Today was a good one. All night I kept waking up, listening to the weather cube... eleven feet at nine seconds, ten feet at nine seconds, and then, right before dawn, nine feet at eleven seconds ... whaaaa? Andy and I were at Karen's by 7am. His friend, Mark, arrived moments later. We couldn't even see the lock dials at the gate, it was so dark, but Karen brought a flashlight. What a great best friend, to let me use her bike AND to let us into the kingdom, no less! We pedaled through the soft sand at high tide, eyeing the waves. Whoa, it looks kinda big, huh? Once we got down a ways, we saw a peak lurching up over and over in one spot, and decided that was the place. No one was even out. Only two sets of bike tracks from those who are apparently more hardcore than us. If they were going to the point, we knew it was a mistake. It was much too big to break right down there, and the tide was already dropping. We waxed up, and talked awhile on the beach, and finally I said, well guys, are we ready? Andy said,"You lead the way, boss!" Ha, I liked that. We all paddled out together, and we could tell right away it was a strong swell. The current was pulling us north like a raging river. Andy lucked out and caught a rip going out, or maybe he is just Superman, I'm not sure. Meanwhile Mark and I battled it out for second just behind him, and then a big set came and, Whoops, there went Mark, pushed back to shore. I got outside, and couldn't see Andy anywhere. It was spooky sitting way outside alone, seeing those big ones pushing in. I paddled for the first big one to get a feel for what nine feet at eleven seconds felt like. I don't think I have heard that in a long, long time. In fact, the last time I heard that combo was in Nicaragua, that first huge day I paddled out at Santana's and got my wake up call. The first wave I caught today got my heart pumping! My board felt so good under my feet, and the left just went WHOMP! as I dropped into the overhead bowling wedge. By the time I got to the bottom, it was exit stage left, because a macking wall was wedging toward me like a giant taco and I had to go straight up to the top just to escape over the back. Whoa, that was fun! The next one was a right, and it was so much fun having a big open wall to work with. The drops were just amazingly fun and makable. I was hooting every wave, and then I saw Andy, and paddled south towards him. He was as stoked as me, having had two like mine. Then we finally saw Mark to our north, and he was grinning ear to ear, having just caught one. The sun came out from behind the clouds, and it was all reminding me of Santana, the green walls throwing out and over so far. "It's like a free surf trip!" I said to Andy. But, I had a feeling it wouldn't last. And, sure enough, the wind started to bend around more NW, and a huge, dark grey bank of Wizard of Oz clouds came rising up from the west. We all decided that we better head in. We were getting chilly, anyway. That we had scored the best hour of the day was not lost on us. We saw all these people coming up the beach then, and just smiled. Shoulda got up earlier, guys! I think the term "Skillet Licker" was used here. And then someone was calling my name. We looked to see Chris Rapero, Zander Morton, and another guy, riding bikes back from the point, dragging a tent behind them. Those guys have my respect for camping out on the beach for waves. Chris admitted it was a mistake, that it hadn't been so good. He wished he had been surfing with us, it was just too big to break right down there. We headed back, too, cold and ready for some lunch and a hot shower. Andy went back again, later in the afternoon, even though the wind was more sideshore by then. That guy has it worse than me...
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