Hot Summer Nights

No, not Jew.  Yew!  This is the new word to express exuberance amongst surfers.  I like it.  It’s more of a whoop than a word.  So sometimes it’s more like YEWWWWWWWW!

Anyway, the weather and waves in San Diego have been magnificent.  Today it seriously felt like summer outside.  It was great for the people who had Presidents day off.  Yesterday I went surfing with Beth at a break called Terramar (or Terra Mar, not sure if it’s one word or two).  We were trying to find a spot that was a bit sheltered from the brunt of the sizable WNW-NW swell that’s hitting the coast.  If you went to a spot that was facing the swell the waves were hitting double overhead.  At Terramar the waves were only about a foot overhead - 6′ or so.  I think maybe one or two 7′ waves might have rolled through as well.  It was fun to push my limits, and it felt good to have a friend out there with me.  I caught a bunch of waves, and my last wave was just perfect — except that I had to drop in on a longboarder to get it.  For you non-surfers, dropping in is not very nice.  It goes against surfing etiquette.  Basically dropping in means that someone else is already riding the wave and you take off in front of them, effectively cutting them off.  Well, I don’t think I exactly cut off this longboarder.  All I remember is looking over my shoulder and seeing him there, and I thought to myself, “well he’s just standing there cruising, so I’m just gonna go and ride in front of him.”  I don’t usually do this, but this particular wave was just so perfect and I was in the absolute perfect spot to catch it.  I couldn’t let it pass.  Somtimes you just have to break a rule now and then…

For more details on this situation and more surfing etiquette rules, check out my article on the subject at my website:

http://www.surfinghandbook.com/knowledge/surfing-etiquette/

Today was another beautiful day, and in between doing some work and going to a chiropractor (more on that in a second), I had just enough time for a mini session.  I knew Grandview was going to be big, but I only had time to go there since it’s the closest spot.  I saw that there were some pretty sizable sets coming through, but it was SO clean and organized I just had to paddle out.  I can definitely handle the conditions, it’s just a bit of a mental challenge against the fear of bigger waves.

I paddled out and had no trouble, but once I was out there I was a bit nervous.  I had to concentrate on just staying calm and reminding myself that I could handle it.  The average sets were running about a foot overhead, which doesn’t really sound like much, but it’s BIG when you’re out there.  The only fear I have of big waves is getting caught inside - this means being in front of them when they break.  Sometimes you really get caught and you end up right in the impact zone where the lip comes down.  That’s the worst place to be, and in cases like that I tend to jump off my board and dive.  Otherwise you risk getting a broken nose or a board to the face.

Anyway, I told myself I’d just catch one wave and ride it in to shore, especially since I had to go to this chiropractor appointment.  Well, I got lucky and after about 15 minutes a really nice one came to me and I caught it perfectly.  Even though the session was really short it was a great confidence builder.  I’m slowly working my way up and able to handle myself confidently in larger waves.  Larger waves are definitely more fun if you can handle them - you go faster and it’s just an awesome feeling when you’re flying down the line with the lip feathering above your head.

After my session I went to a chiropractor in San Diego because I’ve been having a very annoying neck issue for the past year and a half.  It started as a crick in my neck one morning when I woke up and lifted my head off the pillow, and it just keeps coming back.  Eventually it became a chronic low grade pain that flares up every once in a while.  I can’t really turn my head to the right without a sharp pain, and looking over my shoulder in the car is kind of hard.  I was just ignoring it for a while, but my friend Lori works at this chiropractors office as a massage therapist and she recommended him.  He actually works with a lot of professional and olympic athletes, and his prices are extremely reasonable for those without insurance.

Anyway he took X-Rays just to make sure my neck wasn’t messed up, and they came out fine.  My spine is actually in great condition, and I actually DON”T have minor scoliosis like the school nurse told me in high school.  I just lean for some reason, so one shoulder is slightly higher than the other.  It just has to do with certain muscles shortening.  Anyway, he gave my neck a minor adjustment and used ultrasound to stimulate the particular muscles in my neck that were shortened as a result of whatever problem or injury first caused my neck to cramp up.

Then the doctor put this tape across my shoulders in the back to help slightly adjust my posture.  I have to wear this tape for 4 days!!  It’s not that uncomfortable, but it’s kind of weird.  My shoulders are so rounded forward from surfing that it’s causing my whole body alignment to go out of whack.  Anyway, it was a good visit and I just want to nip this in the bud before it becomes a chronic or worse problem.

Well, that’s the update!

I didn’t have any pictures from this week to update, so I’ll just post this one.  I just found out that President Obama is going to give the commencement address this spring at the University of Michigan, which is pretty cool.  So, here’s a picture of my friends and I from graduation:

Tags: bigger waves, chiropractors, feels like summer, neck cricks
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Last night I got to go to the La Paloma theater in Encinitas to attend a showing of Rob Machado’s new movie “The Drifter.”  This was a really, really fun thing for me to do.  Rob Machado is a world champion pro surfer, and probably my favorite pro surfer.  I just love his style and his understated manner.  I had no idea when I came out here, but Rob is from Cardiff, which is right down the road (Cardiff is part of Encinitas).

Anyway, The Drifter is less of a surf movie in the traditional sense and more of an introspective documentary / travelog about his wanderings in Indonesia trying to get away from society as we know it.

Before the screening Rob played with Jon Swift, a great singer/songwriter/guitarist.  This was an amazing treat, since I had been a fan of Jon Swift ever since I saw “Shelter.”

A little bit of background:  Shelter was the first surf movie I ever saw.  I bought it when I just started surfing, when the sport was still this entire unknown world that I was embarking on.  I used to be intimidated going into surf shops because it just seemed like this other culture that I was not a part of.  Shelter is still one of the best surf videos to date.  The music in the video is fantastic, and features Jon Swift playing some great music including “Run, Run River.”

Well, much to my absolute delight, after the screening of The Drifter, Rob and Jon played another acoustic set while they showed bonus surf footage from the movie.  Basically we were watching a surf movie with live music.  The vibe was absolutely amazing.  Well, the last song they played was “Run, Run River” and it just brought back all these cool nostalgic feelings that I still get when I watch Shelter.

Jon Swift, Rob Machado and Friends

I love surf movies, and after following Rob, Jon Swift, and Taylor Steele for years and years from our little outpost on Long Island I was so excited to see them all in person, meet them, and talk to them.

Taylor Steele is really cool.  He is the creative mind behind a lot of groundbreaking surf movies.  Rob is very quiet and shy, and Jon Swift was easy to talk to and very friendly.  I was thankful my friend Lori was there - she’s not shy at all it seems, and she was more than willing to chat everyone up.  I probably would not have even attempted to get an autograph.  Instead it turns out that Lori went to High School with one of the musicians in Jon Swift’s band.  (You can’t walk 2 feet in this area without bumping into someone who has a connection with Lori, haha.)

Taylor Steele and Rob Machado do a QandA Session After The Film

Anyway, it was a really great night.  I got my DVD copy of The Drifter signed by Taylor Steele and Rob Machado, and I’ll probably put it in a frame.   I also got a few Jon Swift CD’s and he signed them as well.  It’s crazy - just a few years ago I was searching all over for Jon Swift’s music and couldn’t find it.  Now I have his CD’s, met him, and got him to sign them.  It’s funny how life works.  If you had told me back then I’d be actually meeting these guys I’d have been utterly amazed.

Rob, Lori, and I

I guess it seems silly that I’m getting all amped up about meeting a few minor surf industry celebrities, but it’s just that when something becomes a big part of your life like surfing did, and you build up all these nostalgic memories, it’s kind of a big deal.  I think coming from New York it’s even moreso since you never see any pros or famous surf people, and California and Hawaii and all those other exotic and famous surf locales seem a world away.  As I travel around and meet more people through surfing it seems the world gets smaller by the day, but I hope it never loses its lustre for me.  I never want to lose that excited, daring feeling of breaking into a secret clubhouse that I had when I first started surfing.

Here’s video I took of the end of the song “Run Run River”:

Tags: Jon Swift, Rob Machado, Surf Movies Are Sick, Taylor Steele, The Drifter
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I’m kinda getting the travel bug again.  As if it’s not enough that I’m going to be spending the Winter in San Diego!  The thing is, I get a little depressed when making changes - such as picking up and leaving.  I’m going back to California on the 27th, and while I’m really excited about that I’m also sad to be leaving here.  I mean, it’s kinda silly in a way because it’s just going to be getting colder, greyer, and more boring here as we stretch into the colder months.  But still, that’s just the way I am.  I’ve always been that way.

Anyway, my method of coping with the slight depression is to make plans and goals for things that I really want to do.  Right now that means I’m thinking of some places I want to travel to.

One of my big goals is to surf the Mentawai’s in Indonesia.  So recently I’ve been reading and browsing the Kandui surf resort website, drooling over the pictures and videos.

The waves range from user-friendly to advanced.  I was looking at the different waves and it’s not like you have to surf deadly double overhead grinders into dry reef.  Some of the waves just look like perfect, head high peelers in crystal clear blue water.

I’d love to go to Bali too.  Last night I was talking to Katherine, and I had no idea she did so much traveling in that part of the world.  She traveled and surfed in the early 90’s when she was my age, and she did it alone.  She went to Australia and Bali and the Indonesian islands a bunch of times.  I was so stoked to be talking to her, and it was so weird because I had just been thinking up all these crazy ideas about doing some traveling on my own.

I mean, I really would love to travel with friends, but life doesn’t always allow people to simply take off for two weeks and blow money on a surf trip.  So, if I can’t latch on to some trips with people this year, then I might consider taking a trip on my own at some point.  Maybe not Bali right away, but somewhere.  Caribbean, Costa Rica, wherever.  I also want to work on my surfing a bit more.  I’ve made a lot of progress the past half year, so I’m stoked on that.  If I’m going to these places I want to be able to surf and know that I know what I’m doing if I want to take on more challenging waves.

The thought of traveling right now is appealing because I want to live life and do as much as I can before I potentially settle down with a family or whatever.  And there’s no rush for that.  I really want to have a family, but right now I’m free as a bird and I want to take advantage.  Plus, when you get older it’s harder to surf hard without fearing injury too much.  That’s just a fact of life as you get older.

I want to take risks and have stories to tell.  I don’t want to just live my life in a safe little bubble.  Some of the people I respect most are those who get out there and experience the world.  People who have crazy stories and misadventures in the far corners of the world.  My favorite story to tell people now is about our trip to Mexico and how we had to search in the countryside to find the Ranch, this out of the way surf spot.  It was 4 girls in the rental car, 4 boards stacked on the car, and our directions led us to this dirt road in the middle of the woods.  I was freaking out, thinking of all sorts of scary scenarios - like getting killed by drug lords and nobody knowing for days.  Anyway, the directions said “take the fork that looks more traveled.”  So, every time we got to a fork we would sit there scratching our heads.  “Which one looks more traveled??”  Finally we made it out and into a clearing overlooking an absolutely beautiful point break in the middle of unspoiled wilderness.   I mean, it is one of the experiences I will remember my entire life.

Anyway, that’s my plan so far.  Nothing’s set in stone.  I want to get to CA first and then see where I want to go from there.  Gotta get back into surfing shape anyway since I have barely been surfing more than a handfull of times in the past month.

Tags: bali, living life, taking risks, travel, where I want to go
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Yesterday was a good surf day.

Allow me to explain.  It didn’t start out so well at first.  That infernal wind that has not stopped blowing was cranking out of the WSW early on, blowing the swell into bits.  It was cloudy.  Rainy.  At about 2:00 I went to look at Sagg Main, and it was really thumping hard on the sandbar.  People were getting barrels but they weren’t really coming out that much.  It was looking really walled up and difficult.  I haven’t surfed that much in the past few weeks due to this horrible fall surf season, so I wasn’t feeling very confident.  I didn’t feel like getting drilled into the sandbar or getting a facefull of fiberglass like one unfortunate kid did - resulting in a split lip.

I got word from Meghan at Ditch that it was looking good, and the sun was just about to poke out, so I decided to head to Montauk.  It can be a bit windier out there, but the waves can also be bigger.  The thing about Montauk is that depending on where you are, the waves can be a bit slower - not as fast and steep as a beachbreak but still enough oomph behind them to be fun.

When I got to Ditch it looked less than stellar.  Ditch has been really weird this year with some funky sandbars on the indside causing it to wall up and break heavier.  It was just all over the place when I got there, and I was not feeling very inspired, so I drove out to Camp Hero to check the coves.

When I parked and got out to take a look from the bluffs, I saw Happy Dave and Claire.  Claire had just gotten out of the water and had been surfing with Andrea and Bettina.  Dave was his usual happy self and that helped me snap out of the grumpy mood I had been in.  He lent me his binoculars and told me to check out the right at R——.  Through the binocs I could see a small group of 6 or 7 surfers on what looked to be shoulder high, somewhat mushy rights.  R—— is a right point break that sits just under the stoic and somewhat creepy Camp Hero radar tower.  Camp Hero is steeped in legends and conspiracy theories about the shady past of the now derelict airbase.

Whether or not there have been shady happenings there, it’s a beautiful place to surf.  The view from the water is one of sheer brown cliffs, rocky beaches, and the stark white of the Montauk Point lighthouse to the east.

I’ve only surfed the coves a handful of times.  T——- was amazing when I surfed it last November, glassy and head high, with only 6 people out - and all of them Southampton folks.  D——–’s is a left point by the pillbox, and I surfed that on the fluke swell after the Danny swell peaked.  Glassy and blue water, foot overhead and some fun drops.  Claire, Andrea and Janet Boyd were out that day, and we were having a blast.  Ate it bad on my first wave - over the falls on my head - and came up smiling.  You always have to come up smiling or you’ll psyche yourself out.

Anyway, back to my story.  The fall days are getting shorter now, so I knew time was of the essence.  The north wind was blowing the swell out quickly, and I all but ran down the rocky path to the pillbox.  Now, I’ve never surfed this particular break before, but having surfed D——’s earlier this season I knew I could do it.  The waves were no more than head high anyway.  Paddling out there is a bit of a trick, but it’s easier than getting in.  You have to time it right, and make sure you don’t get caught standing in the shorepound by a breaking wave that will throw some fist sized rocks right onto your toes.  I started hesitating - I was nervous.  There were people out but I didn’t know who was out there or if I would know them.  Finally I said screw it, I gotta go.  Plus there was a guy sitting up on the shore watching.  I wasn’t going to turn tail this time.

It was a dry haired paddleout, hugging the huge boulders that form the point and stick out of the water for 30 yards until they disappear under the murky sea.  That’s the advantage of surfing a point break - it’s easy to get out.  But my heart was racing anyway - I’m not the bravest surfer and the rocky coves generally make most people nervous their first few times out there.  There’s just an aura around them that’s a bit different than your standard break on Long Island.  In my mind you’ve gotta be at a certain ability level to surf there.  Sure, you get the occasional kook who has wandered astray, but that’s not the usual case.

My first wave was a quick one, but my form was good and I realized I felt good and not off balance like I sometimes feel after a long dry spell.  Eventually after catching a few waves my heartrate slowed and I began to enjoy myself.  The adrenaline rush of paddling out to the unknown was ebbing and now the endorphines were setting in, leaving me smiling at nothing in particular.

My best wave was an amazing peak that I was in the perfect spot for.  Head high and fast, I positioned myself right in the curl, and I felt it breaking over my back shoulder.  At one point the wave started to break a little in front of me but I steered forward and around the cascading lip, evading it and rising back onto the wall and into the sweet spot again.  The best part of the wave was the sunlight behind me, lighting my way, and illuminating the faces of everyone on the inside watching.  I have to admit, if I’m on a good wave it’s kinda cool to have an audience.  I rode it for a good 50 yards before cleanly kicking out and coming back down ready to paddle out once again.

I’m still stoked on that wave, still stoked on that session.  Even writing about it right now is giving me another shot of stoke.  You need all you can get out here, since right now the swells are so few and far between.

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Well, I guess I’ve been pretty bad about updating this blog!!!  Here’s a few things that I’ve been doing:

I just put a down payment on another car.  The first car I was going to get ended up having a bad transmission so the dealer couldn’t sell me the car.  Well, I guess it’s good I didn’t get a car with a bad tranny but it was just annoying that it had to be broken at all.  So I found another Jeep.  It’s nice - it’s a Grand Cherokee Laredo, in Silver.  It looks very nice.  Only bad thing is that it has a large scratch on the passenger side.  It almost looks like it got keyed.  Oh well, I just need a car.

This whole car business has been a thorn in my side.  It’s basically all I have been doing the past two weeks, and it has been hard to get my life going.  I can’t get beach stickers because I don’t have the car I’m going to put them on, and basically all my excess time has been spent looking for cars.

On a brighter note I went surfing at Ditch Plains today.  There were some good waves - about chest - head high.  I forgot how fun Ditch can be on the right days.  I also forgot how slow the takeoff is.  I’m used to fast waves from California and the other places I traveled to this winter.  At ditch I felt like I had all this time to pop to my feet.  I felt like my popups were smooth, and technically I surfed really well.  I was hitting my cutbacks and overall felt REALLY in control of my board.  It’s cool to go away and surf in California for 6 months and come back much better than when you left.

I would really like to post more in this blog, so stay tuned!

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Meghan left to go back to NY today, and I have one more week here in California.  I can’t believe I’ll have been here for 6 months.  Twice as long as I intended at first!  It’s been super fun here, but I’m definitely excited to go home.

Meghan and I had dinner last night and we were just talking about Montauk and surfing the whole time.  I definitely can’t wait to get back to Long Island for the summer and fall.  It’s a really cool place, and I think that obviously it’s important to me because it’s home.

The thing about surfing on the east end, as opposed to California, is that the surf community is so small.  Everyone knows everyone.  I kind of like that.  I love going to check the surf and seeing people I know.  I love paddling out in Montauk and being with friends.

It’s cool because in Montauk, it’s such a small community that if someone sees you catch a great ride  they’ll compliment you, and even tell their friends, etc.

We might have been looking through rose colored glasses a bit, but the thing about California that I’m not crazy about is that if you just venture out around here in San Diego you’ll likely be surrounded by strangers.  It’s definitely a different vibe.  Now, I’ve come to know familiar faces, especially the Grandview crew, but it’s still kinda different.

Either way, I’m stoked to be going home.  Not sure when I’m going to come back to California though.  Probably October.  Maybe mid-October.  I know I’m not going to want to leave while things are still fun back home.  However, I know I’m coming back to California for sure.  I just don’t think I can live in NY full time.  Well, I will see where life takes me this time!

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I was just thinking about this yesterday - I’m pretty happy that since I’ve been out to California I have NOT turned my back on the surf because I was scared.  I used to do this when I was scared of the waves and didn’t feel like I was able to handle the conditions.  However, since I’ve been in California I’ve surfed some pretty decent sized waves and I’ve been totally fine.  There have been days where I was a little nervous, but never fearful.

When I started surfing I would get all suited up, get down to the water, and then get totally psyched out and not paddle out.  That was totally demoralizing.  I actually did that last fall when we had a fairly decent sized hurricane swell.  I know now that I would now be able to paddle out into those waves confidently.

It’s pretty cool.  I guess it also speaks to the fact that the California Winter season has been very sub-par.  I don’t think the waves ever got above 6-7 feet here this year.

The California surf spots are also a bit easier to surf when it’s big because they don’t DUMP in heavy shorebreak like they do on Long Island.  I’m not saying that I’ll never turn tail again, but I’m stoked on the fact that I’m getting so much more confident in the water.

In two weeks I’ll be heading to Hawaii with Val for a week to hit up the South Shore.  I’m getting excited - last time I went to Hawaii (two months ago) it wasn’t really a surf trip.  I did surf and I did bring my board, but it wasn’t really about surfing.  This time all we’re going to do is surf.  Well, not all, but that will be the primary focus.  Then on July 10 I’ll be back home in NY to soak up some Hamptons sunshine.

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I did not have a very good day today.  I feel like a lot of things are going wrong and leaving to go back to NY is both welcome and coming at a bad time.  Also my affiliate stats were messed up this morning causing me a lot of stress.

In order to try to burn off some of my frustration and anger I decided to go surf a sunset session.  I surfed for about an hour and a half, and the waves were surprisingly very fun.  It was crowded but I got my share of waves.  I also had a technique epiphany about paddling to catch a wave.  I subtly put more weight forward and it totally helped as far as being able to get into the wave correctly.  It was a very subtle feeling and I’m surprised it has eluded me for so long!  I had some bad advice I think, about arching your back, but instead you should put your weight forward.  It helped so much and I was really happy with the way I surfed for once.  I feel like I have hit a skill plateau lately and haven’t been getting any better, but tonight I feel like I’m getting back to where I want to be and I’ll progress.

I can’t wait to get back home.  I am pretty homesick!

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I haven’t really been updating this thing…so here’s a quick and dirty update…

Went up to Whistler with Bid (aka Alicia Bidwell) and her friends.  I could NOT believe how beautiful British Columbia is, and Vancouver, and the drive up on the Sea To Sky highway (coolest name for a road ever).  And then the mountain itself…the view from the peak was incredible.  We were above the clouds and the treeline, and it felt like I was on another planet.  Truly an experience I will never forget.

Sometimes I’m kinda glad I didn’t travel much up until about a year ago.  I think I’m appreciating the variety of the world so much more, and I don’t take it for granted.

The surf here has not been too great.   Very small and weak, and it’s frustrating.  Had a few fun sessions on Quadzilla, and last night some dolphins swam VERY close to me, I’m talking like 8 feet away.  It really startled me!  They were also surfing.  I love how dolphins play around.  They ride waves just like surfers.  Last night was a surprise session…almost too many fun waist high waves and only me and a couple other people.  Then it kinda turned off and got crowded.  Them’s the breaks.

I don’t know how the Californians do it…afternoon sessions are torture because you’re looking straight west at the sun.  On Long Island we’re facing primarily South/Southeast, so we don’t really have that problem.

I surfed Swami’s yesterday, and I’m over it.  Yeah, wasn’t the best day there since the waves were weak and small, but on a shortboard it’s just an exercise in frustration.  Too many people in such a small area.  I’ll take a beachbreak any day.

Two weeks ago I spent a few days visiting with Betty and Evelyn in Santa Barbara.  We surfed the iconic Rincon, and the talent level there is unbelievable.  Kelly Slater was there, and I was in the lineup 5 feet away from him.  I didn’t talk to him, but it was neat to share the lineup with such a living legend.  He has the most beautiful green eyes…you have to see them in person.

I’m going to Oahu on March 19th!  I am sooooo stoked.  I want to surf, but I’m a little worried because I keep hearing all about how much power is in the waves in Hawaii, and how it’s a whole different surfing animal altogether.  However, we’ll be visiting with Cat, and hopefully she can point me to an easier spot.

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“But first, before I go I look at the palm tree on the corner of my street. If he’s a-blowin’ I’m not a-goin’!”

Someone wrote that on the SurfingSD message board, and I loved it.  For you non-surfer folks it means that if he sees the palm tree getting blown a lot by the wind he’s not going to go surfing.  Generally a lot of wind, if it’s coming from the wrong direction, messes up the surfing conditions.

I’ve found that this is contrary to what a lot of people tend to think about surfing.  It might be storming and windy out and people might mention to me that it “must be great for surfing.”  Then I have to explain that really the optimal surfing conditions tend to be produced by offshore storms.  Nobody wants to surf in a windstorm.  It’s true, wind makes waves, but you want that wind blowing around out in the ocean.  However, light to moderate offshore winds are the exception, as they can blow the waves clean.  Too much offshore wind, however, and it becomes difficult to take off on waves and you get spray in the face.

Anyway…enough of that.  That quote just made me smile because so often surfers have their own personal landmarks where they check the wind.  Back home there are a few main flagpoles that I can look at to see what the wind is doing.  One is the main flagpole in Bridgehampton, and the other is the flagpole on Mecox road that some guy put up in front of his house.  When he takes the flag down I get annoyed, haha.

I can tell from the direction and movement of these flags if the surf is going to be good or crappy.  A lot of times I’ll look at the trees and see if they’re getting blown around or if they’re still.  At home the first thing I do when I wake up is look at the trees outside my window to see if they’re blowing around a lot, and which way they’re leaning.  Can you tell I’m obsessed?  I think it’s something that every surfer comes to do.

PS - The group shot from the SurfingSD beach party is up on their site as the header!  Can you find me?  http://www.surfingsd.com

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