E's Surf Report

geez!! the surf was sooo fun this morning!! Cruised down to VFWs and had to pinch myself after seeing a head-high+ set funnel through and peel evenly in both directions.. I've been so blindly surfing VFers lately that i decided to check the rest of the beach just to keep myself honest.. the middle looked bigger and i watched a few overhead++ bombs peel and peel and peel.. the inside looked a bit treacherous and ugly.. Waves at Sloat looked to be backing off a bit and not breaking on a defined bar.. soo.. back to VFers.. Three or four distinct peaks from Lincoln to Seal Rock.. I surfed the southernmost.. First ride of the day was my best.. groomed, utterly-glassy head-high right meandered in and began to ledge up a bit.. a few funboarders scraped from the outside to get into it but couldn't.. i was on the inside and spun, paddled and made the drop.. then was jettisoned down the line at breakneck speed.. the wave had a huge, sucked-out wall that i sped along... part of my mind requested stalling tactics, to get back into the barrel behind me.. but another part of my mind, a more persuasive part, recommended pumping and racing to stay out ahead of the cavernous pit behind.. I ended up wimping on the barrel but then was able to use the amassed velocity to arc a long turn along the top, then into meat of the tapering wave. ahhh.. that felt good..

the only other semi-significant item of note is that i'm finally starting to learn to come out of a pigdog into a bottom turn then top turn.. for the longest time i've had difficulties pulling out of a pigdog stance and initiating bottom-turn/top-turn maneuvers.. it got to the point where i was actually turning up the wave and hitting closeout lips while still in the pigdog!! i'm sure it looked funny and it also wasn't very practical.. but today i pigdogged my way into this sucking left.. then was able to let go of the rail.. alter the micro-positioning of my feet.. then throw myself up into the lip for a bash or two.. ahh.. felt good..

FYI.. i witnessed quite a few successful barrel rides today! they are out there! the only reason i didn't get into one was because i'm a wimp and because i don't really know how to stall..

oh yeah.. a funny antecdote.. this guy started chatting me up in the lineup.. good vibes and everything.. saying, "man.. it's a bummer that the waves have gone down in size since the beginning of the session!" "What happened to all the waves?"... "I must be spoiled from all the surf this week.. because the conditions are starting to suck out here.." yadda yadda.. i responded that, "i don't know man.. there still seems to be a few waves cruising in.." he starts talking again and i notice a mound of a wave pop it's head out over the horizon.. if he would have seen it and started paddling, he would have been in position.. but instead i quickly got down on my board and power-paddled out to meet it.. then turned and took off on the wave.. he was inside of me, but i was already up and going by the time he got himself into position.. anyhoo.. just a little story.. If the guy i'm referring to is reading this.. sorry about that wave!! didn't mean to snake it from ya!

also of note.. a friend of mine just arrived in Bali and has this to say..

"Anyhow just walked past the bomb site her in Bali and was definitely
shaken. Having been here just two summers ago and spending a good deal
of time parlaying it up in both places, it was a shock to see the empty
space and feel the loss of life. To Australians it was an event which
brought the tragedy of Sep 11th to their doorstep. And having been in
Oz at the time of the bombing saw just the media coverage which I
noticed was far greater than the US. "

soo.. cool.. hopefully the high tide isn't killin' it for all you lunchtime surfers.. conditions should improve again as the tide drops and this new west swell fills in..

Robme.. i'd be down with using one of your old/ratty wetties if you don't mind..

e