Panning for Gold

This summer is showing up like ants to a picnic, and so are the masses - but that later. The numbers don't lie. Since around mid July, the swell has ranged from 2.8 to 3.7 feet with periods between 14 and 17 seconds. More importantly, the direction couldn't have been better. Swell directions ranged between 195 and 215. We had solid surf until August 9th, when the ocean settled into the expected summer doldrums. Pros and masses alike, along with all the caste in between, were drinking from the cup, and the cup continued to be full. One afternoon during the onslaught, I surfed head-high to overhead surf at Tiburones - full brotation with a couple of the crew. Sets poured through with 7 to 10 waves - the typical lull between south swells sets was absent. At one point I started to paddle for a wave, but looking down the line, I knew I would get blasted. I tried to pull out, and thought I successfully ejected out the back - but no. Somehow I became part of the foam ball, and got pushed inside. Next thing I know, an outside set started pushing through. I ducked the first wave only to face a headhigh wall of whitewater. The whitewater wall pushed me to the bottom, raked me across the reef, and deposited me inside the cove. The barrage continued for at least 10 waves. I was wasted after the paddle back to the lineup. Needless to say, I didn't last much longer. Surfed out, I climbed the steps - slowly. At the top were the young rippers - Matt, Ryan, Brad - even they were surfed out! C'mon kids! It was a great stretch of surf - everyone was ripping - Butterscotch, Fly Trap, Scruffy, Peter, Andy, Kirk on the Ferrari, Ray on the wave of the day, Pat, Penguin, Poncho, Graphic, Anthony up the street, Backside Anthony - can't you do anything else? Kneeboarder Roy, George on Plastic, Bert, Hot Dog, DYSM, Novak, Shane and Co., Rich, Ralph, Mary, J-girl, international pros, local pros, surf school maggots - yes, there were a lot of people out at any given time. But, I did get some brotation sessions. As Ralph put it - don't get frustrated, it's like panning for gold. You don't find nuggets every day, but once in a while. That's what keeps you panning. I rode butterscotch Jr. three times during the swell flurry and got dings two out of three. Surf school idiot pitched his board at me while I was racing down the line, and an LB dropped in on me, slowed to a crawl, and I ran up his tail. Needless to say, my frustration was boiling over - hence the cool down from Ralph. I also spent time watching the rippers at El Anzuelo. La Bol Primera was going off and so were the boyz. Saw some unbelievable surfing. It was a great distraction from the beltway antics. I guess even the UK was getting uncomfortable with our "kill them all, let God sort them out" mideast policy. They instructed the U.S. not to use domestic airfields as part of our bomb re-supply to Israel. We could only use our own air bases. At least some of our "friends" feel guilty. Ted Rall finishes his opinion titled "Kill'Em All, Let God Sort it Out" with this passage: "If we want to rule the world, we can continue to murder the citizens of other countries with the cavalier attitude of a child squashing an insect. If we want to lead the world, we should ban the use of bombs, missiles, and other barbaric tools of indiscriminate terrorism against civilian populations, and urge other nations to do the same." I agree. Non-deliberate, incidental? Nonsense. Those F**ks know what they are doing - how do they sleep?  ¶ 9:44 PM