Surf Dog Surf-a-Thon

September 17, North Beach in Del Mar

Register for the non-competitive surf-a-thon with proceeds benefitting the Helen Woodward Animal Center. My friend Little Miss N works there and I have a feeling this was her brilliant idea.

Bring your dogs for their own surf contest.

It sounds like fun and I might ask people to sign my pledge sheet -- donating per my wave count -- so if I wasn't already able to psyche myself out before, this certainly would do it! Oh, the pressure of knowing I'd have to go back to people and tell them how many waves I got in an hour!

How lazy am I?

Since I seem to have backed off being a daily surfer to a weekend warrior this year, and I haven't backed off the bacon in a similar ratio, my belly has seen the brunt of this choice. This is most apparent when I try to surf shorter boards. I had the opportunity to try out Sensei J's 6'1" Con Fish shaped by Bruce Grant today and I have to say it's a very stable board. I know this because I popped up reeeeeeal slooooooow and the board was waiting for my feet to land. If there were any shape to the waves today, I would know if I had any chance of turning the twin fin.

My biggest problem, though, was my endurance. After two waves and three paddle-outs, I was exhausted and overheated in my 3/2 fullsuit. Ever since trying them on my Costa Rica trip, I'd been idly looking for either a fish or a 10-foot board to add to the collection. I missed out on a 10-foot Boss recently, so now I'm in possession of a fish for the next week. Mostly, I'm going to be assessing how lazy I really am.

I brag about being a lazy surfer. I prefer steep drops at a beach break to paddling like mad for easy rollers at Sunset. I often make it out into the line-up without getting the top of my head wet because I won't battle set waves even in my eagerness to get out. I love the waves I've gotten where I've just leaned in and popped up without a paddle.

I am a lazy surfer. Edit that. I'm an OUT OF SHAPE lazy surfer.

So how can I possibly imagine owning a shortboard? Even if it is a fish?

Bounce back

I've been concentrating so much on nice waves and good rides, that I forgot that there are other things I like about surfing. One of those things happens to be doing stupid things and getting away with it. I surfed on Sunday because I told myself as long as the sun was shining in the morning, I'd be in the water. As I walked toward the water, the walled out set came through and I grew grumpy. But I noticed long lulls as I dawdled and paddled out between sets. Most of everything was closed out, but after my first left where I pulled the nose out as it slammed into the flats, I knew I was a-gonna have some fun. A few more crazy fast waves, a couple of attempted drops which resulted in somersaults with my board, and I was whooping like a mad-woman.

Best wave of the day was a frontside right that found me almost immediately in trim with a fast, but sweet shoulder. I saw the thing jacking up, so I thought it'd be safer down the face. Then I saw the backwash racing at me and I screeched as I bounced. What amazed me was I LANDED on my feet after the bounce!

Hi, I'm Grace, and I'm an adrenaline junkie.

You know you've been worked during a session when you find sand in your ears long after you've showered.

Newbies

I don't know what is wrong with me. A year ago in conditions like this, I would have gone out. I went to OP at 6am and saw a few shoulders until the clean-up set-waves the length of a football field came through. I drove to Sunset just for the drive-by and looksie. I knew I wouldn't be surfing with a hundred of my closest friends. I ended up walking out to the Pier for the first time this year and seeing waves with make-able shoulders popping up between the close-outs. The sun was out, I was there early enough not to deal with the meter, but I couldn't bring myself to suit up. Instead watched a couple of newbies (from Uncle Grant's report today: a photo of what amused me) -- a father and son duo, I think. I had passed them in the parking lot when I trundled toward the pier. The kid was propping up a shiny new fiberglass Doyle with no wax and the nose scraped the concrete on the ground. I know it's just a Doyle, but I cringed nonetheless.

I stayed long enough to watch them fumble with their boards out to sea. They went out right next to each other in the white water. I wondered whose loose board would knock out which person in the head. It's like watching NASCAR just to see if there's a car crash. I know we were all newbies once, but there are some common-sensical things you'd think people would do.

In a way, I envy the newbies. If I'd been less jaded and spoiled by nice waves last weekend, I would have gone out. But for some reason, even with the sun in the sky and the water a glassy blue, I couldn't muster up the motivation.