CLASSIC BOLSA CHICA, WED 30OCT2013

Loc: Bolsa Chica

Time: 0930-1200

Conditions: 2-3 FT, sunny, offshore, glassy, peaky

     The trip up north had worn me out, and I’ve felt exhausted from all the driving over the last two days. Being away has put me slightly behind in my studies, but of course it was worth it.

     On Wednesdays my class starts in the evening, and with the surf forecast favoring a small, south swell, I might as well surf Bolsa Chica since it’s close to school.

     The tide’s really high in the morning, so I make an O.G. Call and decide to show up after it’s dropped a little bit. I really want to surf Brookhurst, but why not check Bolsa first since it’s on the way?

     When I pull up, I see that the parking lot is empty. There is only a trace of surf life. A couple cars parked are suspect to belonging to surfers, but other than that, there isn’t the site of surfers going to and from with boards in hand.   

     The conditions are ideal. It’s like summer again. The sun is high without a cloud in the sky. The sand is bright beige with a light offshore breeze. As I make my way towards the shoreline I can tell that the water is glassy, but once I’m in full view I can see all. The peaks are rolling in consistently. The tide’s still a little high, but it’s going down, and the peaks are already starting to push through. To my south, one longboarder is exiting the water. To my north, only one guy is sitting alone. The only pack of surfers is so far north that they don’t even pose a threat. All I can think of is: empty lineup and peaks!

     I try to take my time, but I’m so stoked that I can’t help but bump my reggae music and hum along while I change. I put on a thick coat of Vertra because I know I’ll be out for a while. I go with the quad setup to get a better feel for them and paddle out.

     Yeah, the air’s warm, but the water is definitely cooling as we approach winter. In the lineup, I sit alone. Some surveyors show up near the tower behind me, watching.

     On my first wave, I pop up and get two little turns before the wave closes out. After that I hit a lull. When I had first arrived, it must have been during a set because it takes a while for the good ones to come. Either way, I have this spot to myself!

     Three longboarders paddle out just south of me. They don’t fight the current, so they end up right next to me. As they drift away, I keep position and just take all the lefts.

     The waves aren’t big, but they are three feet and standing up. They look flat but they jack up at the last minute. I now appreciate my quads, feeling how I can get away with paddling in at an angle much easier. I stick to the face and am able to set myself up to pump down the line faster. I do my best to gouge the face and throw out some spray, but my frontside snaps still aren’t as powerful as my backhand.

     One of the longboarders paddles up to me and says, “I see you got a little peak over here.”

     “Yeah,” I say, hoping he’ll drift away. He tells me that he checked the surf from Newport all the way to Bolsa and that the best shape was here.

     To my south, I see a different longboarder on a perfect, left-hand wave. It’s only three feet, but his longboard propels him forward towards the pocket. He crouches down and the lip throws out over him. Just like that he gets a smooth, instant, and effortless barrel. Fuckin’ A, I’m thinking. I try to pull in too, but I’m forcing it. I finally let go of my barrel wanting and (as Dais would say) Just Enjoy The Surf, JETS.

     I surf until noon, until the tide gets low enough to the point that the waves are mostly closing out. Back at my car, I change back into my clothes, bumping some Gregory Isaacs. My neck tan is ridiculous. It looks like my head has been transplanted onto another body.

     I’m eager to surf well, to progress rapidly and start pulling off maneuvers that the pros do. That’s the kid in me, the noob. He’s in there. I think all surfers have the same kid in them. Yet, I have to be honest with myself. I’m not a pro, but I’m me, Donny Duckbutter, surf bum extraordinaire. Student and surfer by day, good boyfriend by night. I can surf every day if I want to, and I love it. I caught the best window of surf today and had it all to myself. Maneuvers don’t matter. It’s all about the stoke, and I’m overflowing with it.