Evening Session, Welcome Back Nicky 060211

Surf Report: 3-5 feet, gnarly shore pound

Winds: Strong on shore

Atmosphere: Beautiful Sunset

Water: Cool

I was watching the winds all day today from my office.  The winds were blowing hard.  I watched the surf cams on surfline, and the water looked choppy at best with no one out.  I was growing antsy to get out and surf, to get out of this cubicle I call an office, and to let loose in the Ocean. 

I planned on swimming today, but I was growing weary of just swimming all the time in order to “train” for surf.  That is the only reason for swimming: training for surf.  Albeit a good reason, swimming is not my passion. 

So, I drove out of the winding three story parking lot to the surface level with my sunglasses on, and recognized that the wind had died down over here.  I kept on driving home west, and noticed there was almost no wind.  Could it be a miracle?

I called Matt to see what he was doing.  He was baby-sitting for the moment, but he was getting off around 1800, so he was willing to check out the surf if I rolled out.  I told him I would call back once I decide what to do. 

I called Nicky, knowing that he was back home from his first year in college.  He said that he was down to surf, so I told him I would call him back once I decide on what to do. 

I called Khang, seeing where he was.  He was in Orange County, so surf was a no go for him.

I called Dais, and he said he would opt out of surfing today. 

So, I got home, and asked myself, do I want to swim, or surf today?  I flipped my 50 cent piece that I always flip when I’m at a crossroads in life:  Heads is surf, Tails is swim.  The coin landed on heads.  I called Matt and Nicky to tell them I was on the way to Porto, and that I will see them soon. 

I gathered all my gear, filled up two water jugs, and headed out. 

I saw Nicky walking with his girlfriend and stopped in front of his house.  We exchanged a deep, loving hug, squeezing each others butt cheeks and making Youngmin very jealous.  I could see it in her eyes that she already knew there was no competing with me for Nicky’s sweet ass.  I mean love.  Sweet love. 

We packed up our stuff, and headed out.  He was stoked to go out to surf again, and we caught up on what has been going on with our lives.  I listened to all of his college adventures and mishaps, and laughed with all of his little tidbits thrown into the pot and tossed around like a salad. 

We arrived to El Porto, and it was SO FUCKING BLOWN OUT.  I saw Matt’s car, and I pulled up a parking spot over next to him.  He told us that Shan was on his way, and we shot the shit for a bit until Shan arrived. 

There were waves to be ridden, it was just that the disorganization looked amazingly horrible.  The peak in front of the bathrooms looked like the place to be, with the occasional wave rolling through that produced a face. 

Shan rolled through, and we all said what’s up, and quickly got changed.  We pulled on our wetsuits and threw in some change into the meter, and were off to the sand. 

Matt was the first to hit the water.  He was out into the line up in no time.  Shan ran back to his car to grab something, and I headed out.  I started to paddle, duck dive, paddle, paddle, paddle, and paddle some more.  I seemed to have not been going anywhere, but I compared this to Sunday’s current, and I thought it wasn’t so bad.  I kept on paddling and figured I was in a rip tide, since I wasn’t moving anywhere.  I kept on paddling and paddling stubbornly.

I saw Matt take off on a right, and another surfer go on a left.  I started to hoot both of them, and then I recognized Shan was going on the left.  I could tell by his style that it was him immediately.  I duck dived, and finally got to the line up.  I saw Nicky in the line up too. 

“How the hell did you guys get out here earlier than me?”

“Oh, we paddled a little bit north and got out pretty quick.  Yea, we saw you struggling in the inside,” Nicky chuckled.

I didn’t see Nicky’s wave, but Matt whistled him when he caught it.  I had my back turned to Nicky when he took his official welcome back wave.  Nicky was clearly out of shape, but that didn’t stop him from catching a few waves.

Just then, I heard a “WHOOOO~” from who else but Shan.  He took a right, but since he’s goofy footed, he went left.  The right looked like it opened up, but the left closed out.  I hope that one day he learns to go right.  Actually, scratch that.  If he learns to go right, that means fewer rights for me.  So let’s hope he just keeps going left. 

I remember one other wave that Shan took that doubled up on him.  The waves would do that because of the disorganization, and so he paddled for a wave and popped up.  The wave produced a step that made a second drop for him, and he stuck that to go pretty far.

Matt tried to fight the current, but after a while, I think he accepted the fact that it was futile fighting THIS current.  The current was just too much today.  Besides, wherever we drifted, there were waves.  Matt got a lot of waves today, and was the stand out performer once again.  He took some of the bigger waves and made most of them, but the cleanest one I remember was where he dropped in on a right that kind of doubled up on him on the inside.  He set up the bottom turn nicely, and just did a complete SMACK of the lip.  He came unstuck, but that splash was invigorating. 

There were other surfers out too, including one chick.  She was a blonde girl that knew what she was doing.  It’s pretty hot knowing not only a surfer chick, but a surfer chick that knows what she was doing.  Her and her other guy friends were catching some nice waves as the sun set over the Santa Monica mountains and painted the sky an orange hue over the brown landscape. 

I for one had a pretty fun day catching close outs.  I tried to stick a lot of the close outs and succeeded, but failed on a lot of them too.  I maybe got one clean ride at the end where I was out on the face, but the wave wasn’t powerful enough to carry me any further and I lost all my speed.

All in all, I think this post work session was worth it.  I lost time on my studying, but I can’t translate the time spent in the water with da boys into any numerical or monetary value.  These moments are priceless to me.  And plus, it was one of Matt’s last days to surf.  I probably won’t be seeing him in the water until he gets back from Bali.

On an ending note, the meter maid here SUCKS.  She was flashing her lights, and so Matt and I started to run towards our cars.  We got there to a ticketless car and heaved a collective sigh of relief, only to get yelled at by the meter maid.

“What, am I supposed to wait for you guys get your last wave?? ARRGHHHHH you guys don’t know, but the gate’s supposed to be closed ttttttweeeeeenty minutes agoooooorrrrrrr!!!  Rawghharrrrr!!! I don’t have time to be waiting for you guys to change, get out of here!! Argghghhhh what, are you kidding me?  (pointing at Nicky) I had to wait for him to get his last wave??? Argghhhhhhhhhhh! I’m writing you guys a ticket if you’re not out of here in 0 seconds!! Arrgghhhwwwhhhhh!!!!!”

Ok, so we overstayed our welcome, yes, you made that obvious, but really?  Did you need to be yelling so loudly and uncontrollably?  She obviously is alone and needs a hug.  She had an all-important-appointment with nobody to make at 2000, and we made her late! Oh.  My.  God.  How could we live with ourselves?? 

So Nicky and I rush out, throwing all of our stuff in the car, still dripping in our wetsuits.  We rush out of the lot, and park at the Chevron to get changed.  Just our luck, the blond surfer chick was there to, and she laughed at us with her boys about how we got chased out like they did.  We all had a laugh about it, and they parted.  Matt pulled up, and we chatted a little bit more, and parted ways. 

Mahalos Mother Ocean, I know you didn’t bring the meter maid, that wasn’t your fault.  You bring waves and joy into our lives.  See you Saturday!!