Tid bits...

For those who follow swell models, periods, winds, fetches and all the rest of the weather related crap...
Nice weekend...
Gale was supposed to be here yesterday.
Gusts to 40 knots.
Nope.
Was glassy and offshore most of yesterday.
Today?
E at 5 knots.
Where is Gale?
Not here.
Which is fine I suppose.
But I won't find much crap on the beach.

Its my birthday today.
I started board surfing exactly 42 years ago today.
Now, I know there are older coots out there that have seen it all come and go.
But I sit here feeling like have seen a lot come and go too.
How many waves in 42 years?
How many spots?
How many boards?

Lots.
Surfing has remained a constant in my life, its never been a hobby or something to do, its always been the reason for where I live and what structure my life has.

I am thankful everything turned out this way. I enjoy the freedom of being a surfer.
Right now, my hair style is courtesy of yesterdays go out, my wife says I always smell like salt. My van has enough sand in it to replenish a horseshoe pit. I have three wetsuits and all of them are still wet.
I have not worn a shoe other than Birks in weeks.
But I don't own a pair of surf trunks.
So its 7:30 on the morning of my birthday.
Yep, going to work on Rambler 2 for a bit and then head out at low tide and see what I can find. I am packing a lunch and plan to send the entire day at the beach.
Gonna twist up a few to take with me and just maybe sit in the sand and reflect upon it all.

To be straight, I don't believe 42 years in the water entitles me to anything but some pride.
My Father has 55.

First board... Wind and Sea Mystic Model, snapped in two by my Father at the old POP pier and reshaped to 7' by the guys at Con, presented to me on the beach at Topanga on March 1st, 1967.
Thanks Dad.

I know I will always be a surfer, I hope I will surf till the day I die.
Hopefully not in the water...

And hopefully, not today.

They won't hear it or read it but a special thanks to...

Hobie, Rip Curl, Con, Jeff Ho, Skip, Birdwell, Katin, Fluid Drive, Ray Ban, Terry Martin, Kurt Ausberger, Bing, Robbie Dick, George Trafton, the NSSA, Harbour, The Chumash, Hope Covington, the crew at Topanga, Shoreline Crips, Vic Voltage, Victory, Zogs, Fins Unlimited, V13, Dume locals, the boys at Swami's, the super crew at the Dirt Farm, all the locals where I live and of course, my mother and father for pushing me in to that first little wave.

Thanks!


See ya.