KK GETS SOME COBBLESTONES, MON 21JAN2013 EVE

 

Loc: Palos Verdes

Time: 1530-1730

Crew: Bri & Klaude

Conditions: 2-3+ FT, inconsistent, clean, glassy, cool, walled on the set waves.

     I want to surf this morning, but Bri wants to paddle out after work, and there’s no way that I’m gonna do a double session today, so I wait until the evening. Klaude gives me a call later, says he missed the morning window too. I extend the invite for him to join me and Bri at PV if he wants to hop in the surfmobile with us. He doesn’t commit, but I tell him I’ll shoot him a text before I go just in case.

     When I’m packing up later that day, I shoot him the text, and then he just decides to show up to my apartment.

     For some reason, the weather in SoCal is extremely warm, like pre October, fall weather. Isn’t this still supposed to be winter? I entice Klaude, saying that Bri and I have scored the last some-odd times that we’ve been there, and then I of course extend an apology in advance in case we get bamboozled.
     “Maaaan,” he says. “You’re not Poseidon, you don’t have to apologize.”

     This is true, but I can’t help it. For some reason, people get skunked most of the time when I’m leading the charge on a surf mission.

     On the way to PV, the Porto Jetty looks like there’s size. I can’t really tell, but it almost looks like there are fun waves. The conditions look equally satisfying in the water too. I wonder if Klaude regrets making this trip.

     Parks, the Pier, it looks like there’s still size. Torrance Beach has a lot of surf activity. Girls are in short jean shorts, roller blading; people are showing skin like it’s the summer again. The activity is good. It means there are waves.

     As soon as we round the bend to park by the cove, we see a long line of cars already parked, something Bri and I haven’t encountered on our recent sessions here. We end up parking all the way at the top, but . . . despite the crowd, I have a feeling that there’s surf down there. I’m stoked.

     We change and make our way down. It’s my first time surfing PV with KK, so I’m excited. The trek down the trail is typical. The waves look small, mostly longboarders are out there, and they are sitting on the inside. It looks small . . . it usually does, but I know that sitting in the lineup is a whole different story.    

     KK and I try to pull a Seal Team Six and scale down this steep as short cut, while Bri ops to take the long way. I damn near slip and break my ass, and by the time we reach the trail, Bri is already ahead of us. Some shortcut.

     Surfers are both heading back up and going down. I’m antsy. KK and Bri warm up while I head out. The paddle is long, long as always. I let the water wash over me instead of duckdiving. I don’t want to ding my board, so I wait until I’m at the lineup. Once I’m there, there’s a long ass lull. The day before was lully too. I’m sitting wide north of the longboarders who are dominating the main peak. Everyone is sitting and waiting . . . not good. I watch the waves break there with more consistency, but they are small, two feet. At least four waves break over there before any activity starts at my spot. Klaude makes his way out and sits with the crowd. He’s on his Don Kadowaki Rocket, and even though there’s volume on that board, there’s no way he can compete against those logs.

     I keep an eye on him to see if he gets anything, but . . . someone’s always on the wave first. I feel bad.

     Bri sits out there with him, and then she comes over towards me.

     My first wave is a closeout. Most of the waves swinging wide are too racy, or the shoulder is just so far wide, so wide that I always find myself deep. The best I can do is get a couple pumps in.

     Klaude paddles over and joins. “I kind of snaked a guy,” he says.

     Oh well. Shit happens. I catch another closeout, but on the way back to the lineup, Bri gets a set wave. It has a shoulder. She takes a while to pop up, but when she does, she’s still drawing a line high up on the face. For the first time at PV, she’s standing up in perfect position with a full vantage point; she’s going down the line. I can’t tell you how stoked I am for her. She’s on that flamer NSP, and now she’s put that fucker to good use, exactly what it was made for. I’m a proud boyfriend.

     Even though the conditions aren’t epic, there is such good energy between the three of us, and we can’t even blame the waves too much. I’m in perfect position for a left. KK goes on it too, but he’s too deep, behind the section, and I pull out just in case.

     “You should have went,” says Klaude.

     I’m silent.

     “Shiiit, I would have snaked you,” he says.

     I smile. I don’t know. I’d rather be safe than sorry. I’m not sure if he could have made the section.

     I blow a perfectly good right. Sometimes when I’m not on point, I can’t turn as I’m climbing from my backhand, and I end up going over the wave. I got issues. On another right, Bri accidentally snakes me.

     Then Klaude gets this fucking left. It’s barely, and I mean BARELY three fucking feet. He paddles and disappears. “Oh,” I’m thinking. And then . . . fuckin’ guy pops up. There’s a shoulder in front of him. And he’s pumping; he just keeps going and going and going. He catches that motherfucker ALL THE WAY to shore. He had to be in the shallows when he finally got off his board.

     Now . . . I can sleep tonight. Klaude got a fuckin’ good wave, so did Bri.

     Once the sun sets, the crowd thins out. There are a couple new faces that have rushed it, shortboarders. We all sit more compact at the main peak, easier now since there are less of us. KK passes on a wave, leaving me on the inside. It’s a small wave, but surprisingly it has some fun, pumpy shape. I get one carve to end it.

     “How much longer are you guys surfing?” says Klaude.

     The guy’s blind, and it’s getting dark. I tell him to meet me on the inside.

     I’ve never seen the water so clear at PV. It’s a combination of the protection from the cliff keeping the wind out, and there’s something about cold water that keeps all the little, floaty barnacles in their place underwater. I can see the kelp and rocks, even when I’m duckdiving. I’d be able to see a shark coming (I’d like to think). I want to stay out until it’s dark, to be the last one out of the water, but maybe cutting out right now’s not such a bad idea. We can walk the trail, still see the orange over the horizon, and change before it’s pitch black.

     It’s a fun drive home. The good energy continues. No, not epic, but a legitimate good session we had. We all have that stoked, surf buzz, that “glaze.” It’s like medication or a pill that’s kicked in, a surfer’s high. The sense of accomplishment from doing nothing but being a part of nature and riding a wave. Three surfers head back home, having ended their day in a perfect way.