Bagus Surf

From the window

Sore shoulders today and the state championship race this weekend is keeping me dry and on the computer today. Got a surf report from Ala Moana today from busie... she says very nice clean conditions with 2-4 ft sets rolling through. Lots of fun to be had with the trades still calm. Get out and have a fun hump day!

Small and sucky

It takes a really bad day out on the water to appreaciate the good days. Today it was sickly, wobbly and just plain sucky for waves out at Courts. I can't complain b/c getting in and paddling around sure beats anything else in the mornings, but for some reason the conditions this a.m. just didn't work. The background south energy was weakening, and the windswell from the incoming trades messed things up all over the reef. The winds also starting blowing early this morning sideshore to onshore. Only managed two waves of any significance and I paddled in early, followed by all the regulars.

Surfing 10 Commandments

This was an older article B. Topp wrote for his surfhumor site. Click on "read more" below to see them.

1) Thou shall drop in on no one. The exceptions are friends, wave hogs, and those who drop in on you.
2) Thou shall be kind to kooks. At one time, we were all flopping around inside with our surfboards pointing at the sky from laying on the back of the board. Beginners are to be pitied and helped. Unless they have an attitude, then you can run them over.
3) Thou shall wear a leash on big days. Please introduce me to the person who never wipes out. On big days you have no right to endanger the lives of others just to be cool. If you really yearn for tradition, buy yourself a 75-pound balsa board. Just attach it with a stainless steel leash.
4) Thou shall maintain the Karma. So Linda Mar is usually mushy or closed out, sometimes simultaneously. The one thing it used to have was good Karma. If you really want to charge every wave and snake your brothers, go to Steamer Lane. There some 14 year old surfer chick will bust your chops by making every late drop and pulling off turns you've only dreamed about.
5) Thou shall surf in all conditions. If anyone "owns" a beach, its we dumb shits who paddle out when its cold, raining, or there are 40 knot off shore winds. If it has to be 70 degrees for you to surf, you're not with the program. Think about taking up bowling.
6) Thou shall not be too cool. Nothing is worse that the guy who paddles around with a stoic expression and doesn't joke or swap lies with others in the line up. These are the guys you love to watch get slammed by a closed out macker at Linda Marginal. Lighten up. . . you're surfing for God's sake!
7) Thou shall forgive dumb stunts. I was paddling out and this oblivious long boarder practically left skid marks on my back. I was bitching all the way to the showers where I accidentally left my helmet. Next week, the guy who had run me over retrieved my helmet from his truck. He commented that he knew it belonged to me and could attest to its effectiveness. Remember that the person who screws you today may some day bail your bacon out of the fire when you get in trouble.
8) Thou shall appreciate the great equalizer. I surf with Electricians, Ph.D.s, Contractors, Stockbrokers, and Steelworkers. Some make $30K a year and I know a couple that make $500K. But on a shitty day or a great day or a big day, we all play in the same sandbox. We all hoot. We all get scared. We all surf until our toes are blue and our arms are toasted. And we all suffer spectacular (and hilarious) wipeouts.
9) Thou shall be kind to elderly surfers. Okay, so some of us totter down the beach with our walkers and play bingo in the line up. Okay, so you get tired of hearing us whine about our jobs and hum Grateful Dead songs from the sixties. Be kind. Soon enough you'll be drinking your Metamucil and Viagra cocktail the night before surfing. Just pray you can still crank a turn.
10) Thou shall wear sunglasses in the parking lot. Sorry to break the news to my female surfing colleagues, but men are pigs. We can't help but watch you change in the parking lot and pray for a breeze to liberate that towel wrapped around your waist. As with kooks, we are to be pitied. We hereby commit to be discrete and not stare. We also promise not to wear Speedos or puke in your presence when we're hung over from the night before. That is, as long as you promise to keep surfing thereby bringing some civility to the line up.

South swell in town

A nice little south is peaking it's head through the muddy clouds today. Went out at 7:30 is this morning to courts in a dead calm condition, cloudy and muggy. Sets were far apart, but a couple waves would come through providing lots of fun to be had. The low tide make the inside wobbly and a challenge, felt like a washing machine. Did get the best noseride I have had in a long time, head high right popped up, the boys on the outside let it go by, dropped in a bit late behind the peak, feathered the Miller up the face, ran to the nose and voila screaming across on the nose as the wave wall went vertical. Rode it all the way inside and then just decided to come in. A good way to finish a session. It's 10:30 a.m. and the clouds are gone from ala moana... looks like a great day to take that looooong lunch break.

Shorties

Diamond head at 8 a.m. looked fun on the outside. Chest high sets rolling through on the outside with the winds picking up slightly. Folks sitting across from lighthouse to the point. Lots of fun to be had. Headed to paradise with Hampig on our shorties. She rode her new 7'6" Tanaka and I was on the Miller 7'6" egg. Peaky on the low tide so we had waves all alone. Water temps are perfect and a slight overcast sky made for a fun session. Did get nailed by a woman's board today on the shoulder.. ouch.

Long on the nose

Headed out to Courts this a.m. with Paxton, Tyrone and Fannie. We looked like a mob going out. It was low tide and on the turn. Got a couple nice new dents on the 10" red fin. Small conditions, and the wind came up slightly around 8 a.m. Had a couple clean, long noserides. Have I said how much I love this 9'6" Miller? Also said a sad farewell to the 10' Tanaka Step Deck yesterday. Had to clean out the garage and make room for other boards. Some seller's remorse.. for sure! It was my first board I designed myself.

Quick Dip

Drove down to Queens, parked and walked to see what was going on with my 9'6" Miller. It was a zoo. Turned around and headed to Ala Moana bowls. Nice little swell in with fun waves for everyone. Pretty consistent knee to chest high lefts with perfectly glassy to slight offshore winds. It was fun, lots of waves for a 1 hr session. Had to get out of the water to head to work. Get out if you can and bring that longboard. It's just perfect for long noserides.

Juice Magazine

Pretty cool interview with Joel Tudor in Juice Magazine. Also Art Brewer, Dick Brewer, and Mike Doyle

The Big Boys on small waves

Conditions are pretty calm this morning with a nice glassiness to the southshore (Ala Moana and Waikiki). Still just background swell and remnants of the East side wind swell. Had some fun waves out at Courts again. Did manage to get into a nice set wave... just sitting there talking and then all of a sudden boom it appears right in front of me. Nice right down the line, fast, walling up and lots of nose time on the 10' Tanaka. Paxton also had his big green machine out. In at 6:15 out by 8:00, at my desk with this update by 8:30 and the day begins. This is paradise.

Windswell

Small windswell at courts. Out early with Pax and Carrie. Met Gerry in the lineup today with his insightful comments. Fun rights as always, clean conditions, but small and inconsistent. Had a nice couple sets right at 6:30 when we got out, but then a long flat spell before heading in around 8:15. Made a quick run to Liliha for a couple cocoa puffs... yum!
Another Severson picture: