CREW: Solo Bolo
FLAKES OF THE DAY: None
RAN INTO: No one
TIME: 0700 - 0800, 1 hr.
CONDITIONS: Strong off shore winds, wind chill factor, mid tide going lower, 50 degrees, sunny, walled, chest to head high, bigger on the plus sets, lots of damn dolphins.
Yesterday I met up with J at El Porto just a little before 0630. I pulled out my 6’2 DMS board and noticed that the tail felt sharp as I pulled it out. When I took a closer look, I saw that a square piece of the glass popped out of the tail, and the foam was exposed. I didn’t bring the Merrick with me (I’m over the Merrick), my JS board is still at Rick’s getting fixed, so I didn’t have any other options. I apologized to J that I wouldn’t get to paddle out, and that was after I already suited up at my apartment and put on some sunblock.
I really didn’t want to, but my only other option was to temporarily use my brother’s 6’0 Tokoro this morning. He’d probably kill me if he found out that I used it, but I really didn’t want to regress by riding a bigger board again. I hoped that one session on it wouldn’t hurt, and I planned to fix the DMS on Friday. I almost contemplated on taking the DMS to a professional board repair shop, but last night I came across this link that shows how to do a proper tail repair:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gT2zYnth20
I actually have Solarez, and watching this clip made me realize that I’ve been doing my repairs wrong! So … I am more than confident that I can do a good repair tomorrow.
I text Shan and J last night that I’d be at Porto at first light. I got to the lot at about 0630. I was optimistic at first. The new swell looked smaller, the tide looked at that right height to produce some good waves, but I didn’t see any defined peaks. I saw one guy sit on the shoulder at 42nd for the left that comes through there, but he had to catch it fairly close to the inside to get the open section. I saw nothing but walls. It was about chest high, but the plus sets were over five feet. I wasn’t very enthused after that, so I thought I’d check out 26th instead, as it can hold shape better at times.
I got free parking right by the Life Guard Training Center. The wind picked up considerably. As I grabbed my gear, gusts of wind picked up leaves and swayed my hair. I could see the texture on the water from the off shores. It looked like it was better when I drove down to my parking spot. Good ol’ 26th, I thought. I’ve had a lot of good sessions there, and God bless the free parking. My favorite spot there is off to the side of 26th. There weren’t that many people out, and I would soon find out why. I watched … warmed up … watched some more … and then I finally came to the conclusion that the whole fucking South Bay must be walled up. But I had to surf, or at least paddle out and try. I was one day dry, and I was already getting cranky from not getting wet. I tried my best to pick the spot with the most potential for a peak. I paced the shore until I realized it didn’t really matter.
The Tokoro is a little shorter, an inch to be exact, than the DMS. It felt a little more chippy on the paddle out. If I ever felt like I was barely moving on the DMS, then this was worse. Although, I have learned something over these past months. Being ready for a shorter or more challenging board relies heavily on your state of mind. For a while I doubted my abilities to ever ride a short board, especially after seeing my brother catch waves with ease, waves that I couldn’t even get on my Merrick. The attitude of self doubt or the lack of confidence can get you stuck in a rut, and as long as that’s in your head, you will be limiting yourself on that board. I guess my attitude has changed because I’ve accepted that I’ve still got a lot to learn before I become proficient on it, but that hard work, paddling, consistency, and repetition in popping up will eventually get me to where I want to be. If I wipe out due to my lack of skill, that’s okay because as each day goes by I’ll gain more and more experience.
I tried to make peaks out of the sets coming in. I angled my head in funny waves and squinted my eyes, but I wasn’t fooled. Where I saw a peak, I also saw the long building line stretching far across, and only someone on the edge of the envelope would be lucky enough to have a little shoulder before it shut. I went for some, anyway. I paddled for a steep left and ditched my board in mid air; I just got pitched. I caught a close out. The best left that I saw came to me. For once, the shoulder was sharp and angled, there was no wall past it, and I was sitting right on it. Being a walled-up day, it was still fast, but I paddled and popped up right on the corner. Despite my momentum from the punchy face, the section was still too fast, and I had to penetrate out the back. Well, I guess that counted for one experience point. It was a semi technical drop on a racy day, I stuck the landing, and I didn’t fall on the slide.
The dolphins were catching their waves. Those bastards … they were getting some mean aerials coming out of the line up, and they were jumping out really close to surfers. One jumped out right next to me and made me give out an “OH SHIT!” You have to wonder … you know that they are fucking with us humans. As long as they’re not nibbling on us, I guess.
It was frustrating after that. Surfers all around scratched out on walls, and some gave up waiting and just caught the bombs for fuck sake. I talked to a couple guys in the water. This one surfer looked like Rush Limbaugh. He said, “Maybe it’s just the tide.”
Yeah, maybe … but I wasn’t staying any longer. One hour, that was all I needed. I caught my last close out and shivered in the cooling wind. My toes were so numb. The wet sand was blistering cold. Some guys were checking it out from the strand, and I saw Bruce looking through his binos from the lot. The sun, now higher, casted an orange glow on a tree‘s leaves. The wind whirled them about on their stems. The swishing noises of nature surrounded me. It was a beautiful morning, but not beautiful surf. Sometimes we have to appreciate the other things that the water brings us closer to.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
JEWELS UNRIDDEN: TUE 1.25.2011 DAY
CREW: Solo Bolo
FLAKES OF THE DAY: None
RAN INTO: J
TIME: 1320 - 1430, 1 hr. & 10 min.
CONDITIONS: Shoulder to head high, high tide, most of the bigger sets were walled up and closed, but there were some good shoulders here and there. The smaller sets seemed to have better shape, and there were random clean peaks every once in a while.
J text me at 0550 and told me he was on the way to Porto. I lay in bed all snuggly under the covers. I really didn’t want to get up because I was so warm and comfy, but I rolled out of bed and met him there at 0630. He hadn’t paddled out yet and was in his work clothes. He told me that it was still walled up and didn’t look worth it. We looked at it a little longer, he was right. He also said that he surfed a sunset session yesterday, and that it was the same thing. He left, and I went to the gym.
I made sure to get my homework done in time so I could check out Porto again before school. I drove back down around one in the afternoon. The peaks were really long, but I saw some workable shoulders at the end of them. The lot was full, and there were a lot of people in the water. I could tell that the high tide softened things up a little, so I changed as fast as possible to at least get a good hour in.
Once I made my way to the sand I saw that some of the sets were still closed out. Obviously, the main peaks were working a little better, but that’s where the main concentration of surfers were. I have never really surfed at mid day before, so the crowd was a bit different. Also, there was a lot more talent in the water at that time. I saw guys getting long rides, good turns, floaters, cut backs with follow through snaps and redirection, and boost attempts. It was the same place, different people.
I paddled out at the end of the tanks. I didn’t have to struggle so much with the inside, and I made it to the line pretty quick. It was a typical, beautiful, South Bay afternoon: not a cloud in the sky, the sun was blinding bright, and there were people soaking it up on the beach. The only nasty thing was the water quality. There were a lot of stagnant foam bubbles with green and brown liquid mixed in with them. I did my best to paddle away from those spots.
It was initially a long wait. Most of the sets were walled. I caught two close outs to start things off, and I didn’t expect much for the rest of the session. Into the first half hour, I was finally lucky enough to snag a couple shoulders. I caught a right. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a “clean” right. It was from a peak with a long line, and I was right at the end where the shoulder was. The wave had a head of foam at the top of it that ran with the section, but I managed three top turns before it closed out. Yeah, it wasn’t the prettiest ride, but that was the longest ride that I’ve had in a while. The waves were really unpredictable. In between the walls and small sets, there were random, single, peaks that popped up with good shoulders. I got some little rides off of those.
I have been bitching and griping about El Porto lately, and she tried to help me today. Twice, I was given clean peaks with perfect five-foot shoulders. I was off on my positioning being too far on the outside. I paddled as hard as I could to get into them, but the waves left me behind. I could only watch as the shoulders moved away, open, and uncrumbled. My last wave was a left that I thought was a close out. It actually opened up a little on the inside, but I forgot to pump my board to get to the open section. For some reason I was just depending on the wave momentum, probably because it’s been fast and dumpy lately.
Potential wave of the week, I almost forgot. … A plus sized set came, but it actually had a rideable left shoulder that built up really fast. I was in the prime spot. I paddled and got the slide at that critical moment where I was short of getting pitched. I remember the speed of the drop; it was fast and head high. I tried to point my nose down the line to stay on the face because it was a racy wave. My first instinct was to grab the rail with my right hand, lift the front of the board, and force redirect it. Instead, I relied on my footing to do my bottom turn. I don’t know why, but my back foot slipped off the back of the board. Fuck. It was such a good wave. I was mad that that happened. My feet just didn’t stick, I guess. … Oh well.
I still got a decent session out of it. I was grateful for the rides that I got. It was definitely better than the last couple times I went out, so I ain’t complaining. I expect good surf tomorrow. The NW swell is gonna fade while the SSW swell holds. Hopefully the slight drop in size and minute chance for a little wrap around combo will make some clean peaks. Shan and J said they’re paddling out at first light. I have high expectations.
FLAKES OF THE DAY: None
RAN INTO: J
TIME: 1320 - 1430, 1 hr. & 10 min.
CONDITIONS: Shoulder to head high, high tide, most of the bigger sets were walled up and closed, but there were some good shoulders here and there. The smaller sets seemed to have better shape, and there were random clean peaks every once in a while.
J text me at 0550 and told me he was on the way to Porto. I lay in bed all snuggly under the covers. I really didn’t want to get up because I was so warm and comfy, but I rolled out of bed and met him there at 0630. He hadn’t paddled out yet and was in his work clothes. He told me that it was still walled up and didn’t look worth it. We looked at it a little longer, he was right. He also said that he surfed a sunset session yesterday, and that it was the same thing. He left, and I went to the gym.
I made sure to get my homework done in time so I could check out Porto again before school. I drove back down around one in the afternoon. The peaks were really long, but I saw some workable shoulders at the end of them. The lot was full, and there were a lot of people in the water. I could tell that the high tide softened things up a little, so I changed as fast as possible to at least get a good hour in.
Once I made my way to the sand I saw that some of the sets were still closed out. Obviously, the main peaks were working a little better, but that’s where the main concentration of surfers were. I have never really surfed at mid day before, so the crowd was a bit different. Also, there was a lot more talent in the water at that time. I saw guys getting long rides, good turns, floaters, cut backs with follow through snaps and redirection, and boost attempts. It was the same place, different people.
I paddled out at the end of the tanks. I didn’t have to struggle so much with the inside, and I made it to the line pretty quick. It was a typical, beautiful, South Bay afternoon: not a cloud in the sky, the sun was blinding bright, and there were people soaking it up on the beach. The only nasty thing was the water quality. There were a lot of stagnant foam bubbles with green and brown liquid mixed in with them. I did my best to paddle away from those spots.
It was initially a long wait. Most of the sets were walled. I caught two close outs to start things off, and I didn’t expect much for the rest of the session. Into the first half hour, I was finally lucky enough to snag a couple shoulders. I caught a right. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a “clean” right. It was from a peak with a long line, and I was right at the end where the shoulder was. The wave had a head of foam at the top of it that ran with the section, but I managed three top turns before it closed out. Yeah, it wasn’t the prettiest ride, but that was the longest ride that I’ve had in a while. The waves were really unpredictable. In between the walls and small sets, there were random, single, peaks that popped up with good shoulders. I got some little rides off of those.
I have been bitching and griping about El Porto lately, and she tried to help me today. Twice, I was given clean peaks with perfect five-foot shoulders. I was off on my positioning being too far on the outside. I paddled as hard as I could to get into them, but the waves left me behind. I could only watch as the shoulders moved away, open, and uncrumbled. My last wave was a left that I thought was a close out. It actually opened up a little on the inside, but I forgot to pump my board to get to the open section. For some reason I was just depending on the wave momentum, probably because it’s been fast and dumpy lately.
Potential wave of the week, I almost forgot. … A plus sized set came, but it actually had a rideable left shoulder that built up really fast. I was in the prime spot. I paddled and got the slide at that critical moment where I was short of getting pitched. I remember the speed of the drop; it was fast and head high. I tried to point my nose down the line to stay on the face because it was a racy wave. My first instinct was to grab the rail with my right hand, lift the front of the board, and force redirect it. Instead, I relied on my footing to do my bottom turn. I don’t know why, but my back foot slipped off the back of the board. Fuck. It was such a good wave. I was mad that that happened. My feet just didn’t stick, I guess. … Oh well.
I still got a decent session out of it. I was grateful for the rides that I got. It was definitely better than the last couple times I went out, so I ain’t complaining. I expect good surf tomorrow. The NW swell is gonna fade while the SSW swell holds. Hopefully the slight drop in size and minute chance for a little wrap around combo will make some clean peaks. Shan and J said they’re paddling out at first light. I have high expectations.
OVER IT: MON 1.24.2011 MORN
CREW: Solo Bolo
FLAKES OF THE DAY: None
RAN INTO: No one
TIME: 1030 - 1130, 1 hr.
CONDITIONS: Shoulder to head high, mid tide, walled up, mostly closeouts, no wind, sunny.
I checked out Porto around seven in the morning. The tide seemed kind of low, and the waves were closing out. I went to the gym instead. Yesterday morning, it was important that I got a session in. I started school yesterday, and I wanted to start off the day right. Also, the last time I surfed was Thursday, and I was feening for a wave.
When I was in Iraq, I hated the feeling of labeling myself as a surfer and not being able to surf. It’s like being a musician without instruments. I feel like the longer I go without surfing I begin to lose my identity a little. I don’t like that; I hate that. So … I surf as much as possible to keep the fire burning.
At 1030 the tide was much higher, just like the sun. It was a warm day. Other people pulled up and changed into their wetsuits. I saw three right hand shoulders open up at 45th. I also saw that everywhere else looked a little closed, especially by the tanks. The lines over there were walled and long. There weren’t too many people out, but everyone there was hogging 45th. I jogged in between the tanks and the stacks to try out a left that I saw.
The paddle out was a little brutal. I tried my best to time it, but it was a long paddle out. I had to fight my way through a solid set. When I made it I was out of breath. As soon as I regained my composure I waited for a good wave … it never happened. Nothing but walls came my way. I paddled closer to the tanks. I saw a guy get a good right by the stacks. He caught a long ride, and I saw the bottom of his board on three good snaps on the same wave. I envied him. I saw some guys getting that left on 45th. Fuck, I thought to myself. I only had an hour and it didn’t look like I was gonna get anything.
I paddled for three closeouts. Two I could only go straight on, and I had a noteworthy wipeout on the other one. Once again, I ended the session paddling in. I need to start surfing different spots.
I also checked Porto this morning. Closed out again. Lame.
FLAKES OF THE DAY: None
RAN INTO: No one
TIME: 1030 - 1130, 1 hr.
CONDITIONS: Shoulder to head high, mid tide, walled up, mostly closeouts, no wind, sunny.
I checked out Porto around seven in the morning. The tide seemed kind of low, and the waves were closing out. I went to the gym instead. Yesterday morning, it was important that I got a session in. I started school yesterday, and I wanted to start off the day right. Also, the last time I surfed was Thursday, and I was feening for a wave.
When I was in Iraq, I hated the feeling of labeling myself as a surfer and not being able to surf. It’s like being a musician without instruments. I feel like the longer I go without surfing I begin to lose my identity a little. I don’t like that; I hate that. So … I surf as much as possible to keep the fire burning.
At 1030 the tide was much higher, just like the sun. It was a warm day. Other people pulled up and changed into their wetsuits. I saw three right hand shoulders open up at 45th. I also saw that everywhere else looked a little closed, especially by the tanks. The lines over there were walled and long. There weren’t too many people out, but everyone there was hogging 45th. I jogged in between the tanks and the stacks to try out a left that I saw.
The paddle out was a little brutal. I tried my best to time it, but it was a long paddle out. I had to fight my way through a solid set. When I made it I was out of breath. As soon as I regained my composure I waited for a good wave … it never happened. Nothing but walls came my way. I paddled closer to the tanks. I saw a guy get a good right by the stacks. He caught a long ride, and I saw the bottom of his board on three good snaps on the same wave. I envied him. I saw some guys getting that left on 45th. Fuck, I thought to myself. I only had an hour and it didn’t look like I was gonna get anything.
I paddled for three closeouts. Two I could only go straight on, and I had a noteworthy wipeout on the other one. Once again, I ended the session paddling in. I need to start surfing different spots.
I also checked Porto this morning. Closed out again. Lame.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)