THE MORNING BOG: SAT 4.30.2011 MOR

CREW: Klaude, Dais, Francis, Cheryl, Christina, and Khang
FLAKES OF THE DAY: None
RAN INTO: Gary
TIME: 0700 - 00945, 2 hrs. & 45 min.
CONDITIONS: Light offshore, clean and pristine conditions, sunny, clear, blue skies, mid to high tide, lack of swell, burgery.

    Klaude and I agreed to stay local due to our studies. I woke up a little later than planned, but still managed to score a free parking spot close to Rosecrans. Apparently, Dais, Klaude, and Khang were searching for parking too. I changed in the middle of the residential homes in the quiet morning hours when two surfers started yelling across the street in conversation. I cringed at this, and I felt bad for the people still sleeping in their homes all around us.

    Time check 0650, I walked around the corner from my car and see my friends pouring out of Klaude’s van. What a coincidence, I thought. I got introduced to Khang for the first time. He just moved back to L.A. after some soul searching that he did in Texas. He had his green fish ready to make up for lost time.
    When we got to the sand we didn’t even make it to 26th. Just north of it, there were a couple clean peaks that were working. We watched a couple clean shoulders roll by, and Khang let out a couple hoots of enthusiasm. There was no need to walk further.

    I commented on how the conditions cleaned up compared to my previous sesh. The surf was not big that morning or even “good,” but the atmosphere was the epitome of a South Bay morning; it was summer.

    As I paddled out I saw this guy on a Bonzer pumping down the line, going left. I turned to see who it was, and it was Gary. We exchanged greetings. He had already been there for an hour and said that the rising tide was killing it. I told the rest of the boys he was with us, but Khang was a little too far away for the introduction.

    I got a couple waves, but they bogged out right after the drop in; they were barely three feet California scale. I think Dais got a wave, and we all cheered him on.    

    Gary turned to me and said, “Now that’s what I love to see, people that come out here to surf that are truly stoked for their friends to catch a wave.”

    He then caught his last wave in, and it was just us slackers with the anonymous crowd. It got even more frustrating as the morning pressed on. Khang was in the thick of the crowd to our north, and Klaude and Dais waited for the inside waves. I thought about the rest of the crew that might be at 26th, so I paddled with the current until I noticed Christina in the water. She didn’t see me. I threw up my hand to get her attention, and that’s when I noticed Francis right in front of me. Soon we were all together, but I can’t say that we were trading off on waves. Cheryl showed up close to 0900 and joined us too.

    The main peak had a lot of heads on it, and people were scattered all throughout the beach break. At the two hour and forty-five minute mark, I couldn’t take the cold any more, especially since the waves weren’t rolling in. Klaude and Francis opted for some body surfing while I rested by Christina. The beach was just starting to get packed, even the lifeguard juniors were out there training.

    When Klaude was done body surfing, he had what looked like strawberry syrup dripping from the bottom of his nose and face. He said he hit the sand bottom on accident. He took it like a man, but I thought the blood was a little brutal. Everyone else paddled out again, but I had other obligations to tend to. The session wasn’t about good waves, it