last night at San Onofre state beach

margaux at cardiff

out to sea

singlefin

naptime

chasing flocks

The Finals - THEY SPELLED MY NAME RIGHT!!!!!! WOW

Another weekend, another surf contest!

This one was a sanctioned longboard club contest. There are longboard clubs all up and down the California coast – Pacific Beach Surf club, Windansea surf club, Cardiff surf club, Swami’s Surfing Association, Malibu Surfing Association, Long Beach Surf Club…etc. You get the idea haha.

Anyway, these clubs get together and hold contests. It’s generally longboard, but they have shortboard heats and stand up paddle heats too.

Otis, a guy I met out surfing in Cardiff, recruited me to do some contests for the Cardiff Surf Club. I was flattered that he asked me, and so I told him I’d do the first one that I could (a couple I couldn’t attend since I was either busy or in NY). So that was this one.

I was sent the heat sheets a few days ago, and was dismayed to see that I was almost entering the Roxy Pro – two very very good professional surfers in my heat – a 2 time world champ and a runner up to the world champ.  Greaaat.  Haha.  Make it easy for me.  Well, Jen was traveling I think so she withdrew, but Kaitlin was still in the contest. The funny thing is, my two longboards were Kaitin’s boards. I bought them off our mutual friend Max. I had never met Kaitlin, but out in the water she was like “did you get that board from a guy?” I was like “Yeah Max.” She said “That’s my board!” So I said “are you Kaitlin?” It was so funny. Anyway….as far as the contest went, I did well in the first heat considering the people I was up against. I managed to get a clean noseride on an insider, and I think that’s what propelled me over the other girl, Nicole, to give me 3rd place. She placed ahead of me in the Summer Longboard Classic in June, so I was stoked to do a little better this time.

The final was tough, but there were still some good waves rolling through. I managed to pull a clean noseride and finish the wave through to the inside, and that was my best wave in the heat. Got a couple other waves, a couple sunk noserides. I’ve only been longboarding for about a year, so I’m pretty stoked on my results. I mean, these other girls have years and years of experience over me.

The contest jerseys they give you to wear in the water are ridiculously oversized (I guess to accomodate the big guys…everyone has to share). I nearly drowned in mine when I lost my board. First of all, I fell off and the shirt came over my face, and then trying to swim in it was like trying to swim in a bathrobe. I wasn’t going very fast.

There are a million little flies on the beach too for some reason, and as I was running to get in the water for my first heat I inhaled one. Yes. Inhaled. It went in my windpipe. I coughed it up. It was DISGUSTING. So I was surfing my first heat coughing up pieces of fly. Yeah, not optimal.

Overall a nice day at the beach. Taking a break now and having some food while I wait for the results/awards ceremony. I’ll come back and post the results.

——

UPDATE – So I got 4th place overall. I’m actually really happy with this. The girls that placed above me are really good, so hats off to them. I’m stoked to even be in the same contest since, again, I’ve only been longboarding a year. It’s an improvement over the longboard contest I entered back in June, where I got 6th place overall. So, movin on up!

First Round

Final Points Standings

This past Saturday I participated in the Finals of the Revolt Summer Surf Series held at Crystal Pier in Pacific Beach.  My friend Kim did this one with me, which was fun.  The waves were really not so great, and I was struggling to get any speed out of them and to even do a turn.  I did better in the first heat – the waves had a bit more shape.  I rode my short stubby quad, but I’m wondering if I should have just rode my thruster.  Either way, it was fun.  Kim did really well, placing second.  I got 5th overall.  Just glad I didn’t get last, haha.  I wasn’t too thrilled with my performance, but it was ok.  I just couldn’t get a good wave in the final.  I could basically ride it straight, but every time I got enough speed for a turn the wave would just disappear.

Anyway…I’m pretty stoked on getting third for the series, although only a few people actually did all of the contests.  I guess showing up is half the battle, haha.  I think I did the best in the first contest I did…I actually placed ahead of the girl who won first on Saturday.  It’s so hit or miss…and contest surfing is a bit of luck on who can get a good wave, especially when conditions aren’t that great.

NOW, if they could just figure out how to spell my name, I would be ecstatic.

Crystal Pier Contest Site

However, this also means that it’s incredibly crowded. Catching waves is a bit of a trick. You can paddle in the middle of the crowd, or you can sit off to the side and pick off the ones that swing wide. Generally that’s what I do, although sometimes I get sucked into the crowd thinking “well, maybe this once I can be in the right position for a set wave.” In my case though, the latter strategy generally means running people over or getting run over myself.  Yesterday I even smashed my hand onto someone’s board as I was paddling.  I thought I broke my hand it hurt so bad, but it’s OK.

Either way, anytime you go to Lowers you’ll be able to witness some of the most talented surfers around. Inevitably there will be a handful of serious professionals out there. All these elements combine to make it a great place to shoot photos and video. So that’s where I have been going the past few days. Yesterday I spent all day at Lowers – and walked the trail from my car to the beach and back THREE times (generally to get to get to Lowers you need to park quite far away). That was poor planning on my part – I certainly didn’t intend to do that. No, not when the hike is 20 minutes at least. ONE way. Yes, that means I walked almost 6 miles yesterday, surfed for 2 hours, and took some video. All in all, I was really stinkin’ tired.  But in a good way!

I can’t complain though – I got to surf one of the best waves on the planet and spend all day there filming.  I actually had my best Lowers session yet.  I’ve only surfed it a handful of times, and I can kind of measure how my surfing has progressed by how I do there.  My first time at Lowers was really tough – I only got 2 waves in quite a while.  This last session I got about 6 good waves, which is not as many as I would have liked, but I caught them and surfed them well (at least in my mind).  Lowers is so cool – it’s such a perfect wave that it’s really easy to do turns, and even plan out your next turn.  I had enough time to think to myself – “OK, use your upper body to initiate this turn.”  It definitely helps your surfing when you have a good wave to work with.

Anyway, here are a few of the photos I shot. You will see the video I shot when I’m finished with my mini surf video, which should be done hopefully by the end of next week if all goes well. I just need a few more good clips and I’ll be set.

Catching Air - Unidentified

Throwing Tail - Unidentified

Silvana Lima, carving

While we were hanging out in PB I saw a poster for a surf contest that was going to be held on Saturday called the Revolt Summer Surf Series Pro Am.  I decided not to make the decision until the morning of the contest.  I had never surfed Crystal Pier before, so on Friday I went and surfed there after Katrin left.  It was fun, and I thought that the wave was pretty user friendly.  So, Saturday morning I just said the heck with it, I’m gonna do it.

a nice afternoon at crystal pier, pacific beach

I didn’t really know what to expect.  I entered the Women’s Open Shortboard, which had 12 contestants.  They were all pretty good, and it was a bit more competitive than I originally thought.  Some of the girls were sponsored by various surf companies.  I got third place in my first heat, and that put me in the finals, where I got 4th place overall.  I guess I sold myself short, or the judges liked my waves, since I was surprised to get 4th.  I feel like I can surf better than I did in my heats, but surf contests are hard.  You only have 15 – 20 minutes to catch waves and do your best maneuvers, so you really have to be consistent.  I’m not that consistent, even though I have come a long way in the past few years.  Anyway, 4th place overall was awesome for me, I am totally happy with that.  I’m not sponsored or anything, I don’t have any coaching, I don’t have people taking video of me so I can see what I’m doing, and basically I’m entirely self taught.  So it’s fun for me to go up against people who are better and still come out with a decent result.  The top girls there were very good, and were definitely better than me.  It’s a good way to push myself.  Overall I’m really happy I did it.

the two women's open heats

I met some new people and some of the regulars at Cardiff were there.  Two of the older locals – Roger and Otis – have since given me some tips.  Roger gave me some advice on stepping more toe-heel on my cross stepping, and that has actually helped me tremendously.  It’s funny how you can know that you’re doing something not quite right, but until someone points it out and gives you advice on correcting it you just won’t change.  Since giving me that tip I have had a couple of the most stable and best nose rides yet.  So overall it was a great way to get out there, get to know some new people, and be a part of the community.  That’s the way I did it back home in NY; just show up to stuff, and you end up meeting a lot of people.  It’s really cool.

The Women's Finalists