Longboarding Sessions 012912

Surf Report: 1-3 feet and mushy

Water: Clear and cool

Atmosphere: Sunny!!

Winds: calm

Hang over from the night before:

After putting in four hours of work on Saturday, I rushed home, got some food to eat, and went to a house concert at the place I house sat for.  The guitarist was a Czech guy that comes every year to this house to play for a few people close to one of my friends and mentors.  There was all you can drink wine and scotch, cheese, grapes, and great company.  I stayed away from the scotch, but I still got pretty wasted.  I ended the night at 1230, only to come home to a noisy neighbor that I had to shout at from my window to keep it down.

I awoke at 700 AM slightly hung over and with severe cottonmouth.  I gulped down water as I tried to go back to sleep, but I couldn’t.  My mind just stayed alert, telling my body to get going, the waves are going to make me feel better, and to get the day started off on the right foot.  I got up eventually and started to do my yoga routine.  By the time I finished, I was ready to go out.

Khang and Dais were going to roll out together around 900 AM.  I had to be back to coach a game, so I decided to roll separately.  Fransauce calls me as I was about to leave to tell me he’s about to head out too, and that he will see me at 26^th Street. 

I pull up to a semi-full parking lot, with all the locals getting ready to leave.  Must be a really good day, since they’re here until 900 AM.  I talked to Don and Ross about the surf, and they said it was really nice earlier in the morning, and now its mushy.  I was glad that out of my drunken actions last night, all I packed was a longboard. 

Fransauce sneaks up on me from behind, telling me he got the VIP parking spot on the Strand.  He told me he’ll meet me in the water. 

Today was a rejuvenation session with my longboard.  She’s a 9’0” San Onofre shaped longboard, designed for nose riding.  She paddles like a boat, and is one of the easiest equipments to ride.  The waves were mushy and so the longboarders dominated the playing field today.  I was glad I was one of them. 

There weren’t any “drop ins” today, just sharing of waves.  Fransauce told me to go on a wave where he was on my inside.  I gladly took his invitation as I rode the beautiful face of the Ocean’s bosom. 

I tried to walk the nose on almost every wave today.  Cross stepping has never been anything I attempted until today.  Before I would just inch my way up, taking small baby steps in a wide stance to try to nose ride.  Today, I was emulating my inner Kelia Moniz by trying to walk the nose.  This proved to be hard, but it was super fun!  I actually got close to hanging five on the nose, but ate it after a split second of nose riding.  Indeed, it feels and looks like you’re just floating on the wave, with all the spray coming out from underneath your feet!  It’s a feeling unlike any other. 

Christina was out before any of us, and she said she had a lot of fun earlier but now the waves were lackluster.  She took off eventually and we never saw her again… hahahaha so dramatic.

So Fresh and So Clean

Fransauce was working the inside waves, and was catching a lot of waves on his shortboard.  Khang and Dais eventually showed up and took part in the fine conditions.  The waves just rolled in so clean, and the sun was baking our bodies in our wetsuits.  The water was still cold, but it was a refreshing feeling of rejuvenation. 

All I remember was gliding down the line on my longboard today, and having a huge smile on my face every time I paddled back out to the line up.  It’s good to change it up like this, keeping surfing fresh and exciting and different.

I eventually have to leave after an hour of surfing.  I wanted to go to the driving range with my dad, but I got home a little passed 1100 AM, so we just ate mochi for breakfast and I apologized for being late to golf. Another day, for sure.

Mahalos Mother Ocean!  What a beautiful SoCal day today was, and I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect day to longboard.