Surfbird

Surfed down in Ventura all afternoon and came north to take photos at sunset…I really like this one as it completely pulls me in and there I am, dragging my hand through the lip, slowing down, slow motion, turning an otherwise non-descript wave into a memory.

Did not surf today…

Born and raised in the Ivory Coast, West Africa, people often ask me how that was…I say”the best” or “normal” or “would not change it for the world”….found and scanned some old photos…this is a photograph of a Goli Glin ceremony. “The Goli Glin is a zoomorohic spirit that can shape shift between a croccodile, a bush cow or buffalo. Though connected with supernatural forces, they play the role of the intermediaries between the living and the spirits. The Baule people ask these spirits protection and assistance in case of external danger and war and during epidemics.” I was given this mask and the name of Goli (one of my middle names) at this ceremony.

Missed an opportunity to get in this morning…and the wind killed it tonight.

Had to go to LA for an all day meeting…went early and got in near Countyline, a few people out, mostly waist high, with one shoulder high set of which I got the second and biggest and longest wave. Rode it all the way in and called it a session. All day meetings and then back in the water for a short sunset sesh. Glad to have made it in the water twice, i snapped a few shots and drove back to SB. Thinking I may hit it in the morning on the 9’3 Herbie.

A little bump out there today when I checked it, probably should have gotten in, but didn’t and instead went back home and worked…and now feel a little bit like the Shinning.

A beautiful clear evening. Went to the sea to see, fingers crossed, if I could find a ripple to surf. Had a great surf-filled weekend and it is proving hard to come down from such a high…I have the shakes, lusting for more. Give me waves! Seemed like I was the only one on the beach watching the horizon for any signs of corduroy. But nope, nada, no surf. Found a reflecting pool and took this photo. Reflected on reflection. Then some guy showed up (scroll down) and got in. Maybe tomorrow.

We are influenced by the world around us and I find myself absorbed by the photographs of others, and in the same way that I find inspiration in watching good surfers glide down the line, I often find an element of someone else’s photographs in mine…the trick is to build on those elements, or throw them in a blender and see what you can whip up. In surfing too I find that I try to emulate others but in my own style, and it pushes me further…

Up at the crack and headed north, parked, made my way through a beautifully green field and across quiet train tracks to the bluff and surf. Spent all morning in the water with friends trading waves…barely anybody out and all sorts of waves to choose from. Got out after a few hours for a quick bite and warm up, played fetch with Wyatt the dog, had a peanut-butter-and-honey sandwich and then got back in. Got home a little passed 4, in time for a nap. Fun.

Got out of the surf, changed and warmed up and wasn’t going to go shoot, looked like the clouds had rolled in and the light would be dead…decided that I should check it anyways…and this is what I found!

Spent the afternoon in the water…the swell brought the crowd and they are both supposed to build overnight, but there were still plenty of waves to go around and it just means we’ll need to migrate to lesser known spots in the morning. Thanks to yesterday’s and today’s sessions I am super amped and excited to glide my way through the weekend…

I really like this one…and if you look closely there is some guy about to get barreled on that wave pealing towards the left side of the photograph. Sometimes everything falls into place.

After taking a photo of a cool ass VW in the parking lot, we ran down to the water and sat there waiting for a set…waited quite a while, skipped some stones and watched the pelicans dive-bombing their prey…weren’t sure if we should suit up but then did and as always it was the right decision. The evening glass off came through and tomorrows swell sent some appetizers our way. Got two shoulder high beauties all the way into the cove and though there was a lot of sitting around between sets, I had a blast.

You never know what you’ll find when you go down Bates Rd. It’s always a surprise and today it was this crazy classy VW van. What is it about these that screams “ultimate surf rig”…I like that it is a little rough around the edges, aren’t we all?

Shot south for the day and surfed a peeling magic spot near County Line. A beautiful morning, glassy and empty. Breakfast burrito before a few meetings in LA, then stopped at the ‘Bu to watch some fancy footwork and finally back north to SB, racing the sun to the horizon. Another great day.

A photo from the hotel room after flying into Durban S.A. to headhigh surf and warm offshores…Had just spent the better part of the week tasting Cape Town and were headed up the coast to my aunt and uncle’s place in the Drakensberg mountains, for two weeks of work and play at the aids hospice/orphanage they run…seems a world away, but really just a few clicks of the mouse on orbitz and I could be there next week. Tempting. Think a surf trip is well overdue, thoughts of squeezing Brazil in between now and May, when I go to Ethiopia for 3 weeks. Wondering ’bout wandering. Where are you going next?

Posted another round of photos from my round the world trip…click on the WHO, WHAT and WHERE above (under Surfbird) to view the various galleries (or scroll down to view older posts). The swell dropped a little today and the wind killed it. Stayed home and nursed a head cold…a good opportunity to post some old shots. Enjoy.

Spent the morning shooting. A beautiful SoCal day, waist high and somewhat glassy, no crowd on account of all this rain and clear skies. Spent the afternoon at a local point break on a 9’3″ tank of a board, cross-stepping til sunset.

No surf was had on Catalina, but plenty of wildflowers…No surf to be had here in SB today, but did manage to go up into the mountains with Kitz to find snow. Thought I’d get a cool shot of Santa Barbara’s coastal mountains covered in snow in the foreground with corduroy lines crossing the ocean in the background to crash in foamy goodness on the coast far below. Got up to the snow line and found ourselves in a cloud, with no view to the west of the valley and ocean below. Had a snowball fight with some kids, took this shot looking east and took off. I’ve said it before, & I’ll say it again-I so absolutely love living in Santa Barbara (wouldn’t complain if we got just a little more surf).

The wind killed it today. The swell wanted to play but the wind claimed Victory At Sea! Wish I were in Bali, deep in the pocket of a crystal clear Indo wave, instead of taking photographs of imaginary head high jean pocket barrels…

It was raining as I took this shot and some of the raindrops on the lens come through in the photograph…not a rockstar shot but I wanted to post it anyways because of the thoughts going through my head as I stood on the cliff taking the photo. Ask a surfer what it is about surfing that he or she loves so much or feels so connected and drawn to and they’ll spill their heart…or not. Some of us can write you a whole dissertation on our connection to the wave, the board, the sport, the art, the lifestyle…while others may not, deciding it to be a personal matter, maybe a secret. The point is that you’ll get a million different answers from a million different surfers, and truth be told, you’d probably get a million different answers from a single surfer, depending on the day, or his previous session, or her best wave ever, or the most recent swell or flat spell. Standing on that cliff I realized that on this day I was happy to be a surfer because of the connection I feel to the ocean. I love getting up in the morning and jumping into the sea to wake up. I am especially fond of the fact that I know when high tide and low tide are every day, what phase the moon is in, and what storms are brewing out there over the vast Pacific ocean. I like the thunderous sound of macking surf heard three blocks away as you walk towards the sea, heart pounding at the thought of getting in. I love the fact that on a rainy day, when most are glad to be inside, I am standing on a cliff checking the surf.

Had lunch at this little taco joint…the world famous La Super Rica.

Woke up early to the sound of the rain cross stepping across my roof…went to mesalane and it was going off, three guys in the water and 2ft overhead on the big sets. The water, however, was chocolate milk and I did not feel like tasting it. Checked the spit and the high tide was killing it- decided to have breakfast and come back for a mid-morning check. A tasty home cooked burrito and the day was off to a great start. Jumped back in the truck and blasted Modest Mouse as I did the rounds, checking out all the spots. Jumped in for an evening sesh and had a blast…

Spent the entire morning surfing this cove…life’s good.

Was going to surf today before the rain but the waves had not arrived…the rain came at 6am and with it the wind, killing any potential for an evening session. It’s rare to get rain round here and I kinda like it. Here is a photo of what I imagine are cherry blossoms melting away on the wet red tiles of Santa Barbara.

Took this shot through a foggy car window while driving at 75mph in the rain and fog and really like the soft blur it created…but it was not until I really looked at the image that I realized that it kinda looks like a portrait of Cookie Monster running towards me with his mouth open…does that mean I’m a Kookie?

No waves but still got in the water. Switched it up and took out the Frye singlefin for some paddling around and the occasional ankle breaker. Where has winter gone? What happened to those epic days I dreamed about all summer? Time to cross some fingers and knock on wood and get this pacific ocean to pump out some waves. Or just pop in your favorite surf DVD (my current favorite is Sipping Jetstreams) and get your stoke on.

Flat water. No ripple. Baja’s calling.

The ocean is flat. Not a wave to be found. Thought about taking all my boards out and taking a photo of my quiver…too much work for such a sunny day, really should be out in the water. So I decided to draw my quiver instead, but when I put pen to paper to computer this is what came out. Figure I’ll do one of these for each of my boards, but all in due time, right now it’s time to go find some ankle peelers.

Found this four-chambered retro wave vehicle at a flea market today for a dollar–the ultimate next step in the finless revolution. Tom Wegner step aside, look out for the power of vinyl…I’m excited to get back to Santa Barbara and start hitting those double sessions again (on a surfboard). We just need the winter swell to show back up and stick around for a few months. We are all itching for some real size and consistency. But until then I’ll be experimenting with new wave riding vehicles like this bad boy.