Warning- Gruesome Pics Herein!!

So Danny, packing nowhere near the punch of his predecessor Bill, seems to have managed to take a few prisoners... Perhaps we were all caught off guard, for after Bill's full brunt of brutish bullying, Danny's demeanor seemed so... diluted...

I know of at least two boards broken clear in half.

I know of more than a handful of minor dings.

I know of at least three counts of bloodshed.


I guess that after focusing so hard, and expending so much energy to deal with Bill, we just couldn't be bothered to pay attention to Danny, and just wanted to have some fun. Turns out, Bill was the gentle giant, while Danny was the scrappy little punk who took a swing when you weren't looking...

The scene at S-Turns. I was most decidedly NOT there.


Here are a few of Danny's waves (Most pics by Drew or Laura):

Moi, southside shorebreak

Stuart, goofing around

Stuart, serious


Moi, goofing around

Goofing around, again

Warning- If the sight of blood makes you queasy, stop scrolling down and visit some other page.




























So here's what happens when you stop paying attention, even for just one second:

Moi, no longer goofing around

Dan, not goofing around



And here's how you fix the ding that your face left in your surfboard:

Broke

Rough it up with sandpaper

Buy this stuff

Set up a piece of plastic to cover the repair area

Squirt said stuff into repair area

Cover with plastic

Smooth it out

Put it in the sun for 5 minutes

Remove plastic and sand the repaired area flush

Squirt in some more stuff to fill any divits

Try a tongue depressor to smooth it out

Put it in the sun again

Sand it down again


Viola! Good as new, if not a bit stronger!

An interesting aside- The board being fixed here was my polyester resin board that Stuart put his knee through. Dan dinged up his polyester resin board pretty well with his nose. My forehead cut?? Well, the recycled foam core bamboo mat epoxy resin constructed Imagine surfboard looked brand new after it bashed a hole in my head. The question then becomes- Would my forehead cut have been milder or worse if I were on a polyester board? Busted boards end up with exposed edges that can really tear you up... my guess is that it would have been worse, like Dan's (who needed multiple stitches).

All's well that ends well- Everyone has been surfing everyday since said accidents, and the waves have been really really fun!!

Looks like our first batch of Fall NE winds might be hitting this week! Keep your eyes on it!!

Cove Sesh!

Nice! First Cove session of the Fall! 'Twas far from epic, but it was also much more fun than it looked from the beach... The winds were light ESE with a few puffs of about 20 rolling through, and holes in the single digits. The waves were mostly waist high with the occasional shoulder or head high set rolling through. Keith, Stuart, and I sailed, and there were about 5 or 6 kites in the air. Etiquette was top notch in all directions. Cheers!

I schlogged the Pocket 80 with a 5.5. The wind was fickle enough that I was almost never able to use the harness, so the arms got a solid workout. The cardio system and legs caught up to the arms while trying to waterstart in the impact zone with 8 mph wind. But the one *good* wave made all the effort worthwhile! It was clean, walled up, and begging for me to hit the lip on 3 solid down the line turns... mmmmmmm...

We all know windsurfing is addictive. But there's something special about a mostly lame session with 10 seconds of glory that just makes everything seem so sweet. It's tough to explain, but the possibility of being in the right spot at the right time and scoring that one fleeting moment of perfection keeps the fire so definitely alive... First, the yearning hits when you spot the perfect set wave breaking just out of reach. Then, eventually, the realization that it might actually come together for you, as you schlog yourself into position and see the horizon bump up as a set approaches. Finally, the excitement of following through and taking full advantage of the opportunity provided... It's such a simple thing, but so completely satisfying... Maybe because it doesn't happen that often, so it just seems that much sweeter when it does. Maybe because it took so much effort, that the simple reward seems so satisfying... Whatever it is, I love it!!

No pics, due to the far offshore action and lack of sunshine. Sorry!

The more time I spend on that Tabou Pocket, the more I love it... That nose shape just pops up and over whitewater like nothing happened, and the tail is so loose on the wave face... It's just so easy to sail... With these new shapes, performance wavesailing is so freaking accessible! Gimme a shout the next time you're around, and demo the 80 or the 85- Sailing in the ocean is already hard enough... There's no need to make it harder... Come try out the Pocket!!

Danny's surf, Day 1

So I had a little accident last night... I took a hit from the rail of my surfboard, right on the forehead... It was just enough force to pop open a little gash, about 1" long, very shallow, but kinda wide... And if any of you have ever gotten a cut on the forehead, you'll know just how dramatic it can look... Well, I felt fine, but the faces of Drew, Stuart, and Daniel proved that I looked pretty dang far from fine! hahaha! Drew took a picture or two, maybe I'll post 'em up, maybe I won't... They're kinda gruesome looking... Luckily, no signs of brain damage yet... Good thing I've got a big thick Irish skull!

So anyway, I'm on dry dock for a few days while it starts to heal... Which is very challenging, because the surf is just gorgeous right now... I stopped by the beach while running a few errands this morning to shoot a few pictures of Drew and Laura. Pure torture to sit on the beach... But hey, being the designated photographer is fine by me, I like getting the pics just as much as riding the waves! Enjoy!


Drew, lining it up...

...and tucking in (yup, he made it)

Nice bottom turn, Drew!


Glassy, walled up, peeling... What more could you ask for??

That's one way to get out the back!

There were a few lefts coming through

Awwww, man!!

he he he he...

Better look where you wanna go, Dewski!

Laura, kicking out

You know it's good when no-one even bothers to paddle for a peak like this!

So, yeah, I'm a bit jealous, but it's all good. I needed a rest anyway, as it's been non-stop for a week or two now! And you should have seen how fast Kevin took off when I told him I'd watch the shop if he wanted to go surf! Haha, I think his shoes were on fire!

All eyes are on Danny now... Looks like he'll stay offshore and shoot the gap between Bermuda and here, just like Bill, but some of the models have him coming a little close...

Leftovers...

Man the swell has just been super fun! We've been catching the dawn and dusk sessions for the last few days. The beauty of a glassy, windless ocean with nice clean waves is pretty tough to describe, especially when you add in epic sunsets, birds flying, and fish jumping... You've gotta experience it to know it I think...

I took a bunch of pictures this morning. Check 'em out, I left a lot of them as pretty big files if you're looking for a new desktop image... Enjoy!

Sea Oats in the morning light

Stu and Drew, looking like twins

The view from inside

Empty


Stuart

Drew

Drew

I finally got my hands on one of the Imagine Surfboards- the 6'1" Pocket Rocket thruster- the thing has such a nice feel on the wave, it's really responsive and super fast! It's a bit smaller than I'm used to surfing, so I'm training myself to sit a bit deeper to make the drops, but on the face the board is just unreal... Loving it! Give Drew or Kev a call if you want to get your hands on one of these things, you won't be disappointed!

Schlogging Bill's Leftovers

So, the meters bumped up a bit yesterday afternoon! It was just barely windy enough for Keith and me to catch a schlog sesh out at Ego Beach. The shorebreak was ferocious, and the wind was super light, but the outer bar was working pretty well- it still had some size, and the big ones were crumbling top to bottom. Since the wind was so light, positioning was tough and it was a lot of work to make anything happen, but when it all lined up it was definitely worth the effort!

I only caught two really good waves, definitely overhead, and lined up for 2 or 3 really good down the line lip smacks. They were both "turn and burn" style- schlogging out, see it starting to stand up, jibe, and take off super steep and late... So none of the good waves were caught on film, because Anne had put the camera down and didn't expect the late drop in :) But she did catch a few pictures of some of the mediocre waves :) Thanks for shooting a few, Anne!!

Keith, lining it up

Deep!

Me

Again

So, I've gotta tell you how impressed I am with the Tabou Pocket waveboards... I snagged the 85 for the sesh, instead of the 80, because I knew there would be some serious holes in the wind. I got clipped on the way out through the break just one time- by a very sizable set wave that broke about 10 yards out past me. I was literally just standing on the board with virtually zero sail power, and figured "what the heck, lets see what happens." So I stood strong, and gave a tiny little pump and "bunny hop" as the whitewater hit, and I kid you not, I bounced right up and over this overhead high wall of water! As light as the wind was in front of the wave, there was zero wind behind it (plus a little swirl), so I fell on the backside of the wave, but with sheer amazement that I even made it that far! There's something magic about the volume flow and nose shape of those boards... They handle anything you can throw at them, with ease!! Love 'em! (Not to mention the turns you can pull off......)

A Few Pics

Here's a sequence of Drew, Killin' It, Friday morning before it bumped up:




And here are a few pictures taken on Saturday at the Avon Pier. No picture can truly do justice to the size and power of this swell...

Outer Bar Bombs

Whitewater, as far as the eye can see

This was a quick swell, and it's already on the way out... Drew and I surfed this morning in some overhead peaks. It was fun, but really bumped up. I took a late drop and went over the falls on a decently sized one, and was literally giggling the whole way down... After Friday's experience, it just seemed, well... laughable!