Surfing Ruined My Life

September 2013 Surf Session  

9-30-13 AM Session2: 2-3+ ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 40 mins
Waves Surfed: 10
I just could not end my morning on that New Jetty session.  At the same time I was not about to paddle out in conditions of that size leash less.  I decided to run over to Emma in my suit and get a few more.  It was glassy and about chest high there.  Odd shaped crossed up peaks up and down the beach.  Trevor was out and I joined him for a few more waves.  I ended up having a pretty good time for the average conditions and lack of time to surf.  On the way to work I noticed that Rincon was firing.  It may have been opening day. 

9-30-13 AM Session: 3-5+ ft, New Jetty
Time in Water: 30 mins
Waves Surfed: 6
After checking a less then stellar Emma Wood with Ryan we decided to bail to New Jetty to see how the south was showing there.  As it turns out the south was being heavily over powered by the new NW swell filling in.  It was solid over head with plenty of the usual New Jetty close outs.  The crowd was pretty on it as well.  There were some corners and  I was out of time before work.  I had not been out in waves of consequence in some time and I must say I forgot what really heavy surf was all about.  I had a few tubes.  Then I pulled into a left that I thought I had a 50/50 chance at so I stood and delivered.  As I was coming out I got hit with some wash and thought for sure my board was a goner.  Luckily the lip’s intensity only broke my leash.

9-29-13 No Surfing: 1-3 ft
Holy shit!? WTF!  How the heck did I end up so far into Fancytown last night?  SHOTS and lots of ’em, thats how.  So much for that mellow night out we planned.   Of course we did the after hours thing that luckily didn’t piss JP off.  Kristen woke me up passed out on the couch at around 9 so she could catch her train down south.  I checked the cam and it looked small thus I opted to sleep in.  My girl and I were suppose to chill tonight, then I had to work late and she was not feeling well thus we bagged it for possibly tomorrow.  I must say that I am excited to see her again and maybe make it work this time.  Why does my life epitomize Einstein’s definition of insanity?   

9-28-13 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves surfed: 23
After an interesting night at the Cat to say the least and least is really all there is worth saying I woke up and ran down to Emma for a surf before work.  There was suppose to be some new SW filling in and slowly fading NW.  Conditions were clean as could be, yet far smaller then I would have liked.  The steadily dropping tide was not helping things either.  I saw a few left barrels near the Life Guard Tower peak and over on the reef.  Right off the bat I had a few good ones.  Then it just completely turned off leaving me to do nothing but listen to the idiotic banter of the three micro groms around me.  Over it I bailed as Trevor was pulling up.  Later I would find out it got better with incoming. 

9-27-13 PM Session: 2-3+ ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 18
While at the Kitty with Fern and Bizarro, I was compelled to leave and go over to my ex’s house to see her.  I got less then the warm welcome I expected.  Shit it was 2 am and I was drunk babbling like an idiot, what should I have expected?  I did not make it back up to my pad until after 12 pm and was hurting pretty bad.  While assessing how big of an ass I am and the sham of a life I live (a usual next day hang over past time for me) there was a knock at the door.  Who was it but none other then my new German friend Mathieu wonder if I wanted to grab a surf and party later.  Of course I agreed to both.  We rolled south and there was tons of NW in the water.  I had a feeling Rincon would be fun but we passed it by and kept on cruising expecting way more swell at Emma.  Of course when ever I go against my instincts things always go adversely.  Emma was very average and very busy for what was out there.  We bolted back to Rincon and it was super fun.  I wouldn’t quite call it opening day, but it was the best Rincon I have surfed or seen since that freak swell in July.   OOOOOOOooooo its so nice that its finally NW season again. 

9-26-13 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 31
This morning I woke up early to grab a sess before taking Kristen up to the Valley for a little wine tasting and adventuring.  We stopped in at Beckmans, my favorite vineyard in the area and the solimier was very generous.  From there we kicked it around Los Olivios for a bit, before doing the begrudging Solvang thing.  Of course everyone but me loves that stupid tourist trap of a town.   We tried to catch the sunset at Surf Beach, but failed.  Emma Wood was average but ride-able.  Trevor and I paddled into an apparent pro show containing Adam Virs, Sean Hayes, Cory Arrimibide and every hot grom in the area.  I was surfing like shit and couldnt get anything off.  Still I found a few.  It was better then not surfing.  

9-25-13 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 30
Fuck, going to Fancytown on a Tuesday night was probably not the best of ideas, but Kristen is my guest and if that was the call then so be it.  We did the tourist thing downtown yesterday, State Street, The Presidido, The De La Vina House, The Fig Tree and the Court House Clock tower.  After which we decided to hit up Casa Blanca for happy hour and $10 all you can eat tacos.  Needless to say the night concluded at the Wild Cat.  Feed me alcohol and leave me less then two blocks from the Kitty where do you think I am going to end up?  I woke up a bit hung over this morning to say the least.  The wind was still down and some steep long period NW ground swell in the water.  I rolled to Emma feeling it was the best bet considering the time, tide and my level of tiredness.  Sure enough there as a fun wave.  Trevor was out on the North peak with a pack but there were plenty of peaks working and lots of corners with great kill-able sections.  I managed to stick one of the biggest full rotation bs air reverses of my life.  It was a fun sess for sure.  

9-24-13 AM Session: 1-3+ ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 28
Last night Kristen got into town.  Her, Bizarro and I made an appearance that the Cat for Ramone’s birthday party.  After which it was nice to catch up on a time in my life  long past.  I got up and it was a beautiful morning and wind light.  The buoy had some NW on it so I cruised to Emma.  The Currens were checking it in the lot and we all saw a really good set unload selling it.  Tom had this crazy huge single fin kook box paddle board thing he was riding.  Pat was killing it as usual.  I managed to stick a really nice BS air reverse right in front of Tom as he was paddling back out and he gave me a smile.  Trevor was also out groveling a few.  It was far from the best waves out there and the crowd got a bit intense towards the end, but I would say totally a fun little micro session.

9-23-13 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
What a night last night.  The Wild Cat Gay Prom Gatspy party finally came.  Bizarro and I did it in tuxedos.  The rest of the crew looked fly as well.  It got an amazing turn out and in my opinion was the best night out there since New years.  I had so much fun.  I blacked out the last half of the night, but hey sometimes you have to go big.  Needless to say I was not about to get out of bed to go grovel Emma Wood.  Ryan said the Strand  was fun.

9-22-13 AM Session: 1-3+ ft
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 23
Trevor was down on it.  I really  wanted to surf and figured “how bad can it possibly be”?  It was about as bad as surfing gets.  Small, weak, windy and crowded.  What a mistake.  I was also a bit tired and hung over adding to my frustration level.  Dane was out hating it as well.  Stilll it was fun to be in the water. Surfing is a source afterall and I am hoping will help me rediscover myself. At the moment I have been feeling a bit lost with things.  

9-21-13 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
Another supposedly “light night” of drinking turned into  a late night after party  with the Belgians and a bunch of French ladies in town for a bachelorette party.  From there things got gnarly as usual.  Blood was shed making it a grand old time.  JP got pissed as usual and threatened to move out.  What else is new.  I heard I didn’t miss much anyway in the water.  

9-20-13 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
Holy shit! So much for not going to Fancytown last night.  Bizarro and I headed out for a romp at the Kitty and got shit house wasted. End result we managed to bring home a Belgian punk rock band and rocked up with them till about 4 am.  Needless to say I was fucked up this morning.  Work sucked.  Back on it again tonight! WhoooooT!

9-19-13 AM Session: 2-3+ ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 14
There were some mighty fine waves coming in at Emma this morning.  Unfortunately with dropping swell, a six foot high tide and a very eager crowd getting some of those was a bit trying.  I had to work at 10 and was planning on going  in late conditions depending.  I found a few ok lefts and some alright rights.  Overall it was not worth getting bitched at by my boss about thus I bailed.  I saw Trevor get a decent left as I was changing.  It beat not surfing.

9-18-13 PM Session: 1-3 + ft, Rincon
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 19
I had my heart set on a point and thus I went to one.  For the record let me state that today was definately not opening day at Rincon.  The swell was way too steep making conditions marginal at best.  I started walking down the trail, which has been ruined by the high way expansion project, when I ran into a friend of  mine who told me it was short boardable up top.  Since the south bound entrace to the free way at bates was closed I figured why not paddle.  I got up there and things were very weak and far from what I would call average Rincon.  Still I managed to get a few and it definately wet my wistle for the up coming NW season.  I must say I am very out of Rincon shape.  I better get cracking if I am going to put on a good showing at opening day.

9-18-13 AM Session: 2-4 + ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 30 mins
Waves Surfed: 8
Lots of dilly dallying this morning left me getting down to Emma way later then I had wanted to.  I had an appointment back in town at 11:45 that I needed to keep.  I only had a half hour, but it was going off.  I jumped in and tried to froth.  Of course it was crowded and inconsistent.  Trevor managed a sick barrel he got swallowed up in right as I walked down.  I found a few really good ones and then managed a quick stand up tube on a left that sent me into  the beach running back to my car.  I had everything timed out perfectly.  That was until I got to the hill on the 101 between Summerland and Montecito.  The high was was stopped dead.  Its always congested there and figured I would lose ten minutes at best.  Turns out there was a gnarly accident near San Ysidro and the entire 101 North was closed at that point.  I was fucked.  So my session was blown and my appointment missed.  Should have just stayed in the water.  Where is that crystal ball when you need it?

9-17-13 PM Session: 3-4+ ft, Silver Strand
Time in Water: 2 hrs
Waves Surfed: 32
When I got out of the water I had the thought that Strand might be good considering all the NW swell getting in, the dropping tide and the light wind.  I called Ryan to see if he saw or heard anything.  He said that a buddy of his surfed it and had just gotten out claiming head high sets and fun at the Ship.  I was still hesitant to drive when this German dude came up to me and asked about the tide.  We got to talking and apparently the guy is from Munich and surfs the Ichen Bacah river wave nearly every day and goes on four month long surf adventures a year.  He had just came to California a few days ago.  I decided why not stoke the guy out with a fun Strand session.  We rolled and sure enough it was pretty damn good with five guys out.  The sand at the Ship is incredible right now.  It looked like left point off the rocks.  We frothed.  I managed a few deep tubes, a bunch of airs and some really good connections.  I am so glad that winter has finally come around.  My car didn’t get vandalized either!

9-17-13 AM Session: 2-4 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 2.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 46
What a surf.  As soon as I saw the line up I knew it was going to be a good session.  It was a little crowed, but super consistent with fun looking left and right bowls up and down the beach and solid chest high plus.  I got in and the water was colder then the previous day.  Luckily for me I decided to bring my warm wet suit since is was foggy, cold and shitty out when I woke up.  The Toll Booth peak was on again.  I was just slaying it.  Getting really good rights.  I tore a few lefts and managed a sick deep BS barrel.  I even stuck a few good airs.  Trevor showed up late as usual and we surfed the place till the tide got too low yet still very ride-able.  Best surf I have had in over six weeks!

9-16-13 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 17
With the same swell as yesterday, a full moon high tide and early NW winds all signs pointed once again to Emma Wood.  Apparently everyone else in the area got the same memo. Trevor paddled before me claiming it looked better then yesterday.  I had my doubts as car loads of people and everyone including Sean Hayes  showed up.  Ryan and I paddled none the less.  The water was colder and crowd although not super proficient was good enough to catch waves but novice enough to get in the way.  Lindsay showed up and I realized no wonder it was crowded.  My entire crew was there and so was everyone else’s.  I surfed like trash, not like the waves did anything to help since they were mostly flat and gutless.  Looks like more terrible waves all week.  Whoooooot!

9-15-13 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 31
I decided to stay in last night and get some well needed rest.  I was still tired, but up and able for a surf this morning.  It is the first NW of the season after all and although steep I still wanted to take advantage of it.  Strand was the call again.  Once again I had no time for that.  I went to Emma which had an adequate wave with a light crowd for a Sunday.  The Toll booth peak looked the best.  I ended up between Toll Booth and Life Guard Tower finding plenty of fun lefts and rights.  My second wave I somehow managed a solid BS barrel that was pure stoke.  I brought down a few good airs and almost a full rotation bs air reverse.  I hit so hard on the landing I could not hold it.  Overall I would say my performance and stoke level was high making it by far the best session of the September thus far.  Trevor came out and joined the party right as I was going to leave for work.  Lets hope that California will keep up the consistency at least. 

9-14-13 No Surfing: 3-4 ft
Maybe I don’t deserve to surf anymore since I always seen to blow it when there is waves.  Then again there really was not anything that great that I missed out of by over sleeping this morning.  The tide was a little fat early and NW very steep.  I heard Strand was not bad mid day of course I had work then.  I am sure the Harbor was rather closed out, C street mobbed and everything north small.  I checked Mesa Lane around 10 am but it was already too low and pretty small.  At the moment there is too much sand on the reef not allowing the wave to have any real shape.  As far as last night goes I got shit ass wasted at the Wild Cat followed by a drunken rampage walk home with Bizarro. Anyone who has had one of these treks with me knows exactly what that may entail.  

9-13-13 AM Session: 1-3 ft, Ventura Camp Grounds
Time in Water: 1 hr
Waves Surfed: 18
I knew there was going to be surf today and I was on it.  Out the door and in my car at 8am I headed for New Jetty.  I decided to check Emma Wood and it was tiny.  I got to the Harbor where I met Trevor and it was crowded as shit and closed out.  Over it we decided to cruise for a hail Mary at Camp Grounds and it was even worse shit.  So we went out and made the most out of the garbage on tap and had a good time doing since we were just two buds surfing all by ourselves enjoying the ocean.

9-12-13 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
Trevor hit me up claiming small by ride-able at New Jetty.   The buoys showed a little south.  I had work at ten so that was not going to happen.  Work sucked as usual which I suppose is how it is.  My plan was to cut out early but all the reports looked not worth so I decided to stay and milk out the last hour making balsamic vinaigrette badly and taking a shit for a half hour.  Good times.  Remember when my life used to be interesting?  Yeah, me either.  

9-11-13 No Surfing: Flat
I dont know whats going on here.  The lack of surf the past 6 weeks is absurd.  If this is some kind of sick joke I think it has gone on long enough.  Everyone here is about to go completely bonkers.  I woke up today with a serious hankering to make crepes.  It was not long before I was making batter, sauteing a spinach, onion, mushroom, tomato, goat cheese stuffing for my savory ones.  Meanwhile I was cooking down alone respectively, blue berries, raspberries, and black berries for the stuffing of the sweet ones.  It was most scrumptious and I earned my first plate of the Rachel Ray dinning set from Albertsons.  Only 85 more stamps to go before I earn all six!  Then I decided to take advantage of the flatness and give my apartment the deep cleaning it needed.  How exciting life is when there are no waves.  So much so I think I fell asleep while writing this.  Fuck it, Im getting drunk.  Oh and no I have not forgotten that over ten years ago the World Trade Center was brought down by a callous act of terrorism.  I saw it on the east coast first hand from the ocean and let me say shit was fucked up and my heart still sinks when I think of such a tragedy caused by people misunderstanding the differences between one another.   

9-10-13 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
More flatness left me besides myself today as did some terrible news regarding my family.  All I have to say is the party involved will not go unchecked.   As for me I got a notice first thing that my car was going to be repossessed if I did not come up with 500 bucks by Friday.  Some how I pulled that shit out of my ass.  Then I found out that my paycheck was all screwed up thanks to some bad accounting or pay roll or whatever cause Sodexo is the worst company to work for in the world.  At the moment I am totally spent on life. Looks like some swell for the weekend.

9-9-13 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
Flatness prevailed again this morning.  Trevor confirmed it and made my choice to sleep in a whole lot easier.  Bizarro and I decided against our better judgment to make an appearance at the drag show at Wild Cat last night.  Every one was out and despite being a bit on the tired side I would say it was a good time. 

9-8-13 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
Just when you thought it was safe to start enjoying surfing again it turns out we are not out of the woods at all.  Nope not even a little bit.  The great Californian flat spell continues on.  It was rather convenient for me considering that it was my friend Ashley’s birthday party Saturday night.  I am not going to lie I full on expected to travel into Fancytown.  It was premeditated and unavoidable.  The crew and I suited up and headed out.  We met up at her place for a quick shot and then it was off to EOS for bottle service.  The party was a bit lame since its participants were a bit partied out going since 3 pm.  My crew and I were fresh and rearing to go.  I guess at some point Bizarro and I caused a problem when we brought these two random bar chicks we know from the scene back to the party and proceeded to tap out one of the bottles.  From there it was all black out.  I guess we rolled to the Kitty at midnight and the night ended with a Euro after party at my place.  Now that is how you do Fancytown right.

9-7-13 No Surfing: 1-2 ft
My girl came over last night and we watched Bottle Shock, one of my favorite wine movies.  I planned on surfing in the morning.  Conditions were small and far from inviting.  I decided to just kick in bed with her.  Later at work I would find out everyone rolled to the Kitty while I was at home.  I blew it.  Whatever.

9-6-13 AM Session: 1-3 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr 15 mins
Waves Surfed: 21
I knew there was some windswell in the water and figured why not attack Emma Wood.  The tide was rising and it loves such conditions.   It looked pretty weak and crowded for what was coming in.  Over it I almost drove away when Ryan pulled up and talked me into a paddle.  Sure enough it was just as weak as I thought.  Lakey was out making the most of it.  I groveled a few.   My boys Garret and Trevor paddled.  I guess it was just another average day of surfing.  Hey at least I am surfing, right?

9-5-13 No Surfing: 1-3 ft
I wanted to surf this morning, but I had to work at 10am and over slept.  Not to mention I have been feeling a bit run down lately.  After work I did a dinner for my girl, her mom and her aunt or fresh cavatelli, an egg plant appetizer and caramelized pears over ice cream for dessert.  It went down without a hitch.  I just wish things with my girl were as good as my cooking.  Whatever.  After that I was so frustrated with my life I went to Wild Cat and put a few in me. Which leads me to right now… 

9-4-13 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Emma Wood
Time in Water: 1 hr 45 mins
Waves Surfed: 37
Last night I was fucking exhausted.  I had not surfed a double in a month or been in the sun for that many hours either.  End result I was all achy and no good to my girl  She had to split early in the morning for L.A. meanwhile I rolled back over and cut a few more zzz’s.  I got to Emma around 10 am and there was a little wind blown wave coming in with enough of a crowd for how bad it looked.  My boy Garrett was leaving as I pulled up and was down on it.  I almost ran back to Malibu when the crowd all left leaving the place nearly empty and I saw a few corners.  Rather then drive for marginally better surf I just jumped in.  At first it was way worse then it looked and super weak.  the tide began to drop and things slowly picked up.  Before I knew it I was getting some decent left bowls in front of the life guard tower while watching Mike McCabe working the right off the toll booth.  Lindsay came out with a surf lesson who didn’t get much of a lesson except what happend when you go down the beach when your a beginner with a friend who rips.  Translation: you get pounded as your friend rips it.  I managed a draining barrel off this double up left bowl which is the first real tube I have gotten in a month.  Far from good, but totally glad I am forcing myself to surf again. 

9-3-13 PM Session: 2-3 ft, Zeros, Malibu
Time in the Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves surfed: 27
“Zeros is for kooks” I laughed to myself thinking about how nothing scribbled on the side of a porta-potty wall could ever anything less then truth.  It was fitting that my summer season come to close at the same place it technically began.  I drove over in my wetsuit from Leo since it is just across the cove.  One thing I do like about both Leo and Zeros is how well they complement each other.  Zeros is a pseudo left point that breaks best on low tide, while Leo is a pseudo right point that breaks best on high tide.  I can get the best of both worlds in a matter of hours.  Of course at Leo the crowd is hell, while at Zeros its very manageable. I saw a few small but kill-able looking sets with very few guys on it.  I parked and paddled.  It was a bit on the weak side but the wedgy left with light side shore wind suited my surfing and I frothed on it.  I got nothing spectacular and had a few intimate rondevous with the rocks on the inside, but I would say it was worth the drive.   I needed a change of scenery.  

9-3-13 AM Session: 2-3 ft, Leo Carrillo, Malibu
Time in the Water: 1.5 hrs
Waves Surfed: 12
Don’t ask me how I ended up in Malibu this morning.  I think it all started when I saw a rogue chest high set peel through at New Jetty.  I would have paddled there except for the fact that it looked weak, there were way too many guys on it for what was there and the wind was threatening to come up.  I was just going to go back to Emma and have a shit grovel when I decided to jump on the 101 south instead.  Just like that I was heading to Malibu.  I barely surfed all last month and have been highly unmotivated to surf garbage.  I knew that at least at Malibu there was a chance of scoring quality waves.  Sure enough Leo had a fun wave with a light crowd.  I jumped in and got a few small but rip-able ones.  Then the crowd showed up in droves and of course they were all locals.  I was left scrapping for knee high dribblers before I drifted all the way inside to the close out section.  I resolved to not leave till I stuck one bs air.  It took three waves but I brought down a terrible phone book.  Frustrated I was not about to drive all the way back to the ‘Barb with a shit ass Leo sess.  Since the tide was dropping I figured I would just go to Zeros.

9-2-13 No Surfing: 1-3 ft
After missing Sunday I promised myself I was going to take it easy Sunday night, go to bed early and wake up and surf.  Then Trevor hit me up at work asking if I was going out.  I initially said I wasn’t.  Then he told me he was bumming on him and his girl breaking up and needed a night out to meet some chicks.  I can’t say no to a friend in need.  I suited up along with Bizarro and proceeded to find my way to Fancytown.  So much for saying “I am not going to get too drunk tonight”.  It was all over when my buddy Steve handed me a tequila shot.  At last call when my bartender asked if I wanted a crown shot for the road who was I to say no.  I woke up at 9 am with a head ache and very tired.  The cam and report looked weak and crowded.  I was over it.  Fuck surfing, its a stupid sport anyway. 

9-1-13 No Surfing: 2-3 ft
I knew there were finally waves and was all motivated to go surf.  Work sucked as usual on Saturday only I had a hangover to add on to it.  Man do I love working.  I got home and expected a mellow night with my girl.  Turns out she was not feeling very well.  That soon escalated to her having violent bouts of vomiting keeping me awake till around 2 am.  Finally I knowing I was of no help to her anyway said “I am going to sleep on the couch since I have work tomorrow.  If you need to go to the hospital wake me up and I will take you”.   I got terrible restless sleep and ultimately decided to bag the surf when looking at a way over crowded holiday weekend line up at C street.