Everything after the morning session went by so fast. After a fifteen minute nap it was already time to head back to the same surf spot. We got to the Grand parking lot a little before 3:00 P.M. The tide was going from mid to low, and we hoped it would make the conditions better. There were a lot of cars parked on the hill, and people were checking it out with binoculars. There were some surfers perching at Hammers, but it still didn’t look as clean as my brother hoped. We called Rick and told him where we’d be at.
There was a little onshore wind, but Rick told us that it was supposed to die out. The conditions were a little cleaner, but not by much. Other than the jetty, there was virtually only one other guy out in front of the stacks. It looked really drained, but the waves were still breaking far out. We were going to surf closer to the jetty, but my brother saw a left breaking that was just south of the stacks, and that’s where that one other surfer was.
I was blessed with good luck again, as the paddle out was perfectly timed without incident. We talked to that lone surfer that was out there. He was really mellow which made things easy for everyone. He paddled for a lot of waves way too early, which told me that he probably didn’t know what he was doing (more waves for us). Rick ended up being right because the wind died, and the water cleaned up a little. To my surprise, I got the first wave of the evening session. A big left came. I was on the inside, so Randy told me to go for it. It was a little overhead (out of my comfort zone), so I really focused on sticking the drop. I made it, straightened up on the face, went down the line a little, then I kicked out, and my body got a little air. I was pretty stoked. I smiled from ear to ear as I asked my brother if he saw that. He said, “Yeah, next time try to go up and down the wave more.” He was right. I could’ve done more on that wave, but I was just happy to make it, and I didn’t want to take it too far and paddle back. I ended up getting another left that I kicked out of again. I was so happy that I was surviving the drops, and that I was out there actually “doing something!” My next wave would be my wave of the day.
It was amazing how the conditions cleaned up. It wasn’t perfectly clean. The waves were still big, steep, inconsistent, and technical. I saw a bump on the surface in the distance. I didn’t move. As it got closer the peak started to form; it was a heart dropper. I just recently caught the biggest wave of my life this week, but the slope on that one was a little more gradual. This wave was a little smaller, but it was faster. My mind told me that it was too big, and that it was that kind of wave where I would play it safe. However, just the definition of the peak and forming shoulder told me that it was catchable. Without saying anything to my brother (who was on my outside), I paddled towards the peak and paddled into the wave. I ended up staying on the face and braced for a critical drop. I bottom turned at the base, and as I looked up I saw my brother riding the wave at the top of the section. In my mind’s eye, he was at least one story above me. I called out to him and cheered us both on: “YEAHHHH-HAHHHHHHH! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!” I surprised him. He didn’t know I was there, so he kicked out of the wave. Once he was out of the way I didn’t have time to go up the face to gain more speed; the wave was about to close.
Full of endorphins, once again, my body was. Pumped beyond belief, I was on top of the world. As I paddled back I saw that Rick was joining my brother in the line up. Rick told me that he saw me catch that bomb, and that he saw all my other rides. My brother told me it was the biggest wave he’s ever seen me paddle for. They both said I was charging. It meant a lot to hear that from them, but I downplayed it as much as I could because I have way too much respect for the ocean to fool myself. I thought it was a huge wave, but when I asked Randy he said it was only six feet. Fuck … it must’ve been that damn “Hawaiian scale” that he was using because I can’t believe it was only a six footer!
Randy hadn’t even caught one wave yet. After that, I could’ve easily called it a day. I got a couple more rides, but nothing that matched that bomb. I surfed the rest of the session wipeout free. My brother and Rick got some monster lefts, and Rick was paddling for everything and anything. The clean up sets became more consistent, and I was on the receiving end for almost all of them. I tried to get under them only to get my board snatched out; they just seemed too big to duck dive. I ditched my board numerous times and got sucked under. I got caught in the impact zone so many times that I began to get used to it, but it didn’t mean that it got easier. With the sun already set, and the orange haze dwindling past the horizon, I caught my last wave in.
It was an emotional session for me, especially being able to share that moment with both of my surf mentors; it was special. We came back to my apartment and celebrated with a couple beers and some surf porn. It was definitely a session where all three of us can look back upon, even when we’re old. The swell hit its peak on that day, and I was a part of it … we were a part of it. It feels good knowing that.
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