November 2011 Surf Sessions
11/30/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Emma Wood
Time in the Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 27
I wanted to surf Rincon but upon further inspection it looked less then fun. My time was limited and there was still too much NW in the water for the Harbor. I cruised to Emma Wood. My boy Keoni and fellow J7 team rider was hanging in the lot. It was side shore offshore but lots of left and right bowls all over the place and there were barrels. I talked him into paddling. On my second wave I got one of the better backside barrels I have made in a while and got spit out. It was super fun and right when I had to get out to go to work the place got mobbed by a grew of super groms. Timing is everything in life.
11/29/11 AM Session: 3-5ft, Dredge
Time in the Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 9
Some days you should not leave your bed. Today was one of those days for me. I had a good night last night, cooked up spinach stuffed shells with a side of Italian seasoned balsamic braised portobello mushrooms. The court and I enjoyed an amazing bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon from the Columbia Valley, Washington State. I am constantly impressed by the taste and quality of Washington wines and the price is unbeatable. For whatever reason I got really depressed last night then had another funky dream. I was working for Sodexo but living in Boston. This fat Mexican lady I work with at Westmont who does not speak English, knows I don’t speak spanish yet decides to have full 30 minute conversations with me in Spanish while I am on my break trying to read everyday (that is real) was telling me in English the key to happiness in life, but unfortunately I do not remember any details. I know I was a bit disturbed when I woke from it. I was really looking forward to surfing Rincon, but when Lindsay and I got there the place was mobbed and waves not that good. With the tide and swell I was banking on some fun Emma Wood, but that too was far from fun and a bit more crowded then I would have liked. I car surfed to Ventura Harbor although I knew it was most likely too walled. I ended up at Dredge wondering if I could rig up the zip line off the pirate ship on the play ground there to be a hanging device. Then a solid set came in and with a light crowd and semi clean conditions it was on. As soon as I put on my suit the wind went off shore and Adam Virs showed up with all his cronies. I got a few but mostly it was inconsistent or closed out. On my second to last wave I landed a free fall reo and re-hurt my foot. Good times. When I got back to the zip line there were a few little kids playing on it and I thought it would be selfish of me to ruin their childhood and possible lives with the mental picture of my caucus hanging from their play ground. Guess I will have to go back to working on that trunk guillotine idea.
11/28/11 AM Session: 2-4ft, New Jetty
Waves Surfed: 24
Time in Water: 2hrs 10mins
All the forecasts pointed to a steady rise in NW groundswell. Pumped I figured I would get a high tide beach break session in then back it up with a point session in the afternoon. All the points were flat on the way down indicating that the swell had yet to show. New Jetty had windy lefts and rights up and down the beach with only about 25 guys spread out. I had just gotten a new board from J7 Surfboards and wanted to get a feel for it. If you have been reading for a while or known me for some time you know how much of a love hate relationship I have with new boards. When I used to buy over twenty boards a year I was bit more picky. These days I keep an open mind when learning a new board. It is my usual 5’10 template but with a slightly fuller volume distribution in the bottom half of the board. All I can say is the board felt good, especially in the air. I cant wait to try it at Rincon.
11/27/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Emma Wood
Waves Surfed: 33
Time in Water: 1hr, 15min
Why does everyone surf. I am so over crowds everywhere I go these days. I pulled up a New Jetty expecting a light crowd since it was a Sunday morning after a great run of swell and high tide. As I came over the dunes I was mortified by the amount of heads that spanned the small stretch of lineup. On the way down I noticed Emma Wood had a light crowd and decided to go there. It started off a little slow but as the tide filled in things began to pick up rather steadily. I rode my rooster board since I messed up my Alfie board over the rocks at Sharks on Friday. If I don’t destroy it in a drunken fit of rage I will fix it soon. The rooster although a bit heavy from all the extensive repairs felt good and I was surfing well. Kooky was a bit frustrated not fully understanding the tricky bowls Emma had on offer. I managed to finagle a really fun double up barrel. It was a beautiful morning, the water was clear blue, the Islands were lit up from the morning sun. Days like that are rare for me as of late, you know the ones where you feel absolutely blessed to be alive.
11/26/11 No Surfing: 3-4ft
I wanted to go surfing this morning. I woke up at like 7:15 and decided to hit the snooze button. What ensued after was a crazy dream where I was at the Wild Cat, then threw an after party at my place. Everyone showed, but the party was not at my apartment but at my parents old Long Branch house they owned when I was a kid. From there I went to some other party where I met this beautiful woman. She had long red hair with a blond streak down the middle and was wearing an elegant black dress with a slit up the leg. We had this love at first sight connection. Then all of a sudden she floated away from me and I was getting chased down a side walk by two guys on fixed gear bikes. I could not get away and they could not catch me cause the side walk was a tread mill. Then I woke up nearly an hour late. I still had enough time to run to Rincon, but upon getting out of bed I noticed Alfie had shit and vomited all over my apartment because he ate over a pound of pizza dough the night before. By the time I cleaned that up I only had enough time to surf Hammonds which was absolute shit. FML.
11/25/11 PM Session2: 1-3+ft, Sharks Cove
Time in Water: 2.5hrs
Waves Surfed: 32
We were on our way to battle the immense crowds down south, when Kooky spotted out some waves breaking at Sharks. I knew it would be a bit smaller there, but no one was out and I love that wave. The place is so rip-able and its right here in town. We decided to go for it. Four other guys joined us crushing my hopes of a solo session, but I knew one of them and everyone took turns and was mellow. It was a bit smaller then I would have liked. Only about waist to occasional chest, but it was perfect. I had a ton of really fun waves out there and it was just the mellow session in the midst of a hectic weekend I was looking for.
11/25/11 PM Session1: 1-2ft, Sand Spit
Time in Water: 20mins
Waves Surfed: 2
I hate when I make a bad call based on bias emotion against my better instincts. Kooky and I were out on the pier checking sand bar and it was micro machines. Then as we were driving off I saw a seven wave chest high set peel down the point that sent me running home to grab my gear. Well in that time span the wind changed direction and the tide got too low. By the time I got out there it was all drained out and barely waist high. Hoping there would still be a set or two I jumped in anyway. It was a waste. A wise man knows when to throw in the towel. Being it was still early there was plenty of time to lurk out another break.
11/24/11 PM Session: 4-7+ft, Little Rincon
Time in Water: 2hrs
Waves Surfed: 27
Oh another Turkey day west swell. I wanted to surf Rincon but is was over 300 hundred heads strong. I tried a gamble and lost with El Capitan. Little Rincon had a decent enough wave with only about thirty or so guys on it. It was a bit stretched and racy, but there were some good ones. I was having a good time till I went on this dude who was clearly not going to make the section he pulled into. Kooky said he was falling as I dropped into it. The guy paddles over to me and tells me “If you do that again I am going to break something on you”. “Were you really going to make it” I replied. “Thats not your call to make” he said. “No it was the waves call and it was not having it” I retorted. He got mad and told me that when he is on a wave I don’t go. I apologized and left it alone. Then he deliberately burned me on my next wave to prove a point. The old Chris would have gone into the beach. Went to my car, got the tire iron out of my trunk and beat the bejesus out of him. The new Chris just took a deep breath and let it go. Whatever I got a wave from the hotel at Mussel Shoals all the way to the beach break at the bottom of the highway. We clocked it in the car on the way home and it was just under 7/8ths of a mile. Never done something like that there. My legs hurt so bad by the end of it I could barely turn.
11/23/11 PM Session: 2-3ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 21
I woke up at 11:30 with a headache and a half and felt as if my whole entire body was toxic with lingering booze. My buddy Landon, ex-frat member from back in the day called me at around 8pm Tuesday night and said he was about an hour away from SB and that we were going to hit the town. Tuesday night is a tough night in downtown, but I knew I could find some type of party. All I can say is what little I can remember is shots and more shots and at one point I had this little blonde chick full on dry humping me on the dance floor. Then she jumped on me and locked her legs around my torso and went crazy. I always wondered why I blacked out so often when I lived with Landon. The guy loves taking shots all night long. I ran some errands, picked up my new board from J7 and then ate some breakfast. Kooky and I were going over my friend Angers house for deep fried Turkey down in Oxnard and left early to get some waves. All my usual haunts were shit either fucked with the tide, wind or lack of swell. Since Angers lives right near Strand I figured why not check it out. There were some fun little peaky bowls up and down the beach. I must admit it was rather fun. First time I surfed Strand in four years. The last time I was there the guy I went with pissed off some locals. They proceeded to throw a cinder block through his back windshield then beat the fuck out of him ending up in the hospital. That is why I do not surf Silver Strand.
11/22/11 AM Session: 1-3ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 8
Monday night I hosted a large dinner party. I cooked eggplant parmigiana over angle hair pasta in my homemade marinara sauce. Not to mention fresh garlic bread, which I baked myself for my baking final that afternoon. Everyone had an amazing time and we killed six bottles of wine and a half bottle of port between us. Needless to say I woke up a little slow. My roommate Ryan left before me and checked Hammonds. It was a no go. Then we cruised to Rincon which looked a bit on the small side to me. We saw a couple of waist high maybe stomach high waves up top. I was going to cruise to La Conchita but then Ryan convinced me to stay and grovel with him. As he put it “you can spend the gas money you save on a bottle of wine”. It was deplorable. I forced out eight waves, floated around the point a bit. The air was just about 70, the sky was crystal clear, the water dark blue. You could see the Islands perfectly and it was just one of those days where the pure vista made one happy to be alive. Did I mention I found three pieces of sea glass on the walk home, score.
11/21/11 AM Session: 3-5+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 3hrs
Waves Surfed: 23
I love bounce back swells. This one hit the Islands and came upon us at a perfect angle. There was a dropping tide and light winds. Rincon was flawless. When I first got out there I was in the cove with about 30 people. An hour later I was sharing the place with a solid 200 crowd spread the entire point. I had some great ones. I got burned on some that would have been great ones and I burned a few along the way. Classic Rincon. I did stick on huge six foot long gap air that I totally cleared an entire section on. I had a near 540 as well but landed on the back too far on the shoulder to ride it out. Minus the crowd I was stoked.
11/20/11 No Surfing: 1-3ft
I woke up and it was cold and rainy. I was super hung over from the previous night of drinking. Got up to take a piss and the chicken was in the bathroom. The boys brought her in because of all the cold and rain. Its a fucking chicken that was initially suppose to be food. I guess she is a pet know. Then I looked out my back yard window and saw the surfboard I destroyed in a drunken fit of rage that was with out a doubt Adrienne related. All I want to know is why? Whatever, I vowed to myself as I sat there staring at my stupidity that I would not let this control me anymore. Time will tell.
11/19/11 No Surfing: 2-3ft
Last night went strange. It all happened so fast. I was out at the Wild Cat having a great time. Kooky and I decided to make it an AMF night for old times sake. We had been talking about it for sometime. There were tons of people out, all the regulars and pretty girls everywhere. I thought this would be the night to break my 47 day streak. Things were looking up. Then out of no where she walked in. I felt bit like Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca “of all the gin joints in all the world she has to walk into mine”. Not fifi, no I would have been ok with that. I mean the Kitty was her bar too and she introduced me to the place in the first place. It was the other one. The reason I am so messed up these days. Maybe the greatest love of my life? There she was in front of me in the same little black dress she wore the first night I met her. My heart sunk. We stared at each other for minutes almost as if we had the ability to see through the other. I was double fisted with Kooky’s and my own Adios’. She grabbed one and took a sip then handed the glass back to me. I said “hows it going” like an idiot. She was drunk I could tell. We spent enough time together that I could tell by her face. At that moment it was like no time had passed at all. Then she said “I’m so sorry”. She turned and walked away. I yelled “wait”, she looked back momentarily and disappeared into the dark void of the club. I left shortly after. Took a cab home and called her. I was surprised when she picked up. I cant tell you what we talked about, the second AMF kicked in and I blacked the conversation out. The cabbied told me he had been married 10 years and that love was hard. But if I truly loved her I should try and make it work. I tipped him five bucks went home and cried myself to sleep.
11/18/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves surfed: 21
Finally we had a break from the pro show today. The line up was still crowded but with commoners and locals. Wind was offshore and there was the occasional chest high set although a bit walled. There were plenty of good waves every where except for where I was. I would be sitting in one spot and then the set would come someplace else, paddle there and then it would come in where I just was. I hate those sessions. None the less I still managed to stick a bs full rotation air reverse three ally-oops and almost brought down a backside 540.
11/17/11 AM Session: 2-3+ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 30
I got a surprise call from Lindsay this morning telling me she was going to pick me up to go surf. Last I checked she did not have a car. Turns out her parents gave her it for her Birthday coming up this weekend. Good for her. Good for me cause now she can split the driving with me. New Jetty was once again shit house crowded with a bunch of super groms and minor local pros and their subsequent paparazzi. It was still the best bet in town so we paddled it. The crowd was definitely frustrating but there was a bit more swell then yesterday and after a few off the Jetty I just migrated with my boy Dave to the cheap seats where I managed to stick a full rotation backside air reverse that made the session for me.
11/16/11 AM Session:2-3ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1hr, 15mins
Waves Surfed: 19
I think I am going to have to start calling New Jetty, New Lowers considering how stupid the crowd has been as of late. It was not even all that good today and the place was still shit house packed. I met my boys Dave and Ryan there for a grovel session. The crowd left a bad taste in mouth on the session to say the least. I did manage to stick a few ally-oops and a sick frontside stale fish air. For what ever reason I have been surfing really well lately.
11/15/11 AM Session: 2-3+ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 2hrs, 15mins
Waves Surfed: 33
Although the surf forecast was calling for less swell today the opposite actually held true. Conditions were a slight bit bigger and cleaner then yesterday. Today I was not drunk or hung over. I was on the other hand still a bit handicapped courtesy of a toe injury I incurred yesterday while attempting to force a stick on a front side air reverse. Unfortunately the place was shit house packed again with three cameras on the beach. Pros Parker Coffin and Sean Hayes were out adding to the already annoying circus. To avoid the crowd I decided to surf the poor man’s peak closer to South Jetty where I finagled a bunch of fun waves and despite the toe managed a few good sticks. My boys Dave, Ryan, Angers and Gordo were out with a few other regulars I enjoy surfing with. All and all with the exception of the crowd I would say it was good times.
11/14/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 2hrs
Waves Surfed: 34
God I was fucking hung over today. I was so drunk while driving to surf I do not even know how I got there. Sunday night at the Wild Cat fucked me up. I went out to have a good time and ended up blacking out the majority of the evening. From what I was told I made a fool of myself flailing in a dance circle, got into an argument about how the Dolorian was the best time machine ever, and drank a tall completely filled with rum. Awesome. Somehow though I still stuck nearly verything I went for in the water. Then after I surfed I was sitting in the parking lot deciding whether or not I was going to vomit while watching a pack of crows fight a pack of sea gulls for a loaf of bread. It was really entertaining. FYI I did not vomit, but hated my life for the entire day and all through baking class.
11/13/11 AM Session: 2-4+ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 17
I have been on a role lately in the scoring fun surf department and even downtown. Last night was one of the more fun nights I have had at the Kitty in a long time. Then to wake up and find really fun chest to head high waves at New Jetty was awesome. The crowd on the other hand was a bit obnoxious even for a Sunday. Still I managed to get some fun ones. Let me stress the word some cause between the crowd and annoying lulls I got less then I would have liked. I made the best of what I caught and for whatever reason stuck just about everything I went for including an accidental body varial to air reverse backside. I don’t know how it happened or how I did it but I really wish I got it on video cause I know I am most likely never going to do it again. Whatever, I will take this session to the bank.
11/12/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Gold Coast
Time in Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 21
I wanted to go to Rincon but after further inspection the wind was bad and swell had dropped a ton. The tide was really high and my time was limited. I figured Gold Coast would be fun. Unfortunately it was a bit smaller then I would have liked. Kooky had not surfed in a few days so he got dressed and ran out there. I contemplated sleeping in the car while he surfed, but Sgt. Slaughter rules applied “either we go or no one goes”. I jumped in and as it turned out it was like really fun New Jersey. I ended up frothing and snagged some really fun barrels, stuck a good alley oop. All and all it was one of those days where you think you are going to hate it and then just have a ball.
11/11/11 AM Session: 3-5+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 14
Before I went out last night the buoys were barely reading 3ft. Not expecting to surf I went out and got fucked up. Well everyone who has ever been on a surf trip knows about the benefits of a drunken sacrifice. I have knowingly and voluntarily been that sacrificial lamb in order to score. Today’s was just inadvertent stupidity in action. I woke up to a phone call from my boy Angers telling me I better check the models cause it was reading 8ft at 17 seconds from the WNW 287 degrees. That is a great swell direction and period for all the points. Still drunk I cruised to Rincon and sure enough although plagued by cross winds and high tide had potential. Besides I was out of time and needed to just paddle. I got out there and it was solid chest high with head high plus sets. The cross chop was annoying albeit dangerous. Whenever Rincon gets that south wind side chop it makes for a very dangerous session. I have hurt my back and my knee there in similar conditions. Some how I was just in the right position to snag some of the best waves of the session. If I was not drunk it could have been a magic session. I hate drinking, yet love it too, damn paradoxes. I ended up getting hit harder then I have in a long time on a bomb through the River Mouth. I had a few turns then went straight up for the money turn. It was big tail free, but as I was free falling back in about five feet I realized my feet were no longer on my board. I free fell onto my board and then got wrecked by the lip. I hit my arm on my board pretty hard and got the wind knocked out of me. I did four drifts running from Indy’s all the way to the call box. I call boxed three solid ones from high cove. If it was clean and I was sober it would have been all time.
11/10/11 No Surfing: 1-2ft
I think pretty much the whole California Coast south of point conception was pretty flat today. I could have found a waist high wave some place, but lacked the care considering all the great sessions I have been scoring. It slept in till 11am and went to work. I knew I was going to charge the Kitty that night and figured it would be nice to get some rest. Read the latest Kooky’s Korner for those details. Meanwhile on the right coast back in NJ it was firing. Good on them they can have a good day cause Rincon should be on this weekend.
11/9/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 20
It was small sauce as I stood on the dunes with my boy Ryan checking it. I had not surfed with him in a while and still there was the occasional inconsistent chest to head peak. We paddled out followed by my boy Dave. The session was marginal at best. Conditions were nice with off shore winds but it was a bit weaker then I would have liked and a bit on the crowded side. Not to mention my back hurt a bit. That is the problem with getting old, all the aches and pains that you have from doing the same shit that was not problem five years ago. Imagine how much shit will suck when I am forty? I had one backside barrel that would have been money but got pinched just before coming out. I got a few despite the conditions.
11/8/11 AM Session: 2-3ft, Oxnard Shores
Time in Water: 2hrs 15mins
Waves Surfed: 51
Once again New Jetty was shit house packed. After yesterday’s success Lindsay (who has been benefiting on poor Kooky’s shitty hours at his new Job, 7am-2pm:( its the pits) and I did not hesitate to run back to the shores yet again. Sure enough although a bit smaller there were still some throaty ones rolling in and the wind was straight off shore making it look like one of those especially fun winter time Jersey days except the water was about 53 F and the air around the mid 60’s. I got a little excited and tipped off a few friends a bit prematurely. Angers showed up and with the high tide it was a bit inconsistent and he is never as frothy as me so I was a bit embarrassed for dragging him out of bed. That being said I got a handful of deep front side barrels that I came out of. Then I stuck one of the biggest ally-oops I have pulled in a while, followed by a flawless backside air reverse on my next wave, followed by a huge fs indy grab. Then I snagged a head high right that I hacked the shit out of three times Bobby style. Then the tide dropped and it got a bit walled but there were still some really really good ones. I got out as a result of pure exhaustion. That has been three really great sessions in a row. I guess the surf gods are smiling on me after my 10 day sacrifice.
11/7/11 AM Session: 2-4+ft, Oxnard Shores
Time in Water: 2hrs
Waves Surfed: 28
Oooo there is nothing I love more then a good old fashioned barrel fest. Not only that but a Hatteras style barrel fest. Lindsay and I pulled up to New Jetty and it was crowded, at least thirty guys deep. Lakey Perterson was out with her little grom crew and camera. The whole place was a scene. On top of that it was a bit walled and wonky. Not nearly as good as the previous day. I noticed the wind was trying to go offshore and with plenty of combo swell still in the water, plus a dropping low tide I made the call to try the shores. The place loves such conditions. I pulled up to the closest spot to Ventura. There was some movie being filmed up on the beach with all their stupid Hollywood hoopla. Right in front looked marginal at best. Then I looked down the beach and was pretty sure I saw spitting barrels. Upon driving a few blocks south my eyes had not deceived me. All I could see in every direction was left and right bowls unloading on a shallow sand bar. I am talking throaty double ups. I got my ass seriously kicked by a few I did not make it out of. The crowd was about twenty strong but spread among an endless amount of peaks. Bobby was surfing the peak next to me just getting absolutely pitted off his skull. I had my share as well. It was a fucking great session. It lasted a solid two hours before the wind came up. What a session.
11/6/11 AM Session: 2-4+ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 1hr 45min
Waves Surfed: 27
Hooray for me I went surfing this morning. Its about friggin time too. I mean besides being a bit ill I basically sat out the last ten days voluntarily. Well hopefully this will get the ball rolling for me again and not just in surfing but maybe life as well? I don’t really know. As far as the surf session went it turned out being sick, chest to head high with bigger sets, off shore winds and fun left and right peaks all over the place . The only down side was the crowd was rather heavy being that it was Sunday, sunny and everyone was up early thanks to the time change. Still there were plenty. Kooky drew first blood and kept pace the entire session. It seemed like the guy was always on a good one. I was slow to get my rhythm but then snagged some really good left pits, stuck a nice ally-oop and a few other airs. Sean Hayes was out and managed to get the barrel of the day. Bobby Martinez paddled out towards the end of the session and just started going for these crazy huge rotations. Although he did not make any it was still sick to watch the guy. Good times.
11/5/11 No Surfing: 2-4ft
I really did have intentions on surfing this morning, but then I got shit faced at the Wild Cat. I woke up at ten already late to work. Then I could not find my car keys, not making it in till 11:30 nearly an hour and a half late. Go me. I am really moving up in life.
11/4/11 No Surfing: 1-3ft
I checked the buoys, things looked less then optimal and I still was not feeling 100%. So I left it out. I have not surfed so long now I don’t even care.
11/3/11 No Surfing: 1-3ft
I wanted to surf today, but just could not find the motivation. I think I was healthy enough although still somewhat lack luster. Conditions were a bit small and I was not so eager I guess. I bet New Jetty was decent with some combo action. Tomorrow I am going to force myself to surf and end this whatever streak I am on at the moment.
11/2/11 No Surfing: 2-3ft
I woke up feeling a bit better this morning but considering the swell was a bit steep and wind wrong for Rincon I opted to sleep in giving me the best odds possible to make it through another arduous day at work.
11/1/11 No Surfing: 1-3ft
Another day spent between my bed and the couch. One thing I would have to say I did accomplish was getting to the bank and paying my rent. My boys and I will not be homeless this month. I hate being sick. The last time I was this ill was nearly three years ago. If I am to die I hope it comes soon.
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