The Tracks are Empty

The swell train kept on coming, then, just when you thought you were full, it was gone. It pretty much died Valentine's Day. Just in time to forget surf and focus on your lover. "Why don't you spend any time with me?" could be quickly addressed - you weren't missing any surf. Let's rehash the last wave train. It started Monday the 6th. The title picture, thanks to Kirk, shows the starting line - the weather was insane. Looked like a little overhead between sets, then the washboard hit and most everyone was pushed down and in. Many ended up in the area of Privates, Trees, or the Pier. The next day the swell switched more north and still had size, but not like Monday. For the rest of the week, the Steps was on fire. By Friday the swell was just about gone. I got a couple on the green fish before heading in to enjoy the first BBQ of the year at Shark's Rock. Lance dialed it in - the Mayor, Terry, G Brown, Robyn, Charlie - to name a few, came down and mowed. The food was great, beers, bocci ball, low tide searching - then the fog rolled in. As usual post a few hot days, the fog came in thick and cold. Saturday morning the fog split and by evening a new swell was showing. I went out with the sun barely off the horizon and the full moon rising. I surfed until I couldn't see. Sunday, a new swell was peaking and so were the masses. I surfed the Steps and after a few waves paddled back out to Sharks to get in touch. First wave I got in touch with an LB burn job - with the look-back smile - sorry man. Well, back to Second Bowl. Is this a taste of summer? I hope not. By Monday, the swell was dropping - getting us to Valentine's Day - It's been wind swell junk flat ever since. Mr. Ben Franklin, one of the founders, baseline, had great insight. He was an inventor, ambassador, and writer. He crafted our Constitution and several essays on our Country's early beginnings. A portion of one of those essays is presented here to remind us of the spirit of our country - lost, but waiting to be found. You'll find no preemptive strike here. It concerns a symbol he saw painted on the drum head of a soldier's drum. The symbol was a rattlesnake. "I recollected that her eye excelled in brightness, that of any other animal, and that she has no eye-lids. She may therefore be esteemed an emblem of vigilance. She never begins an attack, nor, when once engaged, ever surrenders: She is therefore an emblem of magnanimity and true courage. As if anxious to prevent all pretensions of quarreling with her, the weapons with which nature has furnished her, she conceals in the roof of her mouth, so that, to those who are unacquainted with her, she appears to be a most defenseless animal; and even when those weapons are shown and extended for her defense, they appear weak and contemptible; but their wounds however small, are decisive and fatal. Conscious of this, she never wounds 'till she has generously given notice, even to her enemy, and cautioned him against the danger of treading on her." This summer I might paint a rattlesnake on my board. No sorrys.  ¶ 10:08 PM 0 comments

 

The Gap Gets Wider

It seems the time between blog entries is ever increasing - or so I've been told. Heck - there's been too much surf. Since my last entry, I can remember only one day it dropped to waist high. On that day I took the green plank out, even though there were some waves that were short boardable. Well, after a few cruisers I paddled into a shoulder high wave, set trim, and started gliding down the line. Then I noticed some hapless lad trying to make for the shoulder - his arms were working like wet noodles.
I tried to veer off my line and proceeded to dig a rail - a very long rail. Needless to say, I went down. After the typical low-tide thrashing, I came up to find my green plank ghost-riding toward shore. It didn't seem so bad until the ghost pearled up to his or her jaw and buried the nose of the plank into the reef. Oh well - off to Ralph. A word on Ralph. He is New Beginnings Glassing and Repair - the best in town. He has glassed my new boards and receives a constant stream of my polyester and epoxy boards for repair. He gets the work done quick with the highest quality. Right. In fact, it wasn't long after fixing the azul fish post-Nicky that I clipped the back end of a LB piloted by another rope-armed faceless imp. I was flyyyying off the top, this guy barely gets himself over the crest, bam*** - one quad fin missing in action and two boxes roughed up. Off to Ralph. The azul fish is becoming a ding magnet. Or, is it me? I've been getting great waves at 49 Steps almost every day - it has been non-stop. That's why I've been lagging. Saturday was off shore and clean, head high, and semi-massed. Super Bowl Sunday dropped in size and was not as clean, but the masses were enforce. I thought Monday might be slow - but no. The morning started of very clean and a little overhead. By noon, macking 12 wave sets were pouring in. Very clean and well spaced, breaking on the 20-foot contour - closeouts across the point. The in-betweeners were great, but the sets cleared almost everyone. I watched some epic rides at 38th. Through the day the swell kept building - about 10 feet from 295 at 20 seconds. Tuesday the size stayed (15 feet at 17 seconds) but the direction switched to 310. The surf became manageable at the Point, and the crew were down on it. Today, the surf continued to pump. Over the last few days I've been lucky to score some great waves at the Steps, Third Bowl/Sharks, and down toward Privates. Tonight, I still hear the waves pounding - tomorrow. I spent some time listening to Alberto "No Nads" Gonzales wordsmith for the Executive. My gosh - How many ways can one interpret the word no. I thought my sons were ingenious. A-nad was incredible - as in "not credible". All I can say is fuck it - I heard him say the law was a tool - one of many available to the Executive. It's like there's a choice as to using one tool or another. Do I do 50 or 80 MPH? Do I pay my taxes or pass? Do I get a warrant or just wing-it? In the end, most of the "friends of the Executive" just fell over themselves lavishing praise on A-nad for protecting us. A virtual bone-smoking fest with A-nad at the receiving end. Please. There's no stopping them - So, surf with your friends, enjoy life, and let the beltway keep smoking.  ¶ 12:24 AM 2 comments