Linda Mar Sights

Today was a good day... as you can see.

No words needed.

Spring Cleaning

Sorry bro.  There are no clean peaks today. 

Oh Spring...  westerly side crossed winds, white caps, crossed eyed peaks and short, short rides.  Then again, there's more sun and longer days.  And I must say, I've had some fun out there thanks to DST.  I've been able to make it out to OB after work more often, getting some solid sessions in.  And surprisingly, there has been some semi-clean days.  But I guess I've been spoiled with winter and those "4-7 feet" forecasts that just seemed to be never ending.

I had a great session on the Eastside of Santa Cruz the other day.  I surfed the good 'ol Hook for a bit and scored some tasty waist high waves.  It was quiet a paddle battle though, but I was able to score some.  It helped that the "Sheriff" was around on his SUP.  He would give me a heads up on some approaching sets.  I'd follow him, he'd catch the first and then I'd go for the second.

Did I get cut off on some?  Yes.  But that's to be expected.  Was it fun?  Damn straight it was. The Hook can be such a great wave.  It's fast enough to throw your hair back and it's breaks slow enough to practice cut backs and turns.  I enjoy how it gives me time to set up my drops.  Only a few places in my experience has that benefit.  And I'm almost always guaranteed face time.  And I like face time. 

Time to close the Great Highway.

But my best session all year was had at Linda Mar of all places.  During spring.  And I didn't even surf.  One of the kids in my neighborhood has been bugging me to take him surfing for the longest time.  When I get home, he always asks "Did you catch some tasty ones dude?".  The kid was so stoked to go surfing that he didn't sleep all night.  When I finally picked him up, his eyes looked like it was Christmas and he couldn't stop babbling about how he was going to be a better surfer than me.

I posed real simple questions to get his mind going as we drove like "What's the best way to avoid a wave?"  "Why don't you want to turn your back on the ocean?" and so on.  Kids and their answers.  It is so cute but totally genuine and unfiltered.  Makes me think about us adults and how we speak to each other.  Makes me wish we were a bit more transparent instead of being language ninjas.  And the questions he asked were great.  He didn't care if he sounded ignorant or not,  he just wants to become a surfer.  And never once did he ask about sharks. 

This wasn't his first time to the beach, but it was the first time in 8 years since he's touched the ocean.  In response to "how to avoid a wave pummeling you?" I taught him how to duck waves.  First thing he yelled after our first duck dive was "COLD!" as he grabbed my arm.  We ducked waves for about 10 minutes.  I watched him get braver with each duck dive until he let go of my arm and went under waves alone.

I spent an hour pushing him into waves, watching him take spills and once in a while standing up and taking one to the beach.  Kid was champ.  He wasn't afraid at all.  He would take a spill, grab the board and come back for another push. After about an hour, he pushed me away and said "I got this, I want to try and catch some on my own."  I just stood on the beach and watched him go for it for a few hours.  He would catch one to me on the beach, and I'd give him some advice and I'd watch him take the advice and get better with every wave he caught.

After we got out, as he was rinsing off, one of the guys at the showers congratulated him on his first day and some of his rides.  "Great rides!  But now comes the hard part".  "What's the hard part?" the kid asked one of the guys at the showers.  "Taking off your wetsuit!"  And boy did he have a hard time taking his wetsuit off.  As we drove home, that energetic kid that was stoked out of his mind four hours earlier was knocked out in the back seat.  "Take him anytime," his mom said later that day as The Kid snored on his couch.

I got to give it up to the Linda Mar regulars.  They were soooo nice to The Kid.  They would give him advice, give him big smiles, and throw him high fives.  We got some really good people out there in the lineup.  

Yeah, Spring can suck most of the time.  But I'm finding ways to fill the void.  From fixing some dings to adding one more kook to the Linda Mar lineup.  But damn I miss winter.  Before I go, here is a little taste of what was.  Panama Red took out his GoPro and filmed this during the earlier months of this year.  Even though winter has passed, we can still reminisce.  



La Bocanita from Panama Red on Vimeo.

Missed. Nearly.

In my last blog, I went over to Santa Cruz to pick up Mrs. Go To.  I was able to get my board, have a fun time at my third favorite spot with super charger Panama Red.  But the next day, I got text after text from some of the Kiwi's telling me how epic Ocean Beach was that day (Saturday, October the sixth to be exact).  I went to stokereport to see if all of this was true, and low and behold, it was one of the five epic days all year that Ocean Beach becomes a world class wave nest...

Courtesy of  Grant Ly

Courtesy of  Grant Ly

Courtesy of  Grant Ly

Courtesy of  Grant Ly

I talked to other fellow OBers the following Sunday and they all said that it was one of those days where you could hang out on the inside and the outside and catch nuggets.  I knew just what they were talking about.  When OB gets epic, the third bar cleans up larger waves so when they hit the second bar, they are perfect size, tubing beauties.  And when the waves are around 8-10 feet on the third bar, they are a couple feet bigger then the second bar, but still as beautiful.  And I missed it.  But it's all good.  Gotta stay positive.

My favorite days at OB look like this:



I headed out to OB the following Sunday to find that parking was next to none due to the Marathon that was going on.  I got lucky and found a quick spot on Sloat.  I parked near the Zoo, walked over to the Sloat lot and found that the outer bar was clean, no wind and next to empty because of the Marathon and the lack of parking.

A marathon for a great cause.  But they could do less of the Lady Ga Ga music...

I ran back, suited up, got my board, waxed it and ran back down the new sandy hill.  I did my 10 minute stretch, took a deep breath and paddled out.  Even on softer days, paddling out can be a bitch at OB.  But I got lucky, found a rip and made it out back in 10 minutes.  Breathing hard and needing a rest, a nice 6 foot, high tide chunk of a wave headed my way.  Still breathing hard, I turned my board, waited for it to come, paddled into it and caught a fun, fast right.  I had too much fun because I found myself on the inside and it took me another 10 minutes to get out back.

I stuck around for 2 hours, caught a handful of fun, sorta mushy waves.  The last wave I caught was one of the bigger waves of the day, a chunky, pushy left.  I caught it way to inside and decided to land on my belly and catch it into the shore.

Tired and stoked I headed back to the car, dressed up and munched on a banana.  I stopped by Aqua Surf Shop, heard a debate about Epoxy vs. PU, checked out some gear, bought me a pretty sweet shirt and headed back to the car.

Aqua Dog

I wanted to surf more, but I didn't want to waste all my energy on a 30 minute paddle out.  So I headed out to Linda Mar, bumped into Kush, said 'WAZZUP!', then suited up and headed out to Alaska.  Had a fun sesh with sixty good friends.  I overheard somebody say (as always) "Dude, it's hella crowded".  But isn't it always hella crowded at Lindy?  I actually like it now.  I dig the new surfers.  They carry this stoke, this joy of just being in the water.  It's pretty contagious if you let it.

I headed home pulled up to this chilled out dog.

He was wearing a pair of Ray-Bans and was digging life.

I surfed a couple times last week, but nothing spectacular.  I was just happy to be in the water, watching the sun and sometimes the fog filter in and out of the bay as they usher in the winter.  Winter is around the corner and more epic days will be had.  I can't wait, Me and Mrs. OB have some making up to do.

Heads up, great little surf film festival headed our way.  Went to the last one and it was pretty epic (Like OB was).  Check it out @ Save The Waves Film Festival .  All proceeds go to a great cause.  I'll be there for sure!  It will be held at at the Victoria Theater in the Mission on November 16th.

Last off, I want to congratulate the S.F. Giants who are headed back to the World Series.  To make it clear, I am an A's fan.  But...  the Giants have heart and never say never will.  Gotta respect that.  Bring it back to the Bay ya'll.

You can also find me on:

Facebook @ Kookingitup
&

Twitter @ Kooking it UP's Twitter
& 

Vimeo @ Wacky Kooking it UP's videos

 

Preoccupations and Expectations...

I've been pretty preoccupied lately.  Because of this, I have felt a bit of a regression in my surfing.  Not making the drop, not popping up as quickly as usual, losing my balance in situations where I'm usually pretty solid and being nervous and uncomfortable in situations where I'm usually pretty confident.   

This preoccupation has not been something forced (as in the grind) but an occupation of what we find as we journey through life.  A lot of good things have filled my life and I'm pretty lucky for them.  But at times it has taken away from my surfing, the one thing I really cherish and love in this universe.  Lately, I have been reminiscing the grom days.  Days when I had no idea what a surf forecast was and would hit the beach "just because".  "Just because" I love the ocean and how it feels, from the gentle wave to the 60 second hold down.  I miss not being able to sleep due to the excitement of going "surfing" the next day.  I miss the excitement of driving down to the beach, getting out of my car and smelling that cold, moist, salty ocean at five in the morning, running out to the cliff and either being stoked that it was firing or disappointed because it was flat.

I miss not having any expectations.  Yes, I guess that's what this whole entire written process/ ramble is all about.  Not having one - fucking - expectation of what's out there.  Just being. Being whatever on a whatever day on our beautiful planet in front of our beloved Pacific.  When did that feeling of just being - being a surfer - leave?  I have no idea when...  I remember last year when I paddled out with my cousin at Lani's on the North Shore, it being over head to double over head and not even giving a damn about my "skill level".  Did I realize that the surf on that day was way beyond it?  No, I just paddled out and went for it.  On that day, I caught my first legit tube.  A year later, in a similar situation in El Salvador, the same waves were beyond my skill level.  On that day, all I felt was nervousness and fear. What was the difference between both days?  Me?  The waves?  The company?  My head? I have no idea.  Is it suppose to make sense? No tiende...

I took that concept of having no expectations with me on Saturday to Ocean Beach.  I met up with Johnny in front of the restaurant not knowing that hundred's of people were taking care of Mrs. O.B. and working to make her spiffy clean.  It was a great thing to see (and join), and even better when it was unexpected.  The surf looked small, but we insta-suited up, ran out to the salt water and jumped in.  The surf wasn't great, but then again, it was great just because.  After paddeling around for a bit, I nodded at Johnny towards Kelly's.  Johnny took a look and we both said to each other "Why not?"

We caught one to the shore, walked over to Kelly's and low and behold, a couple of clean wedges were forming up for some chest high fun.  The crowd was plenty, but I didn't expect much, so it really didn't matter.  I watched a couple of the old school O.B. regulars rip one wave after another, throwing buckets and tossing air.  Felt like I was young again by just being a spectator.  Did I catch a few?  I caught a handful of decent waves that had me smiling ear to ear.  Did I take a couple spills?  Yeah, here and there, but I accepted it because I was taking a couple risky waves because I just wanted to "go for it" again.  We ended up staying at Kelly's for a good two hours, leaving the water only when our arms could no longer paddle.

Time, age and experience bring a lot of wisdom and character. But at the same time, I think they also hold us back.  When I'm with younger folks, I see them taking risks just because they don't know any better.  And I guess that's what I want to get back into, not knowing any better and just going for it.

This has been deep thoughts by yours truly.

   

You can also find me at:

 Twitter @ Kooking it UP's Twitter

Vimeo @ Wacky Kooking it UP's videos