Wed., Oct. 9th, 2019: Crumbly

Loc: Church Beach / Trestles

Time: 1000-1130

Conditions: onshore, 3-4 Ft., slopey, crowded

Board: Puddle Jumper

            We gambled. Why hit the surf early on the high tide? I’ve surfed Church enough on a high tide and am well versed on how a slopey wave can get even slopier with too much water. It’s not fun. So…on a rare day off, since the wife had the Jewish holiday for the school district, we headed south.

            Unfortunately, when we showed up, there was already texture as well as a lot of fucking people. At the bottom of Church, the long right at the south end, a set popped up, and despite the wind there were a few long, peeling rights. We were hopeful at that point and opted for the smaller of our boards in hopes to get a little bit of performance surfing. Still, we didn’t paddle out right there, especially at the sight of a longboard pack who just paddled out in front of us. We pushed it to north Church where I score my usual lefts when it’s working. Yeah…it was crowded there, too.

            The tide was on its way out but still high. The waves coming in were so slopey, like those gutless shoulders that welcome more planing surface to just trim down the line (a longboard) versus more face to surf top to bottom.

            It was hard to even get the scraps. Guys already had the spot on lock, sitting at the top.

            Into the next hour the wind picked up and people started to leave. The waves began to stand up more, but the quality was a big issue. Just the wind alone kept making the waves run away faster. It didn’t matter that we had the pick of the litter now. Regardless, the quality was still better than Porto, if that means anything. My best waves were on my backhand. I got one long right, a borderline triple hitter that swung so wide that no one else stood a chance to get it. I had maybe two like that.

            Bri did okay, but I think we should’ve ridden our bigger equipment. That was my mistake. But she was happy, especially after being sick all last week, she was stoked just to be out. As KK would say, “Any day surfing beats a day in the office.” He’s right. I’m a firm believer of that.

            We hit the freeway again for home, stopping for a couple McCafés and then grabbing lunch at the best Chinese restaurant in the South Bay, Seafood Town in Torrance. Three lunch special dishes, totaling at $29 after tip, was enough to also feed us for dinner that night. But…that classic session is still looming over me. When will I catch Church good again, solo or maybe with Klaude? Who knows? But I am due. I am due for an epic sesh.

2017 – 9, 10, 11, 12, 13

            It’s so easy to fall behind in keeping track of my sessions, especially when I haven’t been scoring. As far as session number 9, Bri and I surfed local, and it wasn’t that great. It was a morning session at 26^th St. Manhattan Beach. Session 10 was another gamble at Trestles after scoring the weekend before, but this time the gamble did not pay off. The most interesting thing to note is how the recent storms have changed the San Onofre shoreline, eroding the sand so much that the beach is just getting shorter and shorter.

            11 was another lame local sesh. The sandbars are kind of weird now south of Rosecrans. They are extremely tide sensitive and swampy.

            Session 12 was my best one as of recent, which took place on WED, 01FEB. I got off work and couldn’t find free parking at Porto, so I parked by 33^rd Street. Lo and behold, despite the swampiness, I caught a nice, sunny window where the mooshy left was actually a little rippable. I got my first turns in a while, sharing the peak with a longboarder and some chick trying to learn with her instructor riding tandem, her ass in his face.

            I felt rusty as shit but extremely grateful to get the feeling of a few solid frontside carves and backhand snaps.

            Thursday the 13^th I was hoping for a repeat, heading back to the same area, but I got skunked. Even though the tide was lower, the surf just wasn’t doing it there. The only break that looked like it was breaking far out enough was Rosecrans and the rest of El Porto. A few guys got lucky, but for the most part the surprisingly semi-thick crowd served as human buoys.

            I had to take the paddle of shame in… Frustrated, I stopped by the Porto lot to see if the surf was any better. It was by just enough for it to be surfable. Most of the waves were breaking towards the inside, but it was something.

            So Surfline says that the local surf has been head high plus. Klaude told me he took a look at it and it was walled. Rick’s brother Juan even passed on it, with only a few takers out.

            As far as what I’ve learned from all this is, when the surf is not on, it’s time to dip into other things, both hobbies and errands. With my wife out of town, I gamed all fricken day yesterday. Today I knocked out the gym, laundry, and handled some military emails that needed my attention. Although, when I’m out of the water for a while, I worry for my surfer identity. I don’t want to be a guy who used to surf. I just need to find that stoke. All I need is another good day.

2017 – 7 & 8 First Trestles Sesh of the Year 14JAN, SAT

I gave my wife the option of risking the high tide or staying local, but really I wanted her to choose local. Of course, I ended up shooting myself in the foot because she said she wanted a beach day down south. “We’ll be gambling against the high tide,” I said. Even though I hinted at staying, I granted her wish. It’s part of being a good husband. You gotta compromise.

We arrived at first light and scored parking in front of Churches. I could tell that the water was swampy and that activity was already slowing down, but the recent rain fall and runoff from the rivermouth still produced some nice rights. Knowing that this would be the first area to get crowded, we pushed it up to North Churches, but it looked too slow. Avoiding any chance of being over invaded, we paddled out at Middle Trestles where only a small pack of 3 guys sat. Unfortunately, 3 guys was all it took to make catching waves challenging. Sitting at the bottom of the point, they had dibs on the first waves to roll through. A few swung wide, and I managed a few turns. My best waves came from being sneaky, paddling under those fellas and scoring when they paddled out too far or scratched out.

Bri had a hard time, and I felt bad for her. Also, me being the asshole that I am, I partly blamed her for being there.

When the tide got too high around 0900, we called the session and hit Denny’s for breakfast. Their value meal is pretty legit. I mean, you can get full off of like 6 to 8 bucks. Not too shabby. By then I was feeling a lot better. Everything was going right. The waiter was cool as fuck, addressed my wife as senora, and Mexican music played from the kitchen; everyone was hustling. We took our time and headed back to Churches.

Parked directly in front of the surf again, we watched the longboarders go to work. The tide begin its swing back down. Nose riders did their showboating. Joel Tudor wannabes lost their boards on the rocks. I smirked at them as I dozed and took a short nap, Bri next to me doing the same.

#

We suited up again at noon. It was time. I figured we catch the tide swing and be in the water as the surf got better for shortboarding. There was a pack at the bottom and the top of Churches, so we literally sat in the middle, which seemed like an inconsistent saddle without much action. Here and there, a left would swing wide, and I actually got a few fun rides, even on the rights. Bri started catching, too, milking the small ones all the way to the inside.

I truthfully expected the crowd to thicken. It had to, especially with the tide going down and the wind still good, but that never happened. Instead, people started to clear out. The top of Churches was completely vacant, so Bri and I paddled there and had it to ourselves with only a few peeps who didn’t get in the way.

The swell size also went down with the tide. The surf was barely 2 to 3 feet, but it was still surfable. I was more picky, waiting for the racy lefts. My best wave was a triple hitter. I had plenty of waves where I just pumped for speed and practiced airs, but I must’ve looked lame because I couldn’t break my fins free. Even though I got a few rights, Bri was the standout, catching waves from the top all the way to where we had initially paddled out. I enjoyed seeing how her surfing has progressed. She’s surfing more top to bottom, stalling on the highline and crouching on the reentry, even throwing her arms forward for style and balancing. On a few waves, I even saw some small pails of water get tossed out the back.

That second sesh lasted about 2 hours and 15 minutes, a total redemption from the morning. We stopped at Sake2Me in Cerritos for AYCE sushi, and then went home. It was the first Saturday off we had together since September, and we made it worth it.

BIGGER ISN’T ALWAYS BETTER: Oh, the frustration when swells don’t deliver.

Photo courtesy of Hideki Ueha. Check out his website on my blog list. This pic was taken during the Labor Day swell, which didn't hold good shape. 

     When it’s flat out, I wish for size. Anything, even a closeout will do, but sometimes you get what you ask for.

     Now let’s talk recipe. In other words, every surfer has his/her own recipe/break that he goes to, depending on certain conditions. Windswell, I’m glad to stay local in the South Bay, thank you very much. Windswell gets peaky here, scattered, rippable, and I love it. But how about when it’s closed out and racy? Palos Verdes is my local choice. However, the all time, risk-free no brainer for me, my overall go-to spot no matter what is always Churches, basically the Trestles/San Onofre area. Unfortunately, sometimes the recipe doesn’t work.

     During the Labor Day weekend there was a juicy swell on tap at Trestles, but goddam was it section on section with just too much size for it to hold shape. In the South Bay, the weekend before last, the wraparound ground swell from the south even came in too directly. Mind you, yes, I did see guys getting barrels at the Marine Avenue Tower, but most of the waves were still closing out.

So deceiving to pull up seeing this. 09OCT had decent size swell on tap. Frothing in my car, I rushed the surf only to paddle out into closed-out conditions. 

     This morning, even with a new swell on tap, the waves were dumpy on the inside once again. When you check out the surf forecast and see swell on the horizon, you should be stoked. In this case, as of late, I’d be more stoked to see some two-to-three foot days because I know there’ll be better shape.

This morning's lack of shape at 26th Street. 

     At the same time, just because my recipe isn’t working, it doesn’t mean that someone else’s isn’t. I haven’t been to The Cove in a long time. Have those guys been scoring? I never surf north. Has Rincon been working with some of the westerly angled souths we’ve been getting, and then there’s Malibu and County Line. How’s Venice been?

     For me, “bigger” hasn’t been working. I’m desperate and feening for some rippable shoulders, or if the surf’s heavy, how about some caverns that offer room for a scathing exit.

     I’ll just have to be patient. All things pass. Eventually, my recipe will be spot on again. What’s your recipe?

Session Tracker:

Sat, 03OCT, 26^th St.

Thu, 08OCT, 26^th St.

Fri, 09OCT, Churches/Middle Trestles

Sat, 10OCT, 26^th St.

Sun, 11OCT, 26^th St.

Mon, 12OCT, 26^th St.

Wed, 14OCT, 26^th St.

Mon, 19OCT, 26^th St.

WAGON WEEK PT.5: My Left, FRI 18SEPT2015

Loc: North Churches

Time: 0630-0845      

Conditions: 2-3 FT+, glassy, sunny, warm, consistent, soft

Board: 5’10” Lost Mini Driver

     That morning was supposed to be “the day,” that good south was gonna produce some rippable surf, but again, Churches looked small at first light. I paddled past the top of the wave and stubbornly sat at North Churches by myself. Manny and Jimmy had left. Rick and Garr were packing. My buddy Cassady, who had shown up last night, had to do a social media post on Lowers for his job before paddling out.

     I sat in a lull for about fifteen minutes patiently, and then all of a sudden those motherfuckin’ lefts started coming in. Perfect and peaky, I was getting into position with ample time. No one was out there to challenge me because most were on the right. I was surfing in a vacant no-mans land. Only issue . . . my Mini Driver didn’t feel right. Shit. Just . . . the wave was just too weak for it. Suddenly I missed my Motorboat Too. Though, the speed from the quads did feel nice, but the waves just felt too soft on that board, like I had too much rocker.

     Most of my waves were pumping setups for a solid hack at the end. I attempted a layback on a critical closeout section. If I could have paused that moment when I dropped my wallet, it would’ve looked good, but then I lost it.

     Still though, even though the waves felt soft, it was the best session of the trip. Just fun rippable lefts all to myself. That’s what I come to Trestles for.

     In the distance, I could here the P.A. system from the event. Someone in a pink wetsuit busted an air. I didn’t care.