BETWEEN NOW AND INDO PT.1, MON 13JUL2015

Loc: Manhattan Beach

Time: 0900?

Crew: Bri

Conditions: 3 FT, sunny, onshore, crowded

Pre Blog:

     I write this to you now, sitting on my Japan Airlines flight to Narita and then to Jakarta AND THEN to Yogya. I’ve already watched Chappie, read a little bit of Neil Strauss, as well as a Bahasa Indonesia pocketbook. Normally, I just dive into things and write about the session, but before typing I read my first entry of the year, going back to January.

     Reading yourself is like having a conversation with a different person. No, the DD of January isn’t so far underdeveloped than the DD of today that they can’t relate, but I’m intrigued by his self analytics, what his thoughts are to the things he feels he’s doing wrong and why. Surely, I don’t have those answers for him, but it’s interesting to read him, relate, and to be able to say, “Yeah, man, you’ll get a little bit better at those things. Just keep doing it.”

 

Two Days Ago:

     I had just come off of a long three-day work week, which is nothing for a regular nine-to-fiver. Bottom line was that I had missed out on the surf, that little south that came through. Klaude said the current was strong on Saturday and that there was zero shape. Sunday was more manageable, Ross even getting a double barrel for local lore. Me? I just couldn’t wait to paddle back out.

     Of course, I slept in. Yup, had to after a brutal three days. My body claimed the hours unbeknownst to my own agenda.

     Bri and I arrived at Manhattan Beach. The surfcams had showed scattered glassy peaks, but now the wind’s on it.

     We get down to the sand and see some longboarders and the surf school setting up. The junior lifeguards are exercising in front of the tower, so there’s no surfing in front of 26^th Street.

     We shoot for a hole in the lineup just in front of the brickhouse. Most of the faces are unfamiliar. I see Costco Kim in the distance with Ross.

     The waves are coming in a little sectiony and walled, the usual local symptoms of bad surf, and some of the decent waves have other surfers vying for them.

     I catch shit for wave and paddle over towards 26^th. A few other guys here are regulars. Ross waves. I wave back.

     Maybe I could have gotten more waves. Bri did much better than I did, as usual. I just remember that after an hour I was ready to go. My next ride actually opened up on my backside, an open-faced section-on-section wave. I pulled off the snap but kicked out as the lip shut down.

     Back at the car, Juan A. said he was on his way to drop off a rashguard for me. We meet in the parking lot.

     “It looks fun out there!” he says.

     “Eh, it’s all right.”

     “Just all right? I just past Rosecrans. It looks like there’s shape. I wish I was out there.”

     I shrug. I’m Mr. Unstoked right now. I don’t know what it is. Maybe I’m due up for a really good session. Between now and  Indo, I only have one more day to surf here.