Surfbird
When
I’ve always thought that Ralph Waldo Emerson nailed it when he said that “The Earth laughs in flowers”…and along the same lines perhaps the sea smiles in waves.
Have made the most of this flat spell and finished my taxes, sold my truck, completed my first album, climbed Mt. Everest, worked on my ninja tricks, decided that I want to be a firetruck when I grow up…or more likely have done nothing but check the surf everyday for the last week and not gotten in…here’s another attempt at trying to find surf, this time as found in the power lines down the street.
Itchin for surf…seeing lines everywhere.
So after a week of crazy surf (12 sessions in 4 days) I have returned to SB and somehow not surfed the last two days…am excited to bring that loosing streak to a close with tomorrow’s dawn patrol. On a side note, I think a friend may have just convinced me that there is absolutely zero reason why I shouldn’t move to southern France and live and work and surf in Bearritz. I’m a dual citizen (US and British) and thus can work in the EU without much hassle, and am fluent in french (it was my first language)…so I got a tattoo today to remind me that I just need to get up and go…well, ok, it’s not a real tattoo, just sharpie, and I most likely am not moving to southern france, though it would be dope, but it’s a possibility and possibilities make the world a more interesting place.
Didn’t find much surf today, spent some time checking the spots and rockin’out to Modest Mouse but didn’t get in. Somehow I didn’t mind too much as I’m still riding the Cabo stoke. Here is a shot of La Roca after I got out yesterday to get on a plane. Such a fun wave, and the left is just as good.
Am back in cali, and with a little luck will get to surf this south swell all over again. Looking forward to hitting some of the local spots these next few days. Sad to think of putting on a wetsuit…anybody wanna go to Cabo next week?
The rising sun cast its rays on the biggest day yet. Paddled out to La Roca, got two fast rights and then moved to the left for the rest of the session. Got some crazy drops and carved them up all the way to the inside rock…paddled over to the left at old man’s as the crowd filled in at the rock and got my best rides of the trip. Bigger sets coming in a 3-4ft overhead and fast but super makeable. The lefts were walling right up and I smiled all the way down the line, hitting the lip a couple times. Am so amped right now despite the battle wound on my heel (see below).
OUCH!
Today’s dawn patrolmen were two locals and me and my brother Ruben. Complete glass, water warm as apple pie and the sets were consistently head high. My first wave was a screamer! After breakfast we packed up the rental and headed to the east cape for some size and diversity. It was empty wave after empty wave, empty point after empty point and empty cove after empty cove…you could have taken an epic-day Rincon crowd and each person would have had his or her own break. We checked out the local favorites and settled on a double overhead pointbreak. Much faster and more hollow than La Roca, it kept me on my toes…kooked out a couple good ones, and nailed another handful. I hadn’t seen size like this in a while…of course in all my excitement I did not photograph that wave–but maybe that’s how secret spots stay secret. Some fish tacos for lunch and back home for the third session. Just got out of the water and wanted to share. La vida es buena.
A good friend asked me about my day…dawn patrol.. jaccuzi.. breakfast… hammock.. session 2…pool/yoga…water, whole lot of water…snack…shade tree…lunch… session 3…water/sunscreen break…evening session (#4)…pool/jacuzzi…fish dinner…lots of margaritas…exploration…squidrow…sleep….repeat. I might never leave this place!
You’ll have to pardon my lackluster photo…been surfing all day and barely got off a shot. Here is La Roca as seen from my balcony between session 3 and 4. I have noodle arms and my head is congested with stoke. So good today, bigger sets were well overhead and it’s supposed to be bigger tomorrow. Psyched for the dawn patrol.
A beautiful sunrise this morning. It’s 7:30am and I’ve already had my morning sesh. Got in at 6 right after I took this shot and got some good ones. The swell has built overnight and is consistently shoulder high and supposed to build with the falling tide. yeeyeah!
Cabo is grand. Rolled up midday, jumped into the rental and made our way to this little magical spot. Settled in, met all the locals in the lineup, trunked it into the evening and got some great rides. Only about waist to chest today, but supposed to build to overhead by Thursday. Stoked!
Drove right by potentially epic rincon this morning on my way to LA…and if you want a taste of what I (and most of you) missed read Kyle’s post for today…darn it, sometimes work just plain gets in the way of fun. Here is a shot from an LA spot I checked out after a day full of meetings. Definitely not the size, glassiness or speed that I saw at the con, and seeing as that I am flying to Cabo in the morning for a week of stokage, I didn’t even get in. See if you can make your eyes turn this photo inside out, whereby the dark bars turn into the background and the surf,sand,sky turn into bars…huh? Good job Kyle.
No surf today but a nice hike…am all packed up and ready to finally fly south to warm empty headhigh lineups. Come on buena suerte!
Found three friends, piled them into my truck and went surf hunting at high noon…not much to be found but did bag a few choice sets at a local rivermouth south of here. A beautiful hot sunny day made it clear that summer is right around the corner and with it maybe some fun sessions at the summertime breaks. Checked mesalane for sunset. It was tiny but a couple groms were ripping it up. 1.5 days til’ Cabo! Who’s excited?
Flat is the sea..got rincon to myself this evening 
Fun to paddle around and watch the sun fade.
“You might feel like a lone individual in the world, but may be the world to a lone individual” -Andrew Garcia
Surfed down in LA today with a dear friend. He hasn’t surfed in a while but is more stoked than most. Bought my ticket to Cabo for next week and getting really excited about surfing warm water. Crossing my fingers for swell.
Went back to this spot this morning before the wind hit it. A consistent shoulder to headhigh with a few juicy overhead sets…super fast fun rides. Not sure how many different ways you can photograph a certain break, but here is another entry in the Lil’Con series.
So as surfers we tend to exaggerate a little when it comes to our favorite pastime. We stretch the truth when recounting that one epic day we had no too long ago, or maybe in estimating the size of the surf when giving a buddy the surf report (in hopes of enticing them to the water). We are plagued by white lies and half-truths…and so with that disclaimer I would like to temporarily disown this vice and tell you that I got the longest barrel of my life this evening–no lie! I didn’t expect much out of the session when I drove up to MiniCon and the lineup was empty. Sat there a while checkin’ it when a sneaker set came through and got my ass in gear. Surfed it by myself for 2 hrs, and it just kept getting better and better as the sun moved towards the cloudy horizon. The waves were jacking right up and the better sets were shoulder to headhigh and far from mushy they were kinda hollow and very fast. Saw a two wave set coming in from the horizon and paddled for the second and bigger wave, made a steeper than expected drop and pulled in for my longest cover up ever…it just kept going and holding up and going and and I rode it from the green monster almost to the hotel, kicking out over the lip with a loud YEAAAAAAH! Think I’ll be riding that high for weeks to come. Of course there was nobody out to corroborate my feat and I felt a little like the tree falling in the solitary woods trying to make some noise…but noise I made!
Had a great day yesterday. Got in at this little point on my way to Ventura and got it good- well better than expected. Definitely a wind swell but some fun rides as the waves jacked right up on the monster (what i’ve been calling the hungry seaweed covered rock lying right inside the takeoff spot). Fun. The Land Of Plenty artshow rocked out and I have to give some big THANK YOUs to all of you who donated art and supported the cause. Found some fun little rides this pm at armpits. Great day!
I hate to double post, but you should all be making your way towards Ventura this evening…and celebrating with us at the Buenaventura Artshow at the Red Brick Gallery in downtown Ventura, CA (315 E. Main Street, from 7 to 11pm). There will be music by Mr. Dope America, drinks provided by Nectar Ales, surf/skate films, and a bounty of art, photos, prints, and handpainted skateboards by some of your favorite artists and local students. Come by and support!
No waves were had today. Wish I were back in Big Sur…definitely the biggest surf I’ve had this winter. Here is a shot from our first evening, after making camp and checking the evening glassoff.
“…And hope does not disappoint us”…Was in Ventucky this pm and with a burrito in hand went to the water to watch the chaos. It is the surfer’s spirit that allows us to hope a little hope that we might find a secluded cove and a head high peeler, even when we know it’s blowing 30 knots and we’re headed to a well known not-so-secluded break.
Surf’s been great these last couple days and I somehow find myself just wanting more…one friend got the longest shakage she’s ever gotten at the Queen while another friend got a local point all to himself this morning at shoulder high…surfed north this pm and found some fun ones in a leeward cove, the clouds opened up right as we were changing and in no time we were soaked and full of smiles. Just got the invite for a Cabo surf trip and just can’t say no, so am off in a couple of weeks to warm waters and hopefully some quality surf.
Come party with us this saturday in Ventura…plenty of cool art will be on silent auction, beer will flow and the Malloys have donated the use of their film One Track Mind to get you all to roll up…tell your friends, bring your peeps and see you there!
Wonderful to play all day with great ol’friends. Surfed Secrets this morning on the high tide and had some clean fast lefts…it seems to be the go-to spot whenever I am in SD. Spent some time on the cliffs above Blacks getting the bird’s eye view…sunset session at T’s on longboards. Feels like summervacation. yeah yeeeeeaaahh!
Somehow found a little surf this afternoon at RoadsEnd, fun times and warm water…really starting to feel like summer. Here’s a shot from yesterday’s surf check…
“Singin sweet songs…Of melodies pure and true,…Sayin, this is my message to you-ou-ou……………….Singin: dont worry (dont worry) bout a thing,…cause every little thing gonna be all right!….” -Bob Marley
Was surfing this spot this pm when out of nowhere a grey whale breached completely out of the water and landed with the biggest of splashes…it was close enough for us to smell it’s fishy breath. In retrospect it was quite an awe-inspiring event, but in those first few seconds of its leap into the air, I was certain a monster had risen from the deep to devour the entire line-up.
Was pleasantly surprised to find these little ankle snappers this evening. Took this shot and jumped in…water was warmish and I surfed ’til dark. Fun to be in the pacific ocean, it really centers my being.
My first car was a ’69 cherry red bug..and there is something about this surf rig that is quite romantic. Not in the lets-hold-hands-and-whisper-sweet-nothings kind of way, but in the all-we-need-are-a-couple-of-boards-and-the-open-road sort of romance. It screams independence and free-spirits, and is the latest addition to the SurfRigs photo project. Time to hit the open road…
