Surfing Ruined My Life

February 2012 Surf Sessions

2/29/12 No Surfing: 2-3ft
Kooky and I drove all over looking for waves.  New Jetty was average and dirty, River Mouth all walled, Dredge mushy and hard to line up and finally Emma Wood and north way too small.  Instead we went to the Ventura swap meet where I scored 10 VHS for $1. Hooray for out of date technology.  I also got a really classy set of brass candle stick holders for $3.  The guy wanted five but I talked him down.  Good fun.

2/28/12 AM Session: 2-3+ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves surfed: 30
Oh spring time how early you have decided to come this year.  After three very windy days in a row this morning I was graced with the devil wind, SW.  Rincon sucked and so did every place else.  I was about to bag it when I decided to check Emma on a last ditch effort.  Turns out it was the right move.  Kooky and I pulled up to chest high plus heaving, spitting double up barrels groomed by side shore/offshore winds.  Kyle decided to do a bit of filming rather then surf this morning currently being plagued with a cold.  Not wanting to get full on sick for his New Zealand endeavors he chilled and shot some photos of me.  I was a bit stoked since I have not had any real photo shots since my old photog Dave moved to Orange County.   Turns out the condition were a bit trickier then they looked.  I still got a few good ones and one deep ass front side tube.  Stay tuned for the shots from the session to be posted in a blog.

2/27/12 PM Session: 1-2+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 11
Well last night was a shit show!  What did I do you ask?  Shit man if you have to ask that then you must never read this blog.  If you did then you know that I never miss a Sunday night at the Wild Cat.  Its the best night of the week at the gnarliest club in Santa Barbara.  Last night did not disappoint.  It was Dave’s last hours in Santa Barbara after a month in Lisanti and Kooky’s last night out being he leaves for New Zealand on Wednesday.  I don’t think I need to tell how hard we went.  All I can say is the heavy drinks and shots kept flowing.  There was tequila, followed by more tequila followed by 151 with plenty of tall rum and cokes in between.   We all got hammered.  I fell down at least twice on my stumble home.  Dave drunk ate my lasagna I had saved for my lunch today from work.  I passed out on the couch and did not wake up till 10:30am this morning, then went to my bed and slept till 1:30.  I skipped class thanks to the rancid hang over which as I write this still is with me.  Kooky and I mustered up the strength to give a look down the coast.  Rincon was super tiny, but there were all these little grommies on it and at 4feet tall and under eighty pounds the waves looked rather fun on them thus stoking me to surf.  I always forget that I am not their size and as a result get stuck surfing a lot of really small days.  Damn grom effect.  Anyhow I did manage to catch a few ok ones, but over all it was cold windy and small.  I should have went to Emma Wood.

2/26/12 AM Session: 2-3+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5hrs
Waves Surfed: 20
I was not even thinking about surfing Rincon till I noticed that Santa Claus had waves.  Sure enough Rincon was fun as shit. I was on too.  I mean out of twenty waves at least more then half could have been video clips if someone was filming.  surfed from Indicator all the way down through Cove three times.  There were barrels, air sections and the crowd was as light as they come.  I had a ball.  Last night we finished carpeting my room, meaning the apartment is finally finished.  

2/25/12 No Surfing: 1-3ft
Super tiny surf had me scouring the coast for waves to no avail.  I got as far as Emma Wood then turned around defeated.  Then I heard that the swell filled in with the incoming tide and that Rincon got fun.  Too bad I had to work.

2/24/12 No Surfing: 2-4ft
I got shit housed at the Wild Cat last night, what else is new.   I actually met a rather cool older women whom I was hitting it off with till her friend became a bitch and left Dave and I both double fisted.  It became a shit show real fast.  Dave threw up. I passed out on the couch.  Thus no surfing.  Woot

2/23/12 PM Session: 2-3ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1.5hrs
Waves Surfed: 28
We were suppose to finish the carpeting this afternoon, but luckily for me Home Depot did not get what I needed in.  On that note it was off to Rincon after work to meet a fresh 305 NW swell.  It was a bit steep, but with the extreme low tide and oil glass conditions the cove was alright although a bit on the small side and sectiony.   Did I mention there were twenty guys on it at best.  I was feeling rather good out there too.  I boosted a handful of different backside airs and stuck two air reverses.  Somehow I snagged a nice barrel too.  Kooky pulled into the biggest barrel I saw all day only to get eaten alive by it.  It was a damn fine session.   

2/22/12 AM Session: 1-3+ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 2hrs
Waves Surfed: 42
Kooky, Dave and I  cruised back to Emma again today for more high tide small surf fun.  At first I got a few really great lefts. Then the tide began to drop, the wind picked up, the crowd got on it causing the situation to steadily deteriorate.  Dave was killing it.  I got my share.  Kooky had a few too I think.  We were all a bit behind the eight ball thanks to tearing it up downtown for Mardi Gras.  There was not much to report besides a stupid bead competition where these three retarded girls had some many beads over their heads one would have though they may have gotten suffocated.  I met this chick at the very end of the night at Sand Bar by accident.  As I was walking out I took the beads I was wearing off my head and put them around hers being the usual obnoxious prick I am.  We started talking and I must say I found her to be most interesting.   Of course like the bone head I am I did not get her phone number and the odds of bumping into here again are slim since I never go to the Sand Bar and I have never seen her before so I know she does not frequent the Kitty.  Plus she is a UCB girl  and lives in IV even lessening the chances of our paths ever crossing again.  Oh well.

2/21/12 AM Session: 1-3+ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 24
I needed to surf this morning.  I had to surf this morning.  There is a lot that is unclear to me at the moment and it is beginning to take a toll on my psyche.  Surfing always helps to clear my head for a while.  Dave and I cruised to New Jetty as a result of high tide and minimal swell.  It sucked there so we went back to Emma Wood for what we hoped would be some ride able waves.  Turns out there were some small but fun lefts coming in off the life guard tower.  I am not going to lie minus the size it was decent Emma Wood.  Dave and I put on a clinic for the small crowd of kooks that were out.  It was a good initiation back into the water.  Hopefully there will be much more surfing to come for the rest of the year.

2/20/12 No Surfing: 2-4ft
I really planed on going surfing today, but then a chain reaction of a series of events all beginning at the Wild Cat around midnight lead to my plans going down the crapper.  First off my friend Ray shows up at my apartment at 3:30am needing to crash for the night after his after plans fell through.  I gave him the couch.  I had a few tequila shots and once again wasted yet another Sunday evening on what is most likely the absolute worst female for me at the moment.  I woke up around 11am feeling alright, no hangover and not really that sick.  Alcohol cured me?  Ok, probably not.  Any how I actually cooked some  breakfast for myself.  I think it is the first time I cooked something for myself in months.  These people were suppose to come look at a couch I am selling at 1pm, not showing till nearly 2:30.  Damn craigslisters.  Then I rolled to Home Depot to price out some carpeting.  The couch people decided that they wanted to buy my old white couch for $35 and were going to meet us at the palace at 4pm.  Surprise they did not show up till 5pm killing most of my surf time.  I still thought maybe I could make it to Rincon for a quickie before dark, but holiday traffic foiled that hope.  The boys and I went for a beach walk near Hammonds.  We also squeezed in 9 holes of indoor urban golf while waiting for the couch people to show.  FML!!!!!

2/19/12 No Surfing: 2-3f
I am slowly healing up.  I thought about doing a morning session but opted against it being that I knew I had to work dinner alone once again.  This illness has been driving me crazy but I think I have finally turned the corner.  If anything the whole endeavor has got me thinking about how important my health is in retro spec to all the other bull shit I have let get me down in life.   Fuck if you don’t have your health what do you have.   When I get healthy I am not going to waste surf sessions or any opportunity for that matter.

2/18/12 No Surfing: 2-3ft
Still sick but slowly getting better.  I had to go into work today since my partner in crime on the weekends Angers was also sick and after a brief phone debate we decided that I was the one in better health then the two of us to go in.  Tonight was my second completely solo dinner at Westmont.  Sure I was only feeding about 500 heads or so, but still I had to cook two menu entrees and sides.   I must say I handling things rather well.  I guess I am finally coming into my own as a cook, soon to be a chef!

2/17/12 No Surfing: 1-3ft
Another sick day.  Well at least it was small and I finally got some antibiotics in me.  I called out of work again needing some well deserved rest.  Can you believe I have not picked up a drink since last Sunday.  I guess I am really not such a big lush after all.  I had to see Adrienne today.  One of her W2’s was accidentally sent to my apartment.  I had been sitting on the thing for like two weeks not sure what to do about it.  Many told me to fuck her and trash it.  I am not about to do that.  I erased her phone number from my phone in a drunken tantrum one night so could not contact her that way.  Then I noticed her on face book and decided to hit her up about getting the thing to her.   She came and picked it up at the palace this evening.  It was nice to see her for however short of time it was.  I handled the situation well I think and afterward still feel alright.  I am done  being remorse over it all.  Our break up was her loss.  To be honest I at the moment really feel self affirmation being on my own.  Chris Lisanti is strong.

2/16/12 No Surfing: 2-3ft
Im still rather sick at the moment and you know when health keeps me out of the water things are not looking so good.  The boys went to Rincon and found some little nuggets although plagued by far too many long boarders.   Such is the plight of small ‘Con.  My new couches came today and I managed to score two really sweet wooden book shelves on Craigslist from this total milf for $50 for the set.  Now I once again have all my books out and have gotten rid of that horrendous green hutch I have been holding on to since my first days living in Santa Barbara.  Who would have thought furniture from meth addicts would last so long.  Its out on the street in front of my building now.   Hopefully someone will pick it up and give my trash a second chance.  “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure” after all.  Ironically I scored a bunch of sweet books from the side of the street up the block from me including, Orwell’s 1984, Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the D’urbervilles, The Portrait of Dorian Grey and other great titles.  Not going to lie my collection looked a little light on the new shelves.  Dave’s mom was nice enough to prescribe me some amoxicillin, although I am a little allergic to it, garnishing a rash it should help rid me of what ales.

2/15/12 No Surfing: 2-3ft
My health is still waning at the moment and as a result my stoke level diminished.   I am feeling rather under the weather at the moment.  Rincon was small with the occasional wave.  I was 60/40 on the idea of a paddle.  I was also waiting to hear back from this guy in Ventura about scoring some sweet couches for $400.  He got back to me and the session was bagged in the pursuit of new furniture for the palace.  Tomorrow my new couches will be delivered!!! Oh the Lisanti Palace is really beginning to take shape.

2/14/12 AM Session: 2-3ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr 20mins
Waves Surfed: 19
It took a lot of motivation to get me in the water as I looked at a rather drained out small wonky Rincon Cove.  Luckily for me I have a 22 year old Floridian frother living with me.  I actually did see a wave or two that interested me.  As usual I went out there, got my share and had an alright time despite being burned three times in a row.  Once by a kook another by an old guy on an 8ft short board who would not pull out regardless of my efforts and by some sponsored girl.  At least the chick apologized.  She was not bad looking maybe it was her ploy to get me to talk to her.  Sorry lady in the water it is all business. Then the wind went WSW and turned things to absolute shit.

2/13/12 PM Session: 2-3ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 10
Last night was a fun night at the cat.  Everyone was out and things went about as well as I could have hoped.   I had a mid day class, Dave and I rolled to check Hammonds around ten but it was average at best.  I was feeling a bit sluggish so we decided to wait till Kooky got out of work in the afternoon before getting a surf in.  Wind was super hard side shore leaving us no choice to but to go to Rincon.  It looked a bit weak and a bit smaller then I would have liked but there literally was no one out and I saw a few come through.  I ended up getting one really great one through the cove that I may have hit like twenty times.  Why cant the rest of my life make sense like surfing?

2/12/12 No Surfing: 3-5ft
I am disgusted yet at same time invigorated with my actions last night.  Lets just say that the Italian temper in me came out in me thanks to being completely disrespected by a close friend.  He knew better, I warned him.  It has taken so much effort and restraint to keep down the old poor disposition Chris Lisanti.  I must say he makes very few appearances except for when it completely warranted.  Because he comes out so rare all that pent up rage and aggression breaks out like the incredible hulk.   Did I over react a bit definitely and for that I must whole heartedly apologize.  Sunday morning I woke up a bit messed up.  One can not fight and expect to take a few good lickings himself.  I was in bad shape and needed to chill before work.  Kooky and Dave got some fun Rincon that evening.  So much for getting a handle on my life in 2012.

2/11/12 No Surfing: 3-5ft
Against my better judgement I decided to take Dave and the rest of the gang out on the town last night.  Still not completely healed up I knew it was a bad idea.  We got Dave good and trashed.  He had a ball “I love this place, anything goes here” referring to the Wild Cat.   I would have to agree with that.  I think Kooky and I could have lived with out the 151 shots.  The night ended with Sorbo and I scraping a passed out Dave off the bathroom floor and onto the couch.   The kid will learn soon how to hold his booze.  Woke this morning hung over as fuck and the wind was bad thus we had no problem sleeping in.

2/10/12 No Surfing: 3-4ft
I was still feeling a bit under the weather.  The boys and I checked Hammonds, but it was average at best with a stupid crowd for what was there.  Then we were going to desperation paddle when I realized I forgot my wet suit at home an issue that has been happening to me a bit too much these days.  We decided to go home and do the finishing touches on the Lisanti Palace. As of press time all of the trim and flooring is completed.  Hooray!

2/9/12 PM Session: 2-3+ft, El Capitan
Time in Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 14
So I lied a few hours ago.  Truth be told I really did not believe I was going to get in the water.  I was sick as a dog this morning and last night.  Then I took a vitamin C tablet and drank lots of tea.  By the afternoon the buoys were showing more surf for El Capitan and I was not about to miss out again.  So Dave, Kooky, Sorbo and I packed into the clown car or what I am now so enjoyably calling the royal coach and cruised to El Cap.  It was about chest to head high, a little drained out but still rather flawless.  I had a few good barrels and some real nice ones through the point.  That wave is incredible.  

2/9/12 No Surfing: 5-7ft
Yep its firing again today and I am sick.  I guess the cold finally got the better of me.  Well folks you heard it here first: even the Lisanti Tank breaks down on occasion.  As I write this I am sitting on my couch with a sore throat, achey body, think I was running a fever last night and chest congestion.  I called in sick to work and luckily Kooky was nice enough to go and cover for me.  Hopefully with over a day’s worth of rest I will feel better tomorrow.  I hate being sick. 😦

2/8/12 Am Session: 5-7+ft,  Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 10
I had a rough night.  I have been fighting off a cold the last few days and so has Sorbo.  It ended up getting the better of him and he was in bad shape.  The day before I got up to go to work and gave him my bed for the day.  When I got home he was still passed out in there.  Being the good friend I am I let him have it for the night and I took the couch.  I had a hard day at work and my back was hurting a bit and sleeping on the couch does not help the situation.  Between aches and pains and the cold I ended up maybe getting three hours of restless sleep.  I was in bad shape for he day.  I did make both my classes though.  In between my morning and afternoon I decided to roll to Rincon with Kooky and my boy Dave from Florida who just arrived out here on Monday and took a spot on the couch for a while.   Turns out although high Rincon was firing.  I was exhausted and got worked paddling out.  I ran into Pete from Ergophobia up at the river mouth prior to paddling out.  Most of the session I was just trying to stay awake.  On my last wave I got it from up at high river mouth to the call box, almost the length of the entire point and it was a bomb.  On that note I decided to quite.  Thanks to feeling sick I missed super good El Capitan in the avro.  Its ok I live here.  There will plenty of more fun days in my life time.

2/7/12 No Surfing: 1-3ft
Woke up and it was  all rainy, stormy, cold and small.  Had no problem sleeping in till work.

2/6/12 AM Session: 3-4+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2hrs
Waves surfed: 23
Still recovering from my Birthday celebration Sorbo and I got a late start.  It was fine since I wanted the tide to drop a bit anyhow.  Buoys showed enough swell for Rincon and to be honest lately that really has been the only wave I have had any interest to surf anyhow.  Not going to lie I have been feeling a bit down again these days.  Not like before, but it is definitely beginning to effect my demeanor and life.  I keep telling myself to shake it off, but at the moment I am a bit tormented with all kinds of conflicting thoughts on a few of different aspects of my life.  I need more time to stew on it before I can actualize what I am feeling in coherent text.  Hey at least I am still surfing, right?  Rincon looked less then desirable.  I was too lazy to bother looking any place else, thus decided to give it a paddle.  What a good decision that turned out to be.  I ended up getting a ton of fun ones.  The crowd was very light.  Sorbo got the longest wave I have ever seen him catch at Rincon to date.  If it was not so wonky out there with a strange side chop I may have been calling it full on epic.

2/5/12 No Surfing: 2-3ft
Did anyone really expect me to grab a surf the morning after my birthday celebration?  I sure hope not.  Think about how hard I went on a Tuesday for no good reason last week.  Imagine just the level of intoxication and subsequent insanity on my special day of the year.  First off let me thank those who made the trek out and apologize for my tardiness to my own party.  All I can say is that Sorbo’s train got in late and since he made the trek up from New Port just for the event I had to wait for him.  There were a few no shows that I have to say I was a little disappointed in.  You know who you are.  Hey whatever I guess I am just the better friend.  It was your loss.  We got slammed and everyone had a ball who made it out to the Kitty.  I have to say I could not have asked for a better time.  As far as the work day went.  Well lets just say I payed for the heavy party and three hours sleep.  Cooking food in a hot busy kitchen is a lot harder in such a state.   

2/4/12 AM Session: 2-3+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr, 45mins
Waves Surfed: 20
I have had a surf on my birthday almost every year since I was fifteen.  Today was not going to be an exception.  I had to get up a bit earlier then I normally do in order to take Kooky to work.  My plan was to either surf Emma Wood or New Jetty considering the swell, but really I wanted to surf Rincon.  I have surfed there my last five birthdays and on a few occasions got some of the best waves of my life.  The first birthday I surfed out there I was with Kelly Slater and my boy Cory.  I ended up getting the longest barrel of my life.  I noticed some small waves at Santa Claus and decided to make the gamble for ‘Con.  I pulled in the lot and a reliable friend of mine told me there was still some chest high waves coming through the cove, but a similar south chop from all the off shores in Oxnard and Ventura.  I suited and booted.   Cove looked a bit on the weak side, but as I came around the corner I saw a few solid ones up at Indicator.  Tony G was chilling at his rented house on his last day.  It was good to see him one last time before he shoved off back to Jersey.  His son James and I went up top and had a rather fun surf.  Nothing like a surf session to start off a birthday on the right track.

2/3/12 AM Session: 2-4+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 11
Had a late start this morning thanks to getting absolutely hammered at the Kitty with Kooky last night.  I do not remember much, but I know I hosted a small after party with the Jewish girl and her two gay friends.  She was not all that hot, but my gay friend Robbie once told me the only people to suck dick better then gay guys was Jewish girls.  With that in mind I was on it.  Nothing came of it though.  Apparently I drunk cooked an Italian dish and played all three of my Saxophones at some point in the wee hours of the morning.  My neighbors must really love me.  I cant believe I have not gotten evicted yet.  Although I do believe my upstairs neighbor is purposely loud at like 6am on all the mornings of the nights I rage.  Pay back is a bitch.  Rincon still had a little wave on it.  I suited and booted it.  There was a strange south bump on it thanks to all the ESE winds in Ventura and Oxnard making things a bit trickier then I would have liked.  It also did not help that I was still drunk.  Shit I threw up in the parking lot before I paddled out.  I did managed to snag a triple barrel up at the River Mouth and got a few nice ones in the cove.   

2/2/12 PM Session: 3-4+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2hrs
Waves Surfed: 16
Have I mentioned how much I love Rincon lately?  She may be a whore, but she is my whore and you know what she always has a little loving left for me after even the most exhausting of work days.  You know if I had the option of having Adrienne back and never surf Rincon again or the way things are right now I would have to say lets keep things status quot.  Fuck her she was a secret whore and had no real love for me.  Rincon on the other hand has shown me more love over the years then I can count.  You get one good one through the cove or even the river mouth and you will understand.  I had some real keepers today.  Kooky on the other hand got burned on everything.  Rincon will give it and Rincon will take it away.  Here is to more WNW stoke.

2/1/12 PM Session2: 3-5+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr 15mins
Waves Surfed: 11
Kooky and I ran down to Rincon for  a twilight session.  Crowd was rather light although the wind was a bit heavier.  Still the lines were good.  First half of the session I had a terrible time finding any good ones.  It does not help that currently I am a bit limited with my paddle capabilities courtesy of my back.  I am also surfing stiff as hell too.  Getting old is not easy, let me tell you.  Then in the last forty minutes I picked off three really good ones that I call boxed.  I would say it is a good way to start off the month. 

2/1/12 PM Session1: 3-5+ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 1hr
Waves Surfed: 8
Well Kooky and I decided to go out and get hammered for no apparent reason except to celebrate our coworker Steph’s birthday.  She ended up not showing up.  No need to fear we raged on with out her.  We got a late start and would have missed this session altogether if Angers had not called us and was claiming the Rincon.  He never claims points so with that in mind we were off to a surf before my 2:30pm class.   Turns out there were some really nice runners in the cove.  Unfortunately there was also a bit of south wind causing a slight chop and crumble to things.  I am also having some back pain due to being stupid at work and falling over while attempting to drunken climb the fence behind my apartment last night.  I managed to get one gem.