THE SECOND SHIFT, SUN 9SEPT2012 MOR

Crew: Bri

Time: 0900-1045

Conditions: 1-3 FT, hot, sunny, glassy, small, fun  .

     I had a hell of a week. Friday I had some business to handle at work, so that took me out of the game the whole day. On Saturday, I had my orientation for the master’s program for school. I was supposed to surf with Klaude, but I couldn’t get up in time, probably also because Friday was a really late night. But Sunday . . . I had to go to the temple (as Dais and KK would say).

Late:

     It’s 0800. Again, I slapped the snooze button one too many times. Bri and I have too many late night and early morning battles, which make it hard to wake up. Klaude’s there, that’s the first thing that comes to mind. He’s there. I know he is. Gotta go, gotta get there, meet him in the water, gotta get the face time.

     I’m so anxious to leave, and my attitude is turning to shit. Sadly, my girlfriend who’s not at fault is the only one there to take the brunt of it.

     “Eh, people are leaving, the lineup’s emptying out, the tide might be right.” These are the things I tell myself to justify myself for waking up late, but really . . . I know it’s not good enough. The first shift, the dawn patrol, that’s the window that I used to be dedicated to, when the wind’s dead, the sun’s low, the water’s cooler, and the company is nothing but the true locals. I missed that window. Today . . . I’m on the second shift.

     I’m right about one thing, and that’s the parking. One spot is available by the lifeguard station. SCORE! I spotted Klaude before I parked; he’s on the north side of the lot, parked in front of the houses. As soon as I shut the engine off, I run up to say hi to him. “Hey!” I say as I shuffle across the street in my flip flops. I’m waiting for it. “What’s up, dude?”

     “Yeah-uh?” he lifts his wrist and looks down at his watch. His body language says it all: I’m a piece of shit, I didn’t show up on time, we missed each other, WE MISSED EACH OTHER! I broke the secret non-homo man bond of surfing. Be on time, be where you say you’re gonna be, and now . . . he must go the rest of the day without me. I don’t blame him.

     “I’m sorry,” I say. Of course, there’s no bitching or wining going on. He’s changing, prepping to leave, and I’m explaining the circumstances of getting up late.

     “I’ve been here since like six-thirty,” he says.

     “Was it better earlier?”

     He looks through his circle rimmed sunglasses at the ocean and laughs. “Haha no! I think it’s actually better right now. You might have fun.”

     “I brought the fish.”

     “Today’s a good day for the fish.”

     Back at the car, Bri and I change. It’s not gonna be a power session, more of a paddle out for the sake of getting wet session. Zero expectations whether I go straight or down the line. It will be a mellow surf.

     Bri and I say by to Klaude on the way out. By now the sun is shining bright over the sand, the towers, and the ocean. It’s a typical South Bay dream. I see the old lady who wears a blue hat and rides a blue and white Costco foamie. Miles is there, popping up, taking off on a right. I swear, every time I look towards the ocean, if it’s local or Churches, I see Miles going right—it never fails. It’s mostly longboarders out, and there’s a lull at the moment. Everyone’s sitting on the inside. We move south of the tower where the crowd’s a little thin, but not thin enough. I turn towards Briana and say, “Well, it’s a little crowded this morning, so . . . just be mindful of the crowd. Be careful, okay?”

     She assures me that she’ll be all right. I was hoping there wouldn’t be this many people here, but the second shift started early, so we’re late for this window too.

ZIP ZIP ZIP:

     I’m trunking it. The water’s so clear. One wouldn’t think that L.A. water would appear so clean, but a wise man once said, “It’s the things you can’t see that you need to worry about.” Well, we haven’t had rain in a while, and I don’t even bother to think about when it WILL start raining. That first, heavy winter rain is gonna be a bitch. There’s gonna be dog shit, tampons, and motor oil everywhere!

     So we sit . . . and we wait. Some little bumps start rolling in. I turn and I paddle. My first wave is only two-feet, but godammit if Zippy ain’t the right board for it. I even out-advantage Briana because 26^th isn’t as mooshy as Old Mans, and even at two feet the wave stands up a little more. Oddly enough, the South Bay can be good on a high tide, and behind this two-foot wave is the volume of the ocean behind it, creating a fun little slab. I barely have to make an effort to get through the flats. I can’t praise this board enough for what it can do on small, small days.

     I get to the end section fast enough before it closes out, attempting a finishing carve on the shoulder before it crumbles away. That’s my only complaint; I just can’t get loose on this thing, but . . . that could be an “operator error” (most likely is). Zippy’s great, but it’s a lot of meat to work with.

     Despite the crowd, Bri is getting waves too, just not going down the line. I’ve said before how much she’s progressed faster than I, and I know exactly where she’s at. She’s at the “going straight” stage of her surfing, where eventually she’ll get tired of it and desire to go down the line.

     None of my rides are worth being ingrained in my mind, but for a quick-fix to just get wet, I’m already getting more than I bargained for. I’m getting more than the second shift noobs. They either scratch out or just let the waves go by. I sit slightly inside of them, turn, kick, paddle, and I’m up just like that. Down the line. It’s a buffet of mini waves.

     When I paddle back to the lineup, Bri says, “That guy over there watched you catch that last wave then turned to me and said, ‘He makes it look so easy.’”

     I’m the Board Short Mamba this morning.

     When we leave, it’s still a magnificent day. The height of the sun is the only thing that’s changed. The ocean’s just as beautiful, the wind just as calm, the air and the sand just as warm. We may have missed Klaude in the morning, but we still caught a good window on the second shift.