Location: Churches
Crew: Solo
Conditions:
2-3 FT, overcast, glassy, bath water.
One of the reasons why I like to surf
before I eat AYCE sushi is because I get SUPER HUNGRY, so that means I’ll get
to eat sushi for like two hours straight. However, I kind of fucked up. In my
hunger attack, I ate a little too much, so now I really have to work off those
extra calories.
It’s 1600, and Churches looks horrible.
Three guys are sitting at the main peak, but it’s not even breaking. I go to
Old Mans. There’ are only three guys out before the bend. The tide is just too
high for this swell. It already topped out, but it’s going down too slow. I
worry if I’ll catch an evening window to surf or not.
#
Sebastian calls on his way home from work.
He says he wants to surf Old Mans with me before we do sushi. I tell him that
he needs to be here no later than 1700. I keep an eye on Old Mans until he
calls back and says he can’t make it.
#
I park my wagon back at Churches. A guy
next to me is about to suit up too.
“Does it look better now?” I ask.
He shakes his head. “Nooooo, but I’m
worried if I wait too long that nothing will happen.”
I laugh. “Yeah, the tide is killing it. It
was good this morning.”
He looks down and squints his eyes. “I knew
it! I should’ve came this morning.”
I tell him I’ll see him out there, and I
throw on another trunk and rashguard combo. It’s so dry, which is awesome
because the weather still sucks and the water looks like shit.
I weasel my way through the lineup just
like I did this morning, but the lulls are so much longer. Some waves break
towards the outside, so I work my way towards the top of the wave. The
longboarder I talked to gets a long right. It’s under two-feet, but he looks
stoked. With these conditions, I’d be stoked to be on anything too. A small
group of surfers are sitting right on my spot from this morning, so I sit south
to their outside. I scratch out on so many waves at first. Even the main pack
isn’t getting many rides. I keep an eye on Lowers and still see black dots
splitting the peak. Middles looks like it’s working a little, but it’s gonna
take too long to get there.
The first hour is uneventful, but then I
catch my first good wave. It’s a left with an open section, heading towards a
right. A longboarder is heading straight for me, but I bottom turn and manage
check turn off the lip before he kicks out.
“Sorry about that,” he says with a smile on
his face.
“Yeah, no worries.” I didn’t think he was
danger close.
The lowering tide makes a difference, and
waves are starting to come in a little more consistent. The main pack keeps
getting the waves first, so I paddle through them to get to the other side. Now
there’s a small crowd at Middles, but I have to leave soon. I hit a lull, so I
figure I’ll paddle there until I catch a wave in.
I look towards the outside and can’t
believe my eyes. Away from everyone, there is a well defined, solo peak heading
straight for me. The Churches group is too far south, and I’m not even close to
Middles yet. I turn around to paddle for it. I go deep behind the shoulder to
make sure I don’t scratch out. As I’m paddling for it, it stands up and starts
to spill. It’s the biggest wave I’ve scored here in the past month, somewhere
between three and four feet. Since I’m behind the shoulder, I shoot down the
flats pretty fast. I climb the face and check turn off the lip, and then the
second section builds. I have another fun drop, and from the bottom turn I
climb the face for a baby carve. The third section goes fast, so I pump and get
one little hit off the lip before it closes out. I do a total barney move and
claim the wave with a flexed arm and a clenched fist. It was a solid three turn
wave, my first with Zippy, and it was my biggest wave I’ve caught in the San O /
Tressies area in a while and on a day like this!?
I walk back to my car, knowing that I
couldn’t have caught a better wave to end the session and the whole day.
#
I get to Zenko’s as planned. Tim brings his
friend Andrew who I’ve never met before, and Seba shows up after we’re seated.
I take AYCE sushi very seriously, and
Andrew matches us round for round. He’s a great addition to fill up our “four
spot” on sushi nights. We eat for two hours and fifteen minutes, watching other
parties come and go while we remain. Surf and motherfuckin’ sushi. I’m not a
rich man, but I think I live a pretty good life.
