by Chanel Derrière » Wed Dec 08, 2021 9:56 am
Hi Doc.
C'mon Doc "GUT BACK" That might be the Major's best contribution yet.
Been getting harassed by my German neighbor to take him surfing. He's not a beginner but he's been on a three year hiatus parenting, losing his mind, mushroom hunting, recumbant riding and barefoot running in short shorts. Anyway, he got a new wettie on BF and insisted Sunday looked good, so I picked him up.
Non-Stop verbal diarrhea the whole way. I like the dude but holy hell I am no conversationalist in the morning. He covered everything except how his wife and kids are and the first question I always get from mine, ":So how are so and sos wife and kids?"
Anyway, we pull up and it looks glassy good. Maybe a foot overhead on the peak and some open shoulder high shoulders. I know better than to wait during a La Nina winter and tell him we are out there now. But he's pissing about with his oat meal and taking in the sights. Eventually, I tell him I am going surfing. Please lock my car up.
Easy paddle to some very fun but crowded peaks. Despite the crowd it was easy to find a your own zone for the most part. First wave I pulled in to a right hand tube but the sun angle destroyed any hope of a quick view of glory. So I focussed on the lefts which turned out to be long and workable. Gut backs were possible. I tried some conservatives back hand hacks and each time wish I'd tried harder. My 6'5" was feeling really good though. Carve city. A step up version of ML's Rad Ripper. I got if for solid winter surf but it also feels good on softer shoulders and unlike my last step up. Nice to see a board that performs as advertised. I should surf it more often. Swell started dropping after a couple of hours. Weaker waves but still fun.
Ran into ML after showering with Co-pilot Banke. I think ML was trying to tell me he was hungover... I liked Banke's pre-shower approach.
Anyway, prob 3 hours session. Not a huge wave count but linked enough turns to make me feel pretty good about surfing, my surfboard, and enduring all manner of manic convo from a barely sane Gemran co-pilot. Apparently, he paddled out. He said, he took off on a steep one, hit his head on the flats. I said, he will probably die on the HWY 6 on the way home with the slightest neck jolt. Next day, he tells me he has whiplash but he likes surfing again... here we go...
Yesterday, had to work off the work funk. Hit the North coast at HT. Texted the local matey who was just wrapping up... bad timing. Looked very fun for the Mid-twin but as the tide sucked out and the winds were more onshore than forecast, it got really funky... a lot of paddling and a lot of unpredictable waves but found enough diamonds in the rough to feel ok. One memorable left, let me link some turns on my back hand. Went in for the Gut Back and it turned into a really fun inside right (as it can do at that spot). The drive and response of the mid-twin was a good call but the LBs and Sups got all the good ones as early entry was essential.
Pink Floyd and Single Fin Logs.