would be Roy, in da barrel

I came in and saw Christina talking with the locals.  Chris was getting changed, since he had to go to his wife’s uncle’s place (?) in Pasadena and go see the Rose Parade.  He told me that he started a blog, found here at http://gnarlymaskyeah.blogspot.com/

He said that he started a blog because I had one too.  And that prompted me to write today’s blog, since I haven’t spent time writing at all.  Writing was my passion, but it took a back seat to the CPA exam.  I figure I could use the few hours I put in to the blogging sphere back to the CPA exam… and now that I have, I find my creative side dead like road kill.  So, I’m going to write more in my blog so I could consistently recount all the times I surfed, whether they be good, bad, or ugly. 

My New Years Resolution: "Go for it" - it being the barrel

Mahalos Mother Ocean!!  Happy New Year everybody!!!