It's been a spectacular morning on the north side of Monterey Bay. The sun rose behind floating stratus clouds creating bright yellow-orange effects above the tail of Santa Cruz Mountains in the low Eastern sky. White clouds drawing a north-south line turned purplish-orange toward the Northwest.
Waves were small and inconsistent at Cowells with about 20 people in the water at dawn to catch whatever came through.
As the sun rose and the dawn patrol drifted off to work, a small pod of people on boards kept guard under an unusually azure sky that heralded a welcome change from the grey marine layer that has been hanging around all month.
The view from the water, which is always the best, painted a picture of blue hues with a thin, transparent veil of fog on the horizon where you could see the top of Fremont Peak and the ragged ridge of the San Lucia Mountain Range to the Southeast, a range immortalized by John Steinbeck, the area's most revered writer, in books including Cannery Row. As seen from the Santa Cruz side of the bay, those same mountains behind Big Sur loomed majestically above and through the smoky fog.
The passing white and few dark clouds above, speckled with cerulean-colored backdrop, created a chapel-like ceiling for the ceremony on the water below.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Mr. Pipeline Pays a Visit
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| Surf legend Gerry Lopez and yours truly |
Although at age 67 he still surfs, he says he spends more time practicing yoga than surfing. In fact he is currently writing a book about yoga. "I've got to get focussed and just finish it," he says of his latest writing venture for publisher, Patagonia Books.
This upcoming book will follow his first for Patagonia, "Surf Is Where You Find It," published in 2008 in which he writes about growing up on the islands of Kaua'i and Oahu, his life as a surfer, board shaper and stories about the many characters he met along the way. Gerry earned the moniker, Mr, Pipeline, for his mastery of the Pipeline break on the North Shore of Oahu in the early 1970s. He didn't just master the most famous barrel in surfing, he made it look easy with his nonchalant style.
Yoga has always been a major factor in his life. So it makes sense that he would be a natural spokesperson for the ancient healing art that many world-class athletes such as himself embrace. His father was a newspaperman in Hawaii and dad's writing chops have obviously rubbed off on Gerry.
When asked if he liked to fly fish, since the environs near Bend are a Mecca for that sport, Gerry said it wasn't his cup of tea. "I like to catch fish," he says with a smile. The pace and particulars of casting flies don't appeal to him. I found this intriguing for such a laid-back guy. But then he earned his reputation in a high-risk sport where mucho adrenaline was doubtless coursing through his laid-back veins. Snow boarding is his preferred outdoor activity in Bend.
He says he moved from Maui to Bend to raise a family 25 years ago. Looking back on it, he says, "I think I made the right move." I would add that you can take the man out of Hawaii but you can't take the "aloha" out of the man.
He is in Santa Cruz this weekend representing his sponsor, Maui Jim sun glasses. It just so happened that I was wearing a pair of Maui Jims when we met.
"They're good sun glasses," we agreed.
Friday, August 26, 2016
Breaking it Down
The subtitle of this blog is "search for stoke and the perfect wave." What this means to me is that stoke and the perfect wave are different for each surfer. Some are just stoked to be in the water, that includes me.
Floating on a surfboard in the ocean, and feeling as though you have some control over your board and your ability to be in a safe place on the continuously changing surface of the sea, is an empowering feeling, an initial sensation of basic survival.
This comes with familiarity and practice and I don't believe is natural. If you don't feel an innate fear and respect for the power of the ocean, you probably shouldn't be out there. As any child who grows up at the beach learns first off: Never turn your back on the ocean.
The adrenaline rush and survival instinct is strong when you're on the water and sometimes will lead to erratic and unsafe behavior. That is why practice and familiarity are so important. Those elements contribute to an understanding of wave judgment, which is a key to surfing.
Every surf break is different. Kelly Slater has explained how he studies every break where he competes, how the wind affects the waves, where the peaks are (which can change with the movement of a sandy bottom), what to expect from an approaching swell coming from various directions. Kelly does not paddle out without having calculated in his mind what he expects from the waves at that time. He is a consummate pro.
The perfect wave
The perfect wave for some is simply one that gives you a ride, and the longer the ride the better. For others it could be the shape of the wave, its hollowness, not necessarily its size but perhaps its speed and smoothness. Glassy conditions when there is no wind and the water is still and reflective can produce the best shaped waves, perfect for longboarding.
The perfect wave just seems to happen, as if by harmonic conversion of all the elements. Such waves are special and memorable, even for life. I remember a knee-high wave I caught at Rincon on Easter evening as the sun was setting and the wind stood still. The wave peeled quickly as I rushed across its face with a smooth, silent thrust. The picture of my board below me, seemingly perfectly still, nose above the reflective water, is etched somewhere in my mind's eye.
Believe me, I also remember crazy wipe outs and pearling head first off the face of close-out waves, an experience I hope to avoid during every session. This includes slamming my face into my fiberglass board. In such incidents, I have felt so fortunate that I was not knocked unconscious.
Most surfers, I believe, enjoy being in the water and riding just about any rideable wave that comes their way. The range of conditions only add to the thrill of it all. The perfect wave is serendipity.
Surf buddies and crowds
It's always more fun to surf with a buddy or a familiar lineup of fellow surfers. Local surfers will always watch and size up someone in the water whom they don't know. Can he or she surf? Does the newcomer understand etiquette? A savvy new surfer will carefully watch what's going on and wait to take his/her place in the lineup. Most locals who surf the same break feel some territoriality about their break. They are willing to share but don't appreciate someone who goes for every wave: a wave hog, even if he proves he can surf.
When the surf is up and waves are coming in powerful sets, everyone in the water is at greater risk as much from the waves as from the unpredictable antics of others, especially if they are not experienced. You see it all the time when there is a surf advisory -- dangerous conditions, rogue waves, rip currents, etc. -- lots of would-be surfers show up in the water and create a major hazzard.
I stay out of the water when I see all the in-coming wannabes entering the water. Better to catch a big swell early before the crowds show up, or at the tail end, when the final waves are still coming through and the carnage is over.
There are certain surf buddies with whom I enjoy riding waves together. There is a mutual understanding between us and we keep track of and watch out for each other. Although surfing is basically an individual sport, sharing a wave, or trading turns with a lineup of others, can be very satisfying and selfless, which is a good thing.
Floating on a surfboard in the ocean, and feeling as though you have some control over your board and your ability to be in a safe place on the continuously changing surface of the sea, is an empowering feeling, an initial sensation of basic survival.
This comes with familiarity and practice and I don't believe is natural. If you don't feel an innate fear and respect for the power of the ocean, you probably shouldn't be out there. As any child who grows up at the beach learns first off: Never turn your back on the ocean.
The adrenaline rush and survival instinct is strong when you're on the water and sometimes will lead to erratic and unsafe behavior. That is why practice and familiarity are so important. Those elements contribute to an understanding of wave judgment, which is a key to surfing.
Every surf break is different. Kelly Slater has explained how he studies every break where he competes, how the wind affects the waves, where the peaks are (which can change with the movement of a sandy bottom), what to expect from an approaching swell coming from various directions. Kelly does not paddle out without having calculated in his mind what he expects from the waves at that time. He is a consummate pro.
The perfect wave
The perfect wave for some is simply one that gives you a ride, and the longer the ride the better. For others it could be the shape of the wave, its hollowness, not necessarily its size but perhaps its speed and smoothness. Glassy conditions when there is no wind and the water is still and reflective can produce the best shaped waves, perfect for longboarding.
The perfect wave just seems to happen, as if by harmonic conversion of all the elements. Such waves are special and memorable, even for life. I remember a knee-high wave I caught at Rincon on Easter evening as the sun was setting and the wind stood still. The wave peeled quickly as I rushed across its face with a smooth, silent thrust. The picture of my board below me, seemingly perfectly still, nose above the reflective water, is etched somewhere in my mind's eye.
Believe me, I also remember crazy wipe outs and pearling head first off the face of close-out waves, an experience I hope to avoid during every session. This includes slamming my face into my fiberglass board. In such incidents, I have felt so fortunate that I was not knocked unconscious.
Most surfers, I believe, enjoy being in the water and riding just about any rideable wave that comes their way. The range of conditions only add to the thrill of it all. The perfect wave is serendipity.
Surf buddies and crowds
It's always more fun to surf with a buddy or a familiar lineup of fellow surfers. Local surfers will always watch and size up someone in the water whom they don't know. Can he or she surf? Does the newcomer understand etiquette? A savvy new surfer will carefully watch what's going on and wait to take his/her place in the lineup. Most locals who surf the same break feel some territoriality about their break. They are willing to share but don't appreciate someone who goes for every wave: a wave hog, even if he proves he can surf.
When the surf is up and waves are coming in powerful sets, everyone in the water is at greater risk as much from the waves as from the unpredictable antics of others, especially if they are not experienced. You see it all the time when there is a surf advisory -- dangerous conditions, rogue waves, rip currents, etc. -- lots of would-be surfers show up in the water and create a major hazzard.
I stay out of the water when I see all the in-coming wannabes entering the water. Better to catch a big swell early before the crowds show up, or at the tail end, when the final waves are still coming through and the carnage is over.
There are certain surf buddies with whom I enjoy riding waves together. There is a mutual understanding between us and we keep track of and watch out for each other. Although surfing is basically an individual sport, sharing a wave, or trading turns with a lineup of others, can be very satisfying and selfless, which is a good thing.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Man Drowns off West Cliff
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| A wave flushes through the "toilet bowl." |
He was last seen yelling for help and his body has not been found after an extensive search by the California Coast Guard and other first responders. The fact that his body disappeared so quickly speaks to the dangerous surf conditions at the time.
News reports claim Haus was from Utah. This seems to be a case of someone who has very little if any experience with the ocean, assuming that the calm-appearing water is safe. This is far from the truth. Swells arriving during summer months are typically coming from the Southern Hemisphere which means there are periods of up to 20 minutes during which the ocean appears placid and safe. When a set of waves arrives, it can be unexpected and the waves can be powerful.
The toilet bowl is named for the swirl of water that forms from crashing waves hitting the curvature of rocks that form a bowl-like inlet to the right of the lighthouse. Anyone caught there when a set of waves comes through is in extreme danger.
Many people drown along this coastline of high cliffs and small coves. Not only should visitors understand surf conditions, they should also be aware of the changing tides. A rocky point that appears safe from the surf can become a dangerous place when the tide rises and a wave breaks with a shower of sea water.
Anyone who is not familiar with the California coastline should always heed warning signs, and seek information from those who are familiar. It really is a life or death matter. This recent drowning is not an isolated incident. Unfortunately, it happens all too often.
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Saturday Surprise
The swell that everyone has been talking about finally arrived yesterday with a nice boost this morning. Sets of shoulder-high waves were coming through Cowells at intervals of about 20 minutes, while smaller waves drummed up by north winds kept a mostly continuous stream of waves coming.
Most remarkable was the sparse Saturday dawn patrol crowd of mainly recognizeable locals glancing around at each other with expressions of surprise and satisfaction. You just never know. A count of 31 heads at dawn yesterday would, one would think, foretell at least twice that many for a Saturday morning low tide.
That didn't happen and the results were appreciated with whoops and hollers and happy faces. The sandbar is still hanging around, though ever shifting slightly and creating infinite possibilities.
Water temp above 60 degrees. Little wind. Marine layer helping to hold a steady, comfortable air temp.
A little bit of longboard heaven.
Most remarkable was the sparse Saturday dawn patrol crowd of mainly recognizeable locals glancing around at each other with expressions of surprise and satisfaction. You just never know. A count of 31 heads at dawn yesterday would, one would think, foretell at least twice that many for a Saturday morning low tide.
That didn't happen and the results were appreciated with whoops and hollers and happy faces. The sandbar is still hanging around, though ever shifting slightly and creating infinite possibilities.
Water temp above 60 degrees. Little wind. Marine layer helping to hold a steady, comfortable air temp.
A little bit of longboard heaven.
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