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monster swell

The mother of all Aleutian storms spins into hyper-drive.
An unprecedented fury of constant, high-speed winds blow consistently toward the California Coast.
Monster fetch.
The storm crushes fishing villages on little Alaskan islands.
Decimates shit.
Feeds and grows and ravages.
A huge swell is generated.
Behemoth 100 foot waves radiate outward toward the South and East.
Thick, voluminous, gargantuan sets are reported by ship captains in the north Pacific.
Hawaii and the Pacific Northwest brace for an gigantic storm surge.
The first sets hit up on Vancouver island and the photos begin to trickle down.
At sundown a few mammoth sets show at OB, seemingly miles out to sea.
All night long denizens of the outer aves can hear the boom, crash and rumble of the monster surf.
Pits gurgle in surfers stomachs as they imagine the coming morning.
A few homes get washed out during the midnight high tide.
The surge washes into the zoo and takes out part of the beach chalet.
The next morning shit is ridiculous.
Surfers head inside the bay for once-in-a-lifetime reefs and beachbreaks.
The skimboarding point at Chrissy fields is reeling double-overhead grinding cylinders.
Angel Island local is not psyched about the flurry of surf activity at his spots.
Mysto gems light up all over the place.. finally rewarding all the observant wave-riders who had previously noticed well-formed, ankle-high waves in the nooks and crannies of their home town.
The Marina wave organ throws up a throaty slab.
And... finally.. after all these years... east bay surfers have a break to be proud of.
The berkeley marina shows head-high, luxuriously peeling, glassy sets all day long.
It's a day to remember.

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thanks for the al gore question suggestions yesterday.

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Potrero hill mishap

David Pu'u photo from surfermag.com

more photos by Pu'u

lava barrel

it's a good morning. What do you think about fake waves? wavepools and the emerging technologies thatt might be able to offer all those 'vals' some waves to ride? I enjoy the paddle out and the whole experience of earning some waves.

http://www.wavehouse.com/home.asp

Posted by: sd rider [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 10:35 AM

ideal for proponents of the PSL (psuedo surfing lifestyle). lets face it, an alternative to the ASL for the masses should be viewed positively.

Posted by: PNW [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 10:55 AM

If Gore was elected President, we would not be in this mess in Iraq. I blame him for losing. His stupid compulsive lies bumped him from the office.

Fun waves last night. This am looked good too.

Posted by: Dennis [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 11:08 AM

Ah that first photo, irony and symbolism. I spit on those sparkling clean stretch SUVs whenever they pass near me.

LOL @ the wave machine live cam -- everybody's getting flung across it ass-over-elbows. RSL in effect (retarded surfing lifestyle).

Posted by: Ancient Jetties [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 11:21 AM

that wavehouse thing seems more like a cool moving aquatic skateboard ramp and not that much like a replica of a waveriding experience. i will be interested to see how the ron jon thing in florida turns out, though. i will probably never venture anywhere near them because for me about 99 % of the pleasure of surfing is being in nature and experiencing the expansive power of the ocean and only 1 % is about waveriding, which is a good thing since i'm not that good at the the 1% part. but I have nothing against them and hope others enjoy 'em.
dennis - ?stupid compulsive lies? i blame the supreme court.

Posted by: steamwand [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 11:23 AM

I have signed in, my old name was already taken. Like Bagel, I am now tired.

Great writings lately E. Amazing shit. Amazing how your words so closely reflect what is happening down here in my world. That is the sign of a great writer. Keep on truckin'

Posted by: Bernie Spear [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 11:24 AM

that cam is HILARIOUS! I have yet to see anyone make it to the wave face, but the ride on your ass up and under the lip and spit out looks fun.

Posted by: steamwand [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 11:34 AM

First surf in n days, for n large. Pretty fun in a sort of crowded spot, which, if you drifted away, turned out to be crowded for good reason--glassy, breaking quickly on the steep inner bar. Got thumped a couple of times, got a few good ones.

I like the actual ocean too, but it might be fun to spend some serious time standing up and working on stuff.

Posted by: kloo [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 11:44 AM

fun this a.m but a little more juice
last evening. scored an hour of fun
with one other guy out before the
hordes came over the dunes. actually
saw a pack of gremlins at ob. that was a
first for me. funny how loud kids are in
the water. are we (the adults) too serious?

with you on the spots kloo...right place,
right time = fun! wrong place > the beating.


cheers.

Posted by: korewin [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 11:49 AM

Here ya go Steamwand. http://www.gargaro.com/algore.html

BTW, I voted for him and yes, the GOP caught every one of his fabrications and made it publicly known. Example, a union worker song he claimed was his lulaby as a child was written when he was an adult.... The Supreme Court just drove the final nail in the coffin.

Posted by: Dennis [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 12:17 PM

I've seen Berkeley waist high from local wind swell. Too windy to surf but perfect for kitewindsurf.
And I've seen Berkeley ankle-knee high from the best swell of this year:
http://www.bayareakiteboarding.com/weblog_entry.php?e=698
Maybe some of that upcoming west swell will make it into the bay?
I too have that Angel Island intrigue...if Berkeley is possible then Angel Island must be doable...any one done it?

Posted by: Sander [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 12:37 PM

no. nothing here. just tourons. go away. stop wondering. berkeley is the hot tip. trust me.

Posted by: Angel Island Local [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 01:04 PM

I think, during totally unsurfable times, a wavepool would be good for kooks like me to work on turning and other fascinating things I should know how to do by now. The other week I made this drop I didn't expect, found myself staring at this wall, and thought, " oh my god, uhhh, uhhhhh what do I do with this thing?" Not enough consistency to practice on these beaches, or too crowded. On the other hand it's really all about being outdoors for me. I'd also worry a bit about folks who learn in wave pools and then take it to the ocean. That's like rock gyms vs actual rocks.

Missed the surf last night...agh!

Korewin I'd say you heard me and my friend hollering at each other, but I don't think you'd mistake us for little kids. Kept sitting in the wrong spot, or getting pushed north juuust away from the peaks. Still fun though.

Posted by: s.s. sharkbait [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 03:05 PM

I think a wavepool is a fab idea. We all know how "North Shore" turned out: you learn to become a soul surfer and get Nia Peeples.......

Posted by: limevoodoo [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 03:55 PM

yarg!

any reports?
worth skipping out a tad early in hopes of olas?

shred.

Posted by: e [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 03:56 PM

e if you decide to surf ill drive out there..hit me up..i paddled out last night at 7:30 and still had a solid hour and a half almost..

Posted by: bajel [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 13, 2006 05:00 PM

I still believe under the right conditions, the shoal on the wast side of Alcatraz will have a wave.

I can confirm knee-high Berkeley wind-chop...I considered getting the longboard for the novelty of it. We do the models here in the office that predict ridiciously steep waves (5 ft at 3s kinda thing), but I think we just sell them to clients who don't unstand basic physics.

Posted by: AndrewInJackLondonSquare [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 14, 2006 09:31 AM
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