DREAM SESSIONS: FRI 11/05/2010 MORNING

DREAM SESSIONS:  FRI 11/05/2010 MORNING

    Yesterday, Shan told me that he wanted to surf at 26th St. at 6:45 A.M.  When I showed up … he wasn’t there. …  I cried.  I couldn’t help it.  My man partner (“martner”*) stood me up.  I hoped that he would still show up.  Maybe his cell phone ran out of juice, and he was already driving towards me to be with … me.

    I got free parking right on top of the hill.  I was lucky.  At that time in the morning there were still a lot of parking spots available.  I walked down to see what the surf was like.  Of course, it was too dark.  Actually, this was just like the other morning when I headed there.  I couldn’t tell what the waves were doing, but I was pretty optimistic that it would be a good session.  I took my time warming up as the sun was barely turning the sky to a reddish orange above the Manhattan Beach homes.  It still looked walled, but the tide was up, so there were a couple cleaner sets that broke closer to the inside.  I paddled out without a problem.  There were a lot of people right in front of 26th, mostly the high school surf teams, so I went a little south.  I was in a small group of surfers, and the feeling to prove yourself was alive.  At that point of the morning, there were mostly fast waves that didn’t stay open long, but at least not all of the waves were complete walls.  I took off on some left and rights that only had a face to support a fun slide down.   I caught as many as I could to show everyone else that I wanted them. 

    Just before eight o’clock the tide got even higher, and it made the walled up waves have shape.  After that it was like being in a whorehouse in a third world country where the American dollar goes a long way.  There was wave after wave of soft four footers.  I was in the prime spot to catch mostly lefts, but I got some rights, too.  The waves were still a little fast, so I mainly concentrated on going down the line.  When the opportunity was right, I tried to force a little spray. 

    I met an Indian dude in the water.  His name was Ahmad from Malibu.  We talked about the local surf and how he actually drives all the way here because he likes it better.  The only problem with Ahmad was that since he was talking to me, he ended up hogging the waves.  I had to end our relationship and paddle more towards 26th.  The high schoolers had already left, and the only people left in the water were the surf junkies, like myself.  I constantly turned around, expecting to see Shan walking towards me, waving his hand at me, and suiting up to paddle out.  No sign.

    This was a fun morning.  The waves weren’t technical, barreling, or too fast.  Once the tide got to it’s highest point, the waves got even softer.  I paddled into waves with ease, and the waves were so soft that there was a long delay before I actually slid down the face.   These waves were forgiving with more than enough time to draw a good line.  It wasn’t even nine o’clock yet, and my lats were already burning from all of the paddling that I was doing. 

    The weather was perfect.  There was a little offshore wind, it was hot as hell, and the sun baked me in my wetsuit.  I had to get out.  I was just too tired.  It was 8:55 A.M.  I turned around and saw the nicely shaped shoulders and all the surfers catching them.  There was no way I could leave.  I walked north to the 30th St. tower and paddled out where it was more consistent.  This was where I got my wave of the day.  It seemed that some of the bigger sets were breaking there, but the bigger waves had the least shape.  I was lucky to get a jewel- a nice five foot left.  Instead of forcing a big bottom turn to set me up for some spray on the lip, I concentrated on taking the highline to keep my speed, and I got some nice quality carves on the top.  It was then that I had an epiphany.  Since I learned how to get spray I have been trying to reduplicate the same thing over and over.  I was so obsessed with it, that I was letting a lot of good quality rides go.  So … for me it’s back to the basics/fundamentals.  I will be patient, not force anything, and just let the path of the wave dictate my surfing.

    By 9:30 A.M. I was drained of all my energy.  I paced to the shower.  I still couldn’t help but regret that I was leaving on such a perfect day.  There were still so many people out getting in on all that consistent action.  I hope tomorrow morning will be the same.