SESSION: #92 OF 500

LOCATION.................G. TO THE VIEW

WAVES....................REALLY FUN 3'+

WATER........................4X3...COLD

AIR...................... GREY, BUT CALM

PADDLE TIME......................7:45am

CO-PILOT.......................ED LEWIS

    MAN O' MAN... ITS BEEN FUN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS! LOTS OF WAVES, GOOD DIRECTION, PEAKY, MINIMAL CROWDS...LOVE IT!

     STILL MURKY GRANDVIEW ISSUES THOUGH...I STILL DONT KNOW THE DANGER OR HAZARD OF THE MUD STEW, BUT I CERTAINLY HOPE I DONT GET SICK BEFORE THEY DECIDE TO WARN US!!!!!!!!! 

     TIME FOR CHEM SUIT AND ORIFICE PLUGS, I THINK I'LL BORROW ED'S...J/K!

SESSION: #91 OF 500

LOCATION.............BEACONS

WAVES...........SUPER FUN 3'-4'

WATER.........NO COMPLAINTS!

AIR............CLEAR & CLEAN

PADDLE TIME............3:20pm

CO-PILOT...............LUCAS FOSTER

   WHAT A SICK SESSION!...I RODE MY LONG BOARD AGAIN AND PROCEEDED TO PICK OFF ALMOST EVERY SET, TO THE DISMAY OF THE SOUTH PEAK CROWD. I GAVE A CLINIC ON HOW TO RIDE A LONGBOARD LIKE A SHORT BOARD! THEY HATED IT!

     ...I DONT FEEL BAD THOUGH, EVERY OTHER DAY OF THE WEEK IM ON A 5'10 FIGHTING LOGGERS. SO TODAY, ALL "ISH" TALKERS THAT HOG WAVES ON  OVERLY BOYANT OLD BARNEY TANKERS CAN TAKE A HIKE IF THEY DONT LIKE A TASTE OF THEIR OWN MEDICINE! IF YOU RIDE A LONG BOARD SHARE...OR IT WILL COME BACK TO BITE YOU!!!

SESSION: #90 OF 500

W.T.F. IS THORIUM!?...

IS THAT YER' FINAL ANSWER?...

LOCATION..............GRAND SPEIW

WAVES.......................................2'-4'+

WATER....MUDDY ORANGE SILT

AIR.......................................CHILLY!

PADDLE TIME......................8:41am

CO-PILOT.......................................ED

 WOO HOO!...WERE IN THE 90's! 

100 IS GOING TO BE HERE BEFORE MARCH POSSIBLY! 

   FUN DAY AT G.VIEW, BOWLEY LITTLE INSIDERS WITH A COUPLE OF SETS THAT ROLLED THROUGH EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. THE WATER WAS GROSS! ALL THE SAND DUMPING OR "REPLENISHING" AS THEY CALL IT HAS CAST A DARK ORANGE SILT INTO THE WATER MAKING IT LOOK AS IF IT WERE MUD! NOT COOL!...THEY SAY ITS FINE BUT I DONT KNOW HOW TRUE THAT REALLY IS. HAS ANYONE TESTED THIS STUFF?...HELLO? 

SESSION: #89 OF 500

LOCATION..........THE BEAC'S

WAVES..........................2'-3'+

WATER..........................NICE!

AIR.....................LIL' BREEZY

PADDLE TIME...........11:50am

CO-PILOT..........HANS SOLO

   MID DAY SESSION AT BEAC'S...NO CROWD, PLENTY OF WAVES, AND...WELL I GUESS IT WAS JUST A BORING SESSION. NOT THAT I DONT APPRECIATE RELAXING AND HAVING A MELLOW SESSION, I DIDNT HAVE ANYTHING EVENTFUL HAPPEN...I DONT KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS, BUT MAYBE IT WAS TOO MELLOW...? IF THATS POSSIBLE...

SESSION: #88 OF 500

LOCATION.............BEACONS

WAVES..........REALLY FUN!!!

WATER...............WHO CARES!

AIR................................WARM

PADDLE TIME...............2:40pm

CO-PILOT.......ME, MYSELF & I

     I REALLY LOVE BEACONS SOME TIMES! IT CAN REALLY BE SO MUCH FUN! LONG RIDES, REFORMS, DOUBLE UPS! INSIDE, OUTSIDE, SOUTH PEAK, NORTH PEAK, BAMBOOS, SECRETS SOUTHIES...TODAY WAS ONE OF THOSE DAYS. JUST RIGHT. GOOD TIDE, SMALL BUT GOOD DIRECTION SWELL, SUNNY!...NO COMPLAINTS! JUST STOKED!!

SESSION: #87 OF 500

WHAT'S YOUR LUCKY NUMBER?...

LOCATION.................G. VIEW 

WAVES..............................1'-3'+

WATER.............................55-58?

AIR..............NICE AND SUNNY

PADDLE TIME..............10:50am

CO-PILOT..........................SOLO

    ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE...SOME SMALL WAVES, NOTHIN' SPECIAL. I JUST WORKED ON MY FIN SET UP AND WAS TRYING NEW SHTUFF...ALL IN ALL, IT WAS GOOD! THE SUN WAS OUT AND I WAS BASKING! I CANT WAIT TILL' SUMMER!!!!!!!

SESSION: #86 OF 500

#86...ORDER UP READY TO GO...

LOCATION.....................GRANDVEIW

WAVES............................................-1'-2'

WATER.......COLD AND CROWDED!!!

AIR..........................................COLDER!

PADDLE TIME.........................6:49am

CO-PILOT..........................................ED

  NOT MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS COLD, CROWDED, RUSHED AND FICLE SESSION. JUST CRAMMING ONE IN BEFORE I GO UP TO L.A. FOR FAMILY BUS. ALL I GOTTA SAY IS, NEXT TIME I'M BRINGIN' MY LOG!!!!!!!!!

SESSION: #85 OF 500...20 MIN. QUICKIE!

   

    RIGHT AFTER MY L.B. SESSION WITH LUCAS, I DECIDE TO GO HOME, KEEP MY WETSUIT ON, AND GRAB MY SHORTY FOR A G-VEIW SESSION WITH ED...IT WAS SHORT ,  SWEET, AND TO THE POINT. I SCORED A COUPLE OF LINED UP LEFTS,  A ROUGE RIGHT OR TWO, AND  DECIDED TO CALL IT...AS IT WAS STILL PLUMING WITH WEEKEND WARRIORS AND OTHER DEAD SAILOR FIBERGLASS JOCKEY'S...

     SUNDAY SUNDAY...? WHAT WILL YOU HAVE FOR US?!

SESSION: #84 OF 500...LONGBOARDING 101

LOCATION.............THE BEAC'S

WAVE ....................2-5+

TEMP...........COLD BUT SUNNY!

PADDLE TIME...................9:30am

CO-PILOT..........LUCAS FOSTER

    

    ALL IN  ALL ANOTHER CROWDED BUT "STILL STOKED TO BE A SURFER" SATURDAYDAY... MY SPECIAL GEUST CO-PILOT WAS NON OTHER THAN THE FAMOUS LUCAS FOSTER (13) OF LA COSTA CA.  HE HAS DECIDED TO TAKE HIS SURFING TO THE NEXT STEP...

  

  I  TEACH ELITE SURF COACH LESSONS ON THE SIDE, AND LUCAS HAS JOINED UP WITH ME FOR THE NEXT TWO MONTHS TO PROGRESS HIS LONGBOARDING SKILLS,  AND HOPEFULLY START WINNING SOME COMPETITIONS!

 UNFORTUNATLY...THIS WAS WHAT THE CROWD SCENE LOOKED LIKE...    =(    ...OH WELL... STILL STOKED!!!!

...E...

SESSION: #83 OF 500

LOCATION.......................................ROUNDHOUSE

WAVES........................................................2'-4'

WATER TEMP...................................NOT TOO BAD

AIR......................WARMER THAN THE WATER!!! 

PADDLE TIME....................................3:10pm

CO-PILOT.....................................E.L.

    

      WHAT A NICE WAY TO END THE WEEK! FRIDAY AFTERNOON DELIGHT SESSION...STILL RECOVERING FROM THE EGG TO SHORTBOARD TRANSITION, I MANAGED TO PICK OFF A COUPLE OF FUN WAVES. 

  I REALLY LOVE THE EVENINGS WE HAVE HAD IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS AND IT REALLY MAKES ME LOOK FORWARD EVEN MORE TO SUMMER! LONG DAYS FILLED WITH THE SMELL OF BBQ'S AND COCONUT OIL. PEELING SOUTHIES, TRUNKS @ 6am!...WHAT ELSE DO YOU NEED!?  

    HOW MANY SESSIONS CAN WE SQEEZE IN ONE DAY...2...3...4!?...QUICK!   GET THE ALOE, IM FRIED!...NO MORE FROZEN APPENDAGES,  NO MORE BOOTIES....NO MORE WETSUITS!         !!!!!WOOO HOOO!!!

OH WAIT...ITS STILL FEBUARY.

 

T-MINUS  ~100 DAYS TILL SUMMER!!!! 

SESSION: #82 OF 500...got egg?

      

      #82, OUT OF THE GATES AND RUNNING...TODAY WAS ANOTHER DAY IN PARADISE!

LOCATION...............................BAMBOO'S

WAVES....................................................2-4

WATER..............COLD BUT ENJOYABLE

AIR...............................CLEAR AND BLUE

PADDLE TIME................................8:56am

CO-PILOT..........................MY GIRL LOLA

          TODAYS INTEREST: THE WONDERFUL AND MARVELOUS EGG....

LATELY I HAVE BEEN SEEING A LOT OF EGGY STYLE BOARDS IN THE LEUCADIA ROTATION, EVERYTHING FROM BONZERS TO 5'0" FLAT DISKS TO 7'10" QUAD SPEED FREAK EGGS...THIS HAS PEEKED MY INTEREST.

   

      SO I DECIDED TO BORROW A FRIENDS 6'8" PURE FUN AND THREW A 9'0" TURBO FIN (THE ONE WITH THE TUNNEL RAM SYSTEM) IN IT. IT WAS INTERESTING TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT A BLAST AT THE SAME TIME! IT FELT LIKE THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS. I COULD SCREAM DOWN THE LINE HANGIN SPEED 5, OR I COULD PUMP LONG DRAWN OUT TURNS OR EVEN WITH THE RIGHT LINED UP SECTIONS, I WAS ABLE TO PUNT A COUPLE NICE FRONT-SIDE  GRAB AIRS...IT WASNT MY SHORT BOARD, BUT I STILL LOVED IT!

     IM NOT PARTICULAR TO ANY BRAND OR SHAPER, I LIKE TO RIDE WHAT APEALS TO MY EYES AND USUALLY I CAN IDENTIFY ITS CHARACTERISTICS BEFORE SURFING IT. 

 WITH THAT BEING SAID, I REALLY AM BECOMING FOND OF THE OUT OF THE BOX STYLE SHAPES. 

 

    SHAPES LIKE THE HYDRODYNAMICA, WHICH IS SIMILAR TO A SHAPE THAT I SAW ABOUT 13-14 YEARS AGO SHAPED BY CHRIS NOONAN. ALSO THE COMPACT DISK SHORTIES...NOT SO MUCH THE WALDONS BUT JUST THAT STYLE.  ALL OF THE RETRO QUADS ARE GREAT TOO! I TEND TO GRAVITATE TOWARDS THE FLAT WIDE DOUBLE ENDER STYLE , REAL SHORT AND FAT! THRUSTER, QUAD, TWINY OR SINGLE, IM STOKED TO TRY AS MANY AS I CAN! 

   

     GETTING BACK TO THE EGGS...WITH SO MANY  STYLES AND FIN SET UPS AND OUTLINES AND THE HUGE RANGE OF VERSATILITY, YOU REALLY CANT GO WRONG! IT CAN GET BORING BUT IF REALLY GET LUCKY AND CONNECT WITH RIGHT BOARD ON THE RIGHT DAY,  IT COULD PROVE TO BE A TRULY MAGICAL SESSION...

         

      BUT ON THE OTHER HAND...I ALWAYS KEEP MY SHORTBOARD CLOSE BY!

SESSION: #81 OF 500

ZEN-DIAGRAM...?

        WELL...NOT TOO MUCH TO SAY ABOUT THIS SESSION.  IT WAS SMALLER, INCONSISTENT AND BACKING OFF. MOST OF THEM AT LEAST...I DID HOWEVER MANAGE TO SWOOP IN ON A COUPLE OF SICK SOLO LEFTS THAT REELED ALL THE WAY, BUT THEN IT WAS 20-25MIN. BEFORE I SAW ANOTHER ONE...ALL IN ALL NO COMPLAINTS! AWSOME WEATHER, NO CROWDS, JUST A GOOD OL' FASHION DUNK IN THE POND!

A LITTLE TOO DEEP!...

SESSION: #80 OF 500

    WELL...WE BROKE INTO THE 80's. GREAT DAY FOR IT TOO! NICE WAVES, NICE WEATHER, GOT MY GIRL ON THE BEACH...LIFE IS GOOD! 

                                 

                                    LOCATION......................GRANDVIEW

                                    WAVES...................................2-4+

                                    WATER TEMP.....................~COLD

                                    AIR TEMP................COLD W/ BLUE SKIES

                                    WIND..................................0-5 KNTS

                                    WEATHER....................GORGEOUS 

                                    PADDLE TIME.....................8:25

                                    CO-PILOT...........................SOLO

SESSION: #79 OF 500

                   LOCATION..........................GRANDVIEW

                      WAVES................................3-5'+ 

                  WATER TEMP....................COLD

                      AIR TEMP...........................COLDER

                      WIND.................................CRISP BUT LIGHT 

                      PADDLE TIME......................8:41 am

                      CO-PILOT............................ED LEWIS

    LEFTOVER STORM SURF THAT ACTUALLY HAD SOME CLEAN FACES AND REALLY FUN STEEP DROPS. ED AND I PROCEEDED TO PICK OFF AS MANY AS WE LIKED, THERE WAS AN ABUNDANCE OF SETS AND NO CROWD FOR MILES! ILL TAKE THIS TYPE OF SURF ANYDAY!...

                                   

SESSION: #78 OF 500

S T O R M  S U R F!...WOO  HOO!...

    WOW, WHAT A COOL SESSION! THIS PIC REPRESENTS HOW IT FELT. IM SURE THATS NOT WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE BUT IT WAS CLOSE!

     

       ALL ALONE, I PADDLED OUT...I PUT ASIDE MY INSTINCTUAL FEARS OF SURVIVAL AND MANAGED TO HAVE SUCH AN ADRENALINE SESSION. THE PADDLE SUCKED! BUT ONCE I MADE IT OUT THERE WAS DEFINATLY SOME SICK WAVES TO BE HAD, I RODE AN 8' McTAVISH AND CAUGHT A COUPLE OF SET WAVES. RAINY, WINDY, AND STILL I HAD A BLAST. I GUESS I SEE IT AS A CHALLENGE NOW, SURFING IN EXTREME WEATHER!...? WELL AT LEAST IT WASNT BORING...

  THIS WOULD BE SESSION # 78 SINCE DEC. 27, ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATIONS...STILL ON TRACK FOR 500 IN 09. (SUMMER IS MUCH MORE PRODUCTIVE!)

POSTING FOR A RAINY DAY...DOESNT MEAN IM NOT GONNA SURF!

SESSION: #77 OF 500

     AWSOME!...ANOTHER RAINY DAY. WELL AT LEAST WE CAN USE IT RATHER THAN IT BEING AN ABUNDANCE, JUST HOPE IT DOESNT TOTALLY POOR DOWN. 

    

    THIS WONT STOP ME FROM SURFING! IM ON A MISSION! THAT MISSION IS TO SURF AT LEAST 500 SESSIONS THIS YEAR! YES, I SAID 500 TIMES! IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING START ALREADY. A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WHEN WE HAD SOME SERIOUS RAIN, I WAS OUT THERE. TORRENTIAL DOWN POORING, AND GUSTY WINDS HAD MY GOOD FRIEND ED AND I TRIPPING OUT! IT WAS SUCH AN INTERESTING FEELING, SURFING IN SUCH HEAVY RAIN. IT DID HOWEVER MAKE FOR SOME GOOD SURFING, BELIEVE IT OR NOT! THE RAIN SETTLED EVERYTHING DOWN, NO BIG CHOPS AND FOR A FEW MOMENTS AT A TIME, THERE WERE SOME BIG DECENT FACED WAVES. BUT AS SOON AS THE RAIN LET UP THE WINDS TOOK OVER AND MIXED IT ALL UP AGAIN. IN THE END IT WAS ALL WORTH IT! AT LEAST FOR ME...KUDOES TO ED FOR LETTING ME DRAG HIM OUT THERE.

   

    IM NOT A BIG FAN OF THE 150MPH WINDS EITHER...THOSE DAYS WHEN YOU CANT EVEN WALK IN A STRAIGHT LINE. BUT, YET AGAIN I PUT MYSELF IN THIS SITUATION.  AS I WALK DOWN THE STAIRS HOLDING ON TO MY FEATHERY 2 POUND BOARD FOR DEAR LIFE,  I FIND A SECOND WIND OF MOTIVATION. JUST THE SHEER THRILL OF BEING SUCH A SMALL INANIMATE OBJECT IN THE PACIFIC. NO ONE IN SITE FOR MILES, EVEN ON THE BEACH. BUT IM DEFINATLY NOT ALONE!...IM JUST UNAWARE OF WHAT IS UNDERNEATH...BUT STILL, NO REGRETS!

    

     IVE NOW COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT THERE IS AN INNER FIRE THAT IS PUSHING ME TO OVERCOME MY FEARS...LIFE IS WAY TOO SHORT AND IF WE DONT FOLLOW OUR HEARTS, THAN OUR DREAMS JUST REMAIN DREAMS AND EVERYTHING ELSE SEEMS BLAND. ON THE OTHER HAND IF WE DO TEST OUR LIMITS AND STEP UP TO THE PLATE, IT BRINGS THE FEELING OF BEING ALIVE!!! IVE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THIS BEFORE BUT ONLY RECENTLY DOES IT RING TRUE. WOW! WHAT A FEELING!

   

    FOR ME, THE EXPERIENCE OF FEAR IS WHAT KEEPS ME YOUNG AND ON MY TOES! IT MAY SOUND WEIRD, BUT I DONT KNOW HOW TO EXPLAIN IT ANY OTHER WAY...DOING THINGS THAT MOST PEOPLE LABEL AS A WASTE OF TIME OR TOO DANGEROUS IS WHAT MAKES ME TICK! IM NOT STUPID, I JUST LIKE TO TAKE CALCULATED RISKS ALONG WITH MY DOSE OF DAILY LIFE! 

  JUST REMEMBER, IF LIFE HAS NO CONTRAST, PAIN OR PLEASURE, GOOD OR BAD, FEAR OR COMFORT...THAN HOW DO WE GROW AS INDIVIDUALS AND EXPERIENCE LIFE?...

  

                                  ALL COMMENTS WELCOME ON THIS ONE!   =) 

SESSION: #76 OF 500... WIND'N SEA

   

     SOMETIMES STEPPING OUT OF YOUR COMFORT LEVEL OR AWAY FROM YOUR REGULAR COZY HOME BREAK CAN BRING THINGS TO THE SURFACE...IT MAKES YOU REALIZE THE COMPOSED BALANCE THAT THE UNIVERSE UNRAVELS EACH AND EVERY DAY. 

   

    I DONT TRAVEL AS MUCH AS I WOULD LIKE TO, BUT I HAVE ALWAYS FOUND A COMFORT IN FAMILIARITY. HOWEVER LATELY I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO A LEAST SEARCH OUT MY LOCAL GEMS, REGARDLESS OF MY SURF SPECIFIC AGORAPHOBIA...JUST KIDDING. 

     I TEND TO SEARCH THE SOLO PEAKS, SO WHEN I VENTURED TO BLACKS, SEASIDE, WIND'N SEA, PONTO, PISMO AND H.B. AND OTHER ICONIC SOCAL SPOTS, I FELT SOMETHING INSIDE CHANGE.  ALMOST EUPHORIC IN JUST THE LEVEL OF POSITIVETY I PROJECTED TO THE UNIVERSE IN ORDER TO VOID THE NEGO-CROWD VIBES THAT USUALLY GET ME BUMMED...IT WORKED! AND I FOUND THAT GROM FEELING AGAIN. SO STOKED TO SURF SOMETHING NEW...BUT ITS NOT... ITS BEEN THERE ALL ALONG. I GUESS I AM JUST FIGURING THIS ONE OUT...