Redemption!

About three hours before sunset, everything changed. The wind went offshore, the sun came out from behind the clouds, and oh, what fun we had! Bob called after lunch
(with my pals Amber and Matt) and said, "Keep an eye on the wind, it may be turning." I knew the tide would be perfect for Crossovers in an hour or so, and with a bit of luck...

I pulled up to Crossovers at about 3pm, and it had already cleaned up. The parking lot was empty, and there were only three guys in the water. I called Bob, and he said he was on his way. Andy was tired of chasing it all over creation, and went to look at his ramp.

"Well dip me in shit..." were his exact words, as he walked up to his ramp to check it.

He decided to just hit it there with Mark. We compared notes later, at sunset, and he was frothing, had his stoke back, and was mumbling semi-coherently about the waves he had ridden - and had seen Mark ride!

Redemption!

Bob had so many good ones, in fact I paddled down to where he was after one left I saw him flying on. We were so stoked! I had about four waves that stand out in memory. The first was a glassy right that a-framed, and I raced outside to meet it. I turned that little Dominator and three strokes later, I was flying down the steep face sticking my arm in the face to slow it down to better set up for the bowling wedge, yippee! And, cutback!

Number two was a set wave left that walled up where I was. It almost seemed I was too deep, but the guy that was paddling for it saw me at the last second, and said GO! and I did. It was one of the better ones of the session, and walled up and started pitching. I had to race around a section and then it opened up, and I slid up the face and around, it was heaven!

The third one was sketchy, but proves what this board is capable of. The sun came out, creating this golden glare that was almost dangerous because you couldn't see, on the take off going left, what was inside. A bigger left wedged up, and I had to go for it, and was instantly engulfed in the vortex.

This is something every surfer needs to experience at least once.

I was pitted inside the foam ball, in the dead center of it. I knew because I could feel the whitewater swirling all around me, which in and of itself is rather frightening because you have no control, really, and could just roll with your board at any moment. But, the board stuck and held, and I stayed on it, feeling the airy vacumn all around me. It was amazing. Then, I came to the end of it, still on the board, grabbed the rail, and popped out of the whitewater with the board in my hand! It felt like I had defied gravity and the very forces of nature - ha!

Last memory was the scariest. I was riding another vertical rolling left and the whitewater engulfed me, only this time, I was not in the center. I got rolled, and felt the board slide from under me, and I rolled like a ragdoll with the board inches from me. I hit it once or twice as I bounced and rolled, and then when I landed, it was on my ass on the fins - OWwwwwwww! Luckily, I has me some padding there, and will only have some bruises, no punctures, thank you, King Neptune.

Bob and I stayed out until the sun was sitting on the horizon. The sunset was astounding. The clouds were orange and pink, as dolphins frolicked nearby. One dolphin tried to catch a wave, right in front of me! What a difference from this morning. From crap to epic!