Bart made it!

I just want to congratulate with Bart with his great performance and make sure that you guys don't miss the post he made to announce the end of his tour of Maui on a standup board.

PS. French Wind magazine published two photos of mine (that'll be taken by me). Stoked!

SUP board for Oahu + Bart's adventure + new blog sponsor

Here's my latest take (off) on standup surfing.


As I already stated, I prefer regular surfing (unless it's one to two feet, in which case, the SUP surfing is more fun).
BUT, SUP surfing is a great alternative when I surf too much and my lower back needs some rest. While standing up and paddling with a paddle, in fact, I use different muscles and that makes other parts of my body sore, but no so much the lower back... so that's good.

The thing is that the majority of the SUP boards on the market are shaped like over inflated longboards and in fact the feel is very similar to a regular longboard. With the difference that in order to support the weight of a standing up surfer even when not moving through the water, SUP boards clearly need to be bigger (more buoyant). More volume is a good (and necessary) thing in order to be able to paddle standing up, but it's not once you catch a wave.
At the end of every standup session, mo matter how good it was, I always have this unconscious feeling inside me like:"mmm, I wonder how much harder I could have snapped that turn if I was on my regular 8.6..."
No complains, super fun, thank god for SUP, but still always a bit disappointing because the feeling is the same of riding a regular longboard...
Nonetheless, I decided to take an SUP with me to Oahu, because my back won't allow me to only surf.


So I tried a few boards to see if I could find a magic one. Ran into an 8.0 that was pretty remarkable, but couldn't get my hands on it. For all the other ones I tried I had the same verdict: too much board once you catch the wave. I can't dig that rail the way I would like to. Again, even though I know it's SUP surfing, once on the wave it feels just like regular longboarding and my body would like to dig that rail like it's used to!
SO... my choice is not to buy a new board (thank god, I really don't need another one!), but to take with me the Sea Lion.


For the ones who don't know it, the Sea Lion is a very peculiar SUP board. Designed by Bruno Andre of AHD, it's a 7.6 SUP sailing fish.
Here's the subtle reason why I preferred it to all the other SUPs I tried.
It doesn't feel like a regular surfboard. It's a completely different animal.
I'm not saying it's better or worse. It's just completely different.
And so, when I am on it, my body doesn't expect to dig that rail the way it does when riding my 8.6. My body actually doesn't know what to expect! It's a hell lot of fun to try to find out different ways of making that thing work. And I know that thing works. I saw Bruno ripping on it. So it's a whole new experience and it's more fun - for me - than the other SUP boards.
And I can put a sail on it. And it's only 7.6: easy to ship it on the barge. And it's super stable on the white water so that I can try floaters and stuff.
Sold.


But SUP boards can be used not only for surfing, but also for other things... like exploring. Kanaha Kai co-owner Bart, for example, is up to a big adventure: standup paddle around the island of Maui! Check his blog for updates.
I wish he asked me for advice since I have a limited but significant experience of "long distance" paddling in Maui. About four years ago, when the number of standup boards were on Maui were still less than 10, with a bunch of friends (they all were on kayaks) I paddled from Hanamanou to Maliko.


There was a no wind forecast and only a couple of feet of N swell, so I figured I could do it... mistake!
The coast from Hanamanou to Jaws doesn't have any reef, so those two-three feet of swell were bouncing against the high cliffs and it was just too hard to to stay up. Being on my 26 inches wide 12.6 Timpone didn't help...
So I had to do Hanamanou - Jaws, alternating between sitting down and kneeling down paddling... make that five hours. Once at Jaws, finally the water became a little more stable and I could standup for the final part to Maliko. Still, my back was not happy. Hey, maybe it's when I fucked it up! Whatever, all I know is that that night I slept from 6pm to 6am...
Anyway, back to Bart: paddle hard brah, there's a N swell coming on Saturday and I hope you'll be back before that, otherwise it's going to get wobbly...

Hey, talking about my 12.6 Timpone, look what I just found: a vintage footage (June 2005) of a wave at Launiupoko. I took off on that one with the paddle stuck on the front of the board with some velcro. You can see at the end how I pick up the paddle to paddle out again. Nowadays SUP boards are way wider and a bit hard to paddle when laying down...


Last, but not least, I'm happy to introduce a new blog sponsor. A standup website called standuplife.com. You can see their banner in the banners' section on the right. They bought a year of advertising in advance: thanks a lot!
Current banner prices are $50/month, or $45/month if you order 3 to 5 months upfront, or $40/month if you order 6 months or more upfront. Buy it now, they may go up anytime...

PS. I chose the sequence of the first three photos to illustrate a paddle side switch while riding. I took off with the paddle on the wrong side (first photo), but it's still possible to switch it on the correct side mid-way in the bottom turn (second photo) and give a strong stroke in the top of the wave that will help the board snap the top turn (third photo). I'm writing this because I often receive questions on how to use the paddle while surfing. Well, next time I receive that question I will tell them to look for the SUP label on my blog, where this post is going to be classified...
PPS. I'm now testing paddles, so be ready for another SUP related post soon...

lil interview with Pascal

Pascal Bronniman (Quatro sales manager) sold me yet another board (the 81l twin fin is too good not to own one) and I asked him a few questions about the Oahu sailing conditions.

Intense vacation start forecast

The lack of wind is the talk of the island these days. I personally love it, as long as there's waves to ride. So unusual to see glassy waves in the morning that stay clean all day in Maui...
Cookie had his GoPro out yesterday afternoon and took a few pics. Here's the blog author paddling for a fun looking one.


And here he is going left.


More pics on Cookie's site.

This morning unfortunately the waves are pretty much gone on the north shore and there's very little stuff on the south shore. BUT, the good news is this South Pacific weather map modeled to happen on Friday May 29th:


That means that Friday June 5th Oahu will be hit by a MAJOR south swell. And I will be there...
Well, actually seen the size of that swell that day is not one of those that will make a huge difference. Meaning, at that size there's plenty spots in Maui that work just as good... (for surfing, not for windsurfing).
The real difference will be in those days, like today, when it's two feet at the buoy and Maui is knee high and Oahu shoulder high (just saw a nice set rolling in on the Surfline Ala Moana webcam).
But anyway, it will be an intense start of a surfing/sailing vacation that sees me more and more excited as the departure date (very likely June 4that this point) gets closer.

So long.

If only every day was like today...

At the pier at dawn, I could see it might be a good day. the wind was actually offshore, and there was still a swell. It was breaking a bit fat with incoming tide, so I called Andy to see if he had checked Matanzas yet. He was getting ready to go, and I told him I'd give him the report, that I was already at Crescent Beach.

Summerhaven looked glassy and fun. There were some bowly sections to be had. In fact, it looked a little point breakish at the bend in the road. Nice. No one was out. I was surprised, this being Memorial Day and all. Usually, you would look for the most secluded spot you could find on a holiday like this. But, look. The line-up was empty. I called Andy, unsure if it was the right call to go here. I was worried about the wind, and how long it would stay offshore, and when the crowds would start.

I'm paddling out here, I said, and when the crowd hits, I'll go to Eighth street. He was on his way.

Two guys pulled up just then, some teenager and his dad. The kid was so stoked, I could hear him talking non-stop. How cool would that be? To go surfing with your dad...

I remember how I almost talked my dad into surfing with me once. He was always pretty athletic, until he got married and started working full time. I remember seeing the twinkle in his eye, as he thought about it. But, he never did. He will be eighty years old in three days.

Time moves pretty fast, like Ferris Bueller said.

So, I paddle out, and this kid is hooting, seeing the green and glassy surf. He says to me, "Just wait for the set!" I smile, and say, yeah! Soon, dad paddles out, and they are exchanging waves. I catch some fun ones, too, and am stoked that no one is out, yet. But, it is only 7 am.

Turns out, it never did get crowded. Andy and I had so many fun waves today. I saw him get one right, just peeling off in the sun, yes, sunshine! There were waves AND sunshine AND offshore winds until 11am. Andy asked me if I was going for the marathon session around 10 am. "I am not paddling in until the wind comes onshore," I said. "I have waited too long for this."

It was four hours of pure bliss. Well, except when that kid ran over me. He's a beginner, and I could see it coming when he took off in front of me and lost control. Thump, I ducked and heard my board get hit. MY NEW FISH HOLY CRAP! But, when I came up, everything was fine, but the kid was flipping out, "I'M SO SORRY! It was all my fault!" Over and over again, he said this, despite me telling him it's okay, we're fine, it happens. I could feel his anxiety, and tried to calm him and laugh about it. Then it was back to getting more. It really turned on from about 9:30-10:30am. One wave I had Andy said was, "like the cover of a magazine." It was one of the bigger ones, and it just opened up all the way to the inside.

Wow, was I happy today. Well, except that Karen never showed up. She thought I was out back with Bob, and paddled out on the other side. Bob ended up coming over to Summerhaven, so at least I was with two of my best surfing buddies. One day, Karen, we will surf together again!

All day the joy was there with every step. Even as I lugged more boxes up and down stairs, I was smiling, remembering the morning, and all those glassy, green waves...

what did I do lately?

Well, I did a lot of this to select the SUP board to take with me to Oahu (results to be revealed in an upcoming post)...


...very little of this (I actually did sail today -- kind of)...


...plenty of this (looking good, that'll be)...




...and some of this (connecting with nature).


Oh, and right now I just did a remarkably weak post too!

PS. Just in case this post wasn't enough about me, check the team riders page of the Hot Sails Maui website and click on my name. There's a little interview and a few action photos among which I love those two with the orange sail with the flower and the good old 12.6 Timpone. I remember that session at Lanes very well, since a couple of times I literally had the clew in the barrel...

Let's go!

I guess it's because the waves have been so big for the past week that it looked like there was nothing left this morning. It was hard to tell, really. There was no one out at the pier. It did look like there were some sections, so I went on home (I had unloaded another set of boxes at dawn), and grabbed the fish. Back in the parking lot at the pier, there were quite a few guys getting ready to paddle out. I opted for a more solitary session. The set up at high tide at the pier is like the Roman colosseum sometimes, with the fishermen and the crowd sitting along the seawall.

At Eighth street, you could see there were some clean sections, what the heck, it wasn't much, but it was worth getting some exercise. Not to mention getting in the ocean after so long.

The water was still murky, and it felt cold at first. What is going on? This is the end of May, it should be warmer than this. I thought about how many variables there are to surfing as I paddled out. The wind, the water clarity, the weather, the tide, the myriad of buoy reading possibilities ... whoa, this current is strong! How could a five foot at eight second swell feel so powerful? Was it just that I haven't been out surfing in awhile? The waves seemed relentless, and on the first sandbar, I thought I might never make it outside. WHAT is wrong with me? That is when I knew; it was bigger than it looked. A guy took off on a right, and the thing was overhead by a couple feet! Then I didn't feel as wimpy. It was definitely bigger than it had looked from shore. The walls were thick and glassy, and easy to catch. The fish felt instantly fine as fine could be. I almost wished I had the Firewire, but this fish can handle many conditions, of that I am sure. I stayed out until I started shivering. The wind was coming onshore stronger, and the tide started backing out, anyway.

What a great start to the day. Now it's off to the cafe. Gotta make the cupcakes.

Bleech...

No break for us here in the run of horrible conditions. This morning, as I was loading boxes into my car (moving is alternately depressing and exciting), I looked up and said, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, THE WIND LOOKS DEAD. Andy called just then, sounding glum. The wind had already started, it was crap, and he was going to work. Same here, brother. I went by the pier an hour later to see for myself, and yep, it is getting smaller, and the murk factor was off the scale. Called Bob, and he is sick with a cold. Good timing for that one. If you have to be sick, this is the week to vegetate. So, off I went to lug boxes up and down stairs, clean carpets and cabinets, and, with a stiff upper lip, fix up the new nest...

Later, around 4 o'clock in the afternoon, there was a moment of surprise and joy when the sun actually came out! I jumped on the bike, braving the crappy wind, and rode like the devil.

Making history...

This will go down in the books as the longest streak of rain and wind ever. This has gone on ALL WEEK LONG. The kids have had no recess. The teachers look like bobble-head dolls.

Looking at this picture of the surf and weather today, I don't think there is even a name for the color the water has become.

Meanwhile, here are five things I love this week: Those dark chocolate/raspberry bars in the pink wrapper from Target. The Sigur Ros DVD "Heima." Not having to work after work this week. Having Bruce and Karen over for dinner, and then watching 12 episodes of The Office in a row. Hearing the frogs again, with all the rain...

SUP race + some good surfing + rooms for rent!

Been busy lately, time to catch up.

Here's a few photos from the Olukai SUP race that was held on Sunday. It was supposed to be a downwinder, but it ended up being a nowinder.
The usual Dave Kalama receives the first place trophy together with the other top five guys. The usual Andrea Moeller won the girls category.


Done with that, let's admire some nice things. Let's randomly start with a nice competitor's butt.


Nice shorts.


Nice board.


Nice sailing canoe.


Despite the fact that I claim to have invented SUP downwinders and have won the first SUP downwind race in the history of humanity (am I ever going to write that article about it?), I didn't compete in this one. I'm too cheap and not competitive enough...
So what did I do that morning instead?
I scored a lot of super fun waves at Hookipa. I was sitting in the uncrowded lineup while the competitors passed by sweating their asses off. Different ways to enjoy the ocean... with 5 people at Middles and glassy waves all morning I was very happy about my choice!
Here's a shot of a small bowly one taken at sunset.


Pavillion longboarder.


This one is Kazuma team rider Matt Meola at the point.
This photo should deserve a whole post by itself, I absolutely love it. Because it shows the essence of high performance shortboard surfing and it's like a backside top turn manual. Let me draw your attention to:
- how low he is
- how far back the back foot is
- how centered on the board center line his body is
- how beautifully he's using his arms to achieve the twist of the upper body that will lead into the top turn... they look like bat wings! And even his hands are fully open and contribute to generate that twisting momentum. Very important detail... I should try to remember that, since I always have my hands pending like if they were dead.


So that Sunday was the first day of a super fun N swell that got bigger Monday and Tuesday, went down a bit Wednesday and still has to offer a few small fun waves Thursday morning.

The wind in Maui is like a remote memory. I feel sorry for all the windsurfer tourists that came from all over the world and got mercilessly skunked, but I feel even more sorry for the kids that die for malnutrition in Africa... if you know what I mean.
Rent a surfboard or an SUP and go learn how to surf on the south shore you guys... you're still in Maui and it's sunny and gorgeous every day!
Plus, if the weather is super weird and there's a whole month with no wind in spring it's probably our fault and we can't really complain, can we?

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Thanks a lot to the Premium drink dispenser that renewed their 6 months of banner space and helped support this blog.

I immediately invested the money in a videocamera (still thinking about the Oahu movie project). A cheap Samsung with a hell of a zoom, but it only takes videos in MPEG4 format, which is not good for Windows Movie Maker. Before I waste my precious time, anyone out there that knows of a free MPEG4 to AVI converter with no (or at least little) quality loss?
This is a first short clip I took from inside my car. Didn't need to edit it since blogger accepts MPEG4. Random soundtrack playing in my stereo is the marvelous 17 minutes long Anesthetize, needless to say by Porcupine Tree.



PS. My studio is still available for rent in June. And the room in front of it is still available for long term.

Yesterday for a brief moment...

The wind unexpectedly turned offshore. Mike left a message that the Poles had cleaned up for three hours midday, when the wind turned suddenly, and he was there. Here's a picture of what it looked like. Just heard the forecast. Today: 80% chance of rain. Really? Is this what it's like living in Portland?

More dark days...

Check this out. It has rained non-stop for three days now. But, I had a kindergarten student tell me she loved me today in the computer lab. There was no reason. she just looked at me, staring with wide eyes, and told me she loved me. I told her I loved her, too. She laughed and said, "I love you more!" Ah, innocence!

They say it may stop raining by Saturday. They say the winds may go offshore. Oops. I probably just jinxed it.

Cabin fever...

hasn't set in... yet. There will be no surfing, no road-biking for days. Checked the weather maps. We are in for days of rain and wind. Wait. Karen rode her bike to the cafe in the rain and wind today! Bruce was at the dentist, looked out the window, and saw a yellow blur fly by. Boo-ya, sista! Check out the shot of the cloud bank closeout from the beach today. This says it all.

DENIED!

Looks like no surfing around here for a few days at the very least. A strong, late season, shape-shifter cold front is bearing down on us at this moment. This photograph, taken this afternoon, seems spooky enough to exemplify our dire situation. Bob called me after work to see if I had been following the forecast. Involved with my current assorted dramas, I had to, again, admit my ignorance. It could be our first tropical storm of the season, he said. Too bad it will be sitting on our heads, and for several days.

But, far offshore, there are some other scary strong winds pointed our way. We may be testing the big wave boards soon. Yikes.

I'm in love...

...with de flyin' fish, mon! As I walked up the beach after surfing this morning, I kissed him so gently on the rail. I love this new surfboard, the Ricky Carroll fish! I was hesitant at first. The fin set-up was one that I wasn't used to. The side fins were huge and the trailer so small, and on the first wave it was confirmed. There was a slight lack of drive. But, wave after wave came, and after each one, I became aware of how loose the board was, how fast, and how it would fly across the surface like a skipping stone. The lightness of the board only intensified the feeling of freedom. I felt like I could put that thing where ever I wanted, and so... effortlessly. The more I rode it, the more I fell in love. I felt like my surfing was rejuvenated today.

Now I feel like I have the perfect quiver. The 6'10" David Hamilton fun shape will work for those teeny tiny, clean days. The 6'8" Randy French model will be for the biggest days. The 6'1" Firewire will be for the punchy, really good days, and ... the Ricky Carroll 6'0" fish will be for the majority of our waves, which are mainly in the slow, mushy category. But, with this new secret weapon, I will have more fun than ever.

I was the first one out early this morning. Some shredder paddled out after a bit, and we were alone until I heard someone talking inside, and looked to see ANDY! We had some fun today, sharing peaks, hooting at the nice ones. He was on his new fish, too, the Randy French 6'6" wood model, just gorgeous. It was so fun out there, despite a side shore wind. The tide was perfect, going out and practically low. My last wave was the best. It jacked up way outside, Andy saw it, and said GO! I took off, and the thing just rolled all the way to shore. So many cutbacks and off the lips I lost count. I was so high when I hit the beach. I had to go to work, but the crowd had thickened, and I was satisfied. As I walked up the beach, holding that new board, I just couldn't resist. I bent over and kissed it. I don't think I have actually ever kissed a board before. It felt good.

I think it likes me, too.

lil environmental post

I received this presentation and I thought it's well done.
Water Disaster

Publish at Scribd or explore others:

The reason I think it's well done is because at the end it stresses the fact that drinking bottled water can cause YOU harm. If it was only focused on the harm to the environment, in fact, most people would just not care...

As humans, we should be ashamed by the amount of plastic bottles we pollute the environment with. And plastic bags too.
Is all this plastic really necessary?

Not really. It's quite a few years, for example, that I refill my two metal water bottles every morning (I have a commonly available reverse osmosis tap water filtering system at home) and use a reusable bag when grocery shopping.
It doesn't take much... you lazy bastards!


This is a burning sugar can field. Maui (and also Florida, I think) is one of the few places where they still harvest it this way. I'm not expert of sugar cane harvesting, but that looks freaking polluting to me. And if you happen to be downwind of one of those monsters, you'll sure agree with me.


That must be why wonderful creatures like the sugar cane spiders have to find recovery elsewhere...

Don't make plans...

The Gods will laugh.

Surfing after work...

I watched the flags as I decided what to do. I could tell her I needed to get in the water, that I would rather come in to work later. It is an option I have. But, the flags were flapping pretty hard. I took a gamble, and said I would come in to work now. I was taking the chance that the wind would die down, closer to dark, and it paid off.

I scrambled to get the work done, but I wasn't sloppy. I can be efficient, that's for sure. I bet no one could have made all those cupcakes as fast. No movement was wasted. And then it was time. I raced home, threw my board into the car, and raced to Crossovers, always looking at the flags. Some were limp, some were lightly flapping. Good, stay light. I have been so good today.

Karen got it early, when the winds were still light. She tried to downplay it for me, but I knew I had missed some good ones. Bob tried to make it sound like he had missed it, too. I have some great friends.

So, there I was, racing to get up the steps, as two guys were shooting some girl posing on the stairs. They could see I was a fanatic, wild-eyed, and made room for me. Sorry, I said. She was sweet, no problem, she smiled. Then my feet were digging into the sand. That felt so good, that cool, dense sand between my toes. Then I was in the water, paddling out on the 6'1" Firewire I had just traded my 5'10" Firewire for. Would it be the right one?

The first wave felt pretty convincing. The waves had some punch and size, so it was a good testing ground. I caught a few more, and then the left came that would decide it all. I took off on it, a late drop. I wanted to see how it would work on that ledge. Whomp! It flew up so high, and turned so tight ... on a dime. That was when I knew. This is the one. I will keep it.

Now, let's just hope there is something left in the morning. Because I am packing my lunch tonight, and I plan on being there before dawn.

Fire test

Windnews, the italian windsurfing magazine I work for, published the test of the Hot Sails Maui Fire and Jeff asked me to translate it for him.

That made me think that somewhere I had some nice photos/videos of Hot sailors that I didn't publish yet. Here are both.
Ola Helenius riding a Smack (all his photos by Gisela Helenius).


Eyal riding a Fire (photo Martin Ritzenhoff).


Ola.


Glenn just finished editing his third gopro wide clip. I like it because most videos you see from Maui are either from Hookipa or Kanaha. This one instead, shows Sprecks pretty much as good as it gets. Enjoy.

THE WINDSURFER - Maui Sessions - Vol. 3 from Glenn Haslbeck on Vimeo.

This instead is Bart flying down the line at Hookipa.

Hookipa, Maui from Bart de Zwart on Vimeo.

And here's the translation of the test of the Fire.
I remember the faces of the La Coudu’ windsurfers when we did this test. They were very impressed for two reasons.
Firstly because the sails were delivered directly on the spot by the Hot Sails Maui French distributor Eric. Six brand new sails: he looked like Santa Claus, but it came in a minivan.
Secondly because once out of the bags and rigged, the sails looked really beautiful thanks to the bright colors and the catchy design.
We rigged a couple of Fires right away: 4.2 for me (I like to be underpowered to wave ride in more control) and 4.7 for Max.
What a revelation the Fire was. Never too jerky, soft and reactive at the same time. That day I rigged the 4.2 kind of soft and it was never too bossy. When the wind increased, I gave it a bit more downhaul and it became even more precise, also thanks to the double clew ring that allows quick adjustments on the beach.
80% of the sail is X-Ply and that allows us, who are not pro-sailors, to push it a bit more without risking to damage the sail.
Apart from the mast protection pad that is a bit short, we didn’t find any other flaws and we strongly recommend to add one of these sails to your quiver.
And this is Max’s feedback about his 4.7.
Let me state beforehand that I’m quite excited to try everything that arrives from Hawaii. This sail was a great surprise. I loved it both in red and yellow. It is strong, yet light and it shows care for details. I noticed too the short mast protection pad, but it’s still acceptable and otherwise the sail is very well built.
But let’s get down to the water test. Coudu’, classic NW wind, waves around two meters. The sail is easy to handle, it becomes neutral while wave riding and it depowers very well under gust making for some comfortable sailing. It’s not a power wave sail, but trimming the outhaul will allow to keep enjoying your sailing even in underpowered conditions… without having to change size. It was the first Hot sails I tried and I was stoked about it: one of the most beautiful sails I ever tried, really easy and fun to sail.
A this point, my curiosity for the other sails of the brand is sky rocketing and I can’t wait to try the Superfreak that the good old Cammar has been bragging about forever. “Cammar, you’re too far ahead… we always knew that!”

BTW, Jeff told me the short pad issue is fixed already.

The Oahu movie, scene one, take one

First unedited (long) clip of The Oahu movie.



Without expressing any commitment at all, would anyone care leaving a comment about the idea of making a movie out of the Oahu trip?

sunday at the beach

There we go: the north shore has gone flat and while there's 3 to 4 feet in Waikiki, there's 1 to 2 feet on Maui's south shore. But this time, I kicked back, relaxed, took photos and didn't care too much since I'll be there in three weeks...

All kinds of paddling going on: one man canoe paddling with baby on board.


Double kayak paddling with sistah on big green tube in the middle and standup paddling in the background.


Even beach chair paddling!


Let's not forget regular surfing.


One for the ladies.


Post crab legs eating finger licking action.


Aaargh! I need a wave!!! Easy... relax... only three weeks... let me play The Windsurfing movie again...

Leftovers can be good...

It didn't look all that inviting this morning. After two fun days of decent surf, it seemed impossible that we dare think it might still be rideable. But it looked rideable, what the heck, I'm paddling out. The reports are calling for a week of onshores, so this could very well be the last day of clean peelers. I called Andy to tell him I was going to Matanzas. Once on the overlook, I called Karen. She only had 45 minutes to surf, since she had to open the cafe, so she asked me to make the call. I told her it seemed pretty small, and for all the effort it might not be worth it. I wish I could take that back, knowing what I know now, but how could I have known it would get better? It could have been as tiny as it looked from shore.

I paddled out alone. The water is still chilly, and the tiny bits of kelp-like material still linger. But, the waves looked green with the sun shining through them, and they were groomed clean by the light westerly wind. I caught a few weak ones, but they were fun on the 6'10" fun shape. Then, as the tide filled in, it began to get really fun. It was almost like a mini-right point break. They would just peel and peel! I took off on one nice one, and as I stood up I saw someone paddling out, hooting for me at the top of their lungs. This made me laugh and almost fall off, but that only made it more fun. I think his name is Dusty, I'm not sure. I see him sometimes, and we talked about the waves over the past couple days. He was on a fish and began snagging some fun ones. Then, I see someone else paddling out - ANDY! He is on some monster tanker, eleven feet long. Two strokes and he was up. He said he had been riding the thing for the past several days and was having a ball. We shared some more waves, and then that same shredder from Flagler Beach came out and proceeded to tear into some. That guys rips! I couldn't believe he could do so much on so little. It made me want to go get my Firewire, but I felt too lazy today. Also, reality check, I just don't have the biceps.

The waves were really shaped better than ever today, bowling up and reeling down the line. It was such a bonus, yet another day of fun surf, and timed so I could actually be there. The coolest thing happened after it got more crowded. Dusty (?) and I were paddling for the same wave. I was wanted the right, he was looking at the left, but we were on the wrong side of each other. I was not giving up, and neither was he. We both paddled, stood up, and looked to be on a collision course, as I said "Crisscross!" And we did! It felt so good. I was laughing all the way inside. Then Andy and I rode a wave together, high-fiving each other at the end. The tide started filling in a little too much then, the crowd thickened, and it was time to go.
Andy left with me, and we walked back to the parking lot, talking about our upcoming plans, his trip to Costa Rica, and mine to New Zealand.

That is the future, this is now, and it is good!

More... YES!

Another fine morning of surfing! I arrived after Bob again, just about 6:15am. He was already in the water, and I could see him riding one as I paddled out. The sunrise was gorgeous, and the golden-yellow moon had just set. We had it all to ourselves for more than an hour. Two shredders paddled out then, but that was okay, we all shared it ... fun, fun, fun.

It seemed, at first, not to be as good as yesterday, a little weaker, a hair smaller. "But, wait," Bob said. Every few minutes a set would arrive that told a different story. One wave I had was the best, even better than the good one I had yesterday. It stayed vertical and open all the way to the inside, and that made the session for me. We all missed the best wave of the day, though. It reared up, green and glassy and perfect, but Bob wasn't ready, and I was over too far. It seemed head high! Arrrrggh! We all moaned. By 8:30am, it started getting a bit crowded. Bob and I looked at each other and knew what the other was thinking. It was over for the day. But, it didn't matter. We caught the best of it, again!

And then ... there was joy.

And, it came from every direction. It all started at dawn. I saw Bob's car in the parking lot at Matanzas. It wasn't even 6:30am, yet. Hell, I couldn't sleep. Even with Sean's superb math tutorials, and his supreme sacrifice of missing The Office to help me, I was a basket case, worrying about whether I would be able to pass the dreaded test today.

So, there was Bob's car. It would be just him and me out there, and I only wished for clean and glassy and rideable. I took the day off since I had to go to Jacksonville to take "the test." Why go to work only to have to leave after an hour? Why go to work when there are waves and offshore winds? You tell me.

Squinting, I can see Bob down on the beach. I am not too far behind him. He is just walking out into the water. I walk down to where the posts have been planted in the sand, the ones that warn not to drive any further. The birds are nesting. I put down my backpack, and out I go.

It is glassy, and it is green, and there are waves. Not quite as big as yesterday, but better, as I would soon find out. I paddled out, watching Bob take a right, then fade left, milking it for everything it was worth. The water felt cool. I scream. Bob sees me and waves hello. When I get out to him, we are all smiles. "Get one of these LEFTS," he says, his eyes sparkling. "You won't believe it!" He is ever enthusiastic, and never takes any of this for granted. I like that. We both understand the madness that is our joy.

We catch a few, we trade boards for awhile. The waves seem to be getting better. The waves are infrequent, but when they come, they bowl up and reel off. I feel like, finally, I am surfing again. We talk about things, the test, and Bob gives me a pep talk. I appreciate this. He understands. No waves come during this talk. It is almost magical. Then it comes to me, this rogue wave, unlike the others. Bob says "GO!" and I paddle hard as it lurches up, a full-on wall of water moving to shore with a determination unlike the others. I take off, and the line just stands up, ruler edged, just waiting for me. It was hilarious, how I alternately hooted and laughed. Bob said later that he heard every bit of it, and was laughing, too. He said the wave didn't have a drop out of place. It was a metaphor for the moment, he later said. For all my worry about how I would do, it was like the universe said right then, "Are you going to fall on your face, give up, resigned to failure? No! You will ride the wave with everything in you!" And that is what I did. Even though I probably needed the Firewire for that one, the Randy French did fine. I was a crazy person paddling back out there. I didn't have to say a thing. Bob knew.

When the others began to paddle out, awhile after that, the moment shifted, the tide turned, and it was very different. We had had the magical window, and after two hours, sanity was restored. I had forgotten about the test for awhile. But, back on land, reality awaited. It was time to head off to Jacksonville.

I arrived an hour before the test was scheduled to start, nervous about finding the test center, nervous about everything. When I got there, they let me go ahead and start the test, since it was all on computer, anyway. The two guys behind the counter were over it. What a crappy job that was, repeating rules and telling you to put all your stuff (including your watch, please) in the tiny fake wood veneer lockers, day in and day out in that dreary strip mall office with the solitary, dusty, fake plant. The one guy took pity on me. He knew my type. Scared little hamster, he was probably thinking. I went to him with all my whispered, anxiety-filled questions. He was real nice to me. I had to use the restroom a record number of times.

The essay was easy. Write a story about someone you had a first impression about that turned out to be wrong. Can I write a novel about this? I think I did. The reading was a cinch, done in twenty minutes. The english was a breeze. Done. They had to save the worst for last. My neck had been gradually seizing up with every passing moment, waiting for the screen to pop up that said MATHEMATICS EXAMINATION. It would be 100 minutes of pure hell.

This too shall pass, Karen told me yesterday.

When the first question popped up, I panicked. What? I didn't study that! Next question... what? The next one had me nearly in tears. I felt the elephant sitting on my chest. Don't cry, don't cry. FOCUS! Oh, God, but... I can't do this one, either! CRAP HOLY HELL THIS IS THE WORST THING EVER. Okay. Breathe. Next one, hey, a word problem I can do. Sorta. And, so it went, for the entire 100 minutes. I resigned myself to failing. There was no way I could ever have passed it, I despaired.

But, wait. The girl was so unconcerned as she lifted my results off the printer. I, on the other hand, was not even breathing. I was afraid to even look. "Nancy," she said, handing them to me with a deadpan expression. Didn't she understand how this meant everything?

And there is was, each sheet; Pass, Pass, Pass, and Pass. I was so shocked, I drifted up to her to ask if it was really true, had I really passed math? "Yep," she said, the faintest hint of a smile fluttering across her face. I turned to the door, walked out into the sunny afternoon, and blubbered like a baby. Tears, yes. But, they were tears of unfathomable ... joy.

Man overboard...

I missed the offshores. All morning, as I took kid after kid in for testing, I would look at the flags. The dreaded thing had happened. The waves came up, and the wind had finally turned offshore. I couldn't skip out on work, either. I have to take off tomorrow for the dreaded test.

After work, there was only a semblance of surf left to alleviate the stress that has been slowly building. The test is tomorrow, the dreaded test.

The only thing that really worries me is the math. No matter how many times I look at the formulas, and try to reason things out, it all still leaves me feeling like there is something I am just not getting. The waves didn't help, windblown and wonky. It almost seems like not surfing at all when you stand up and the whole thing just craps out and dies or just closes out. Well, things could be worse. You could be the one that apparently wrecked a boat on some unseen sandbar. As I paddled out, I passed objects bobbing in the surf, boat cushions, plastic containers with bungee cords, shoes. One girl out there asked me what that blue thing was I was staring at, that I thought might be a body. She said, with dread, that she thought it was a baby. I paddled over to it, and was relieved to show her it was only a soggy pillow with a tacky marine print design on one side. It looked like they had lost everything in the boat, all manner of remnants floating past us, eventually dotting the shore.

Yeah, things could be worse. The test is tomorrow, and everyone seems so sure I will pass. Everyone, that is, except me.

One foot chop, one foot chop, one foot chop...

Will it ever end? An elephant in a zoo gets more tube time than me these days...