Thursday, February 23, 2006

Bombing the Ditch

I took my board to school/work this morning with me. The board is some length unknown sector9. We have a ditch that the concrete goes up on both sides and the entire ditch slopes down as it goes down a hill. The slope is perfect for speed and the front part of the ditch is gental sloping walls while the middle to end get pretty steep and hairy. Sound like a wave? Well it feels just like one! I had a great session out there by myself today. First I was just getting a feel for the board again, doing big carves back down the face and into the bottom, pumping for speed for a return to the lip. Then as I got a little more comfortable, I started turning hard at the top into the bottom, all the while trying to stay as fluid as possible and make it look as good as possible haha. I tried to replicate my movements on a wave and get a better feel for my next waves (hopefully soon) so I can start being more aggressive in the water. At the top of the hill I started going big and pumping in the bottom and heading straight (vertical) up the face on the other side to follow through with a big tailslide at the last second to keep from launching the lip. Ahhhhhhhhh! Ill try and post some videos of this madness very soon, maybe I can get the crew out there this weekend for some shredding.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Damn Clark Foam

My hopes and dreams have been crushed! I have been checking out a brand new Al Merrick 6'2" Sashimi for quite a while now. Today I swung into the shop to have another look and maybe check out some other boards when BLAM! The prices on all Al Merricks have jumped 50-80 dollars! I know this doesnt seem like much, but now this board will not get anywhere close to my vehicle for less than 630 after tax and thats just ridiculous! My friend recently bought a used Surftech Robert August 9'6" for like 450, and its in primo condition. Anyways, I started looking at some other boards and I stumbled across a board maker I checked out once after seeing 2 of his boards in our shops. The brand is WaterCooled and I forget the name of the shaper, but they are based in Australia. So Im checking out the board, it has pretty much the same shape of the Sashimi, a good rocker, and a nice like winged swallow tail. It is designed for small surf to a couple of feet overhead, just like the Sashimi. The problem is, they only have 2, a 6'0" and a 6'4". DAMN! The price difference is 600+tax for Sashimi, and 350+tax for Watercooled. I could deal with the size and just ride a 6'0" but, the watercooled is much thinner, like most australian boards I have seen. This worries me because it will more difficult to get into waves. Whatever Ill figure something out. So work has been a little boring lately. We are slowing down right now as we are in the middle of tax season. Rami and I have just been enjoying the new place and I have been learning the joys of cooking and cleaning. I knew it would all come back. For months my mom made fun of me saying that I would be so sloppy when I moved out, but now I want to cook and clean because its my stuff. For some odd reason its just way different than living at home or something. Anyways, no good surf for next couple of days or so. I wont miss another session dammit. Later

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Back From the Dead

Well, at least partly. The surf ha sbeen non existent but Ocean Gods are finally giving us a ray of hope. Surf should firm up to chest+ by thursday, but as usual, I have class at 10am followed by work. Ill just have to wait till our next decent little windswell and hope to god that it falls on a day that is good for me. On a lighter note, we are halfway through feb, and just that much closer to summer. Being that much closer to summer means Im just that much closer to warm water pumping hurricane swells and my much anticipated Mexico trip. Life has been treating me well so far and I can honestly say that everything is going well. Im pretty much all moved in to the place, and Rami (my roommate and best friend of 12 or so years) I bought our beds last night. So im sitting here at work, about to pass out in my chair from boredom. What I would give to be in southern pacific Mexico, in a hammock with a cerveza. Just relaxing, waiting for hightide to come and work its magic on the 6ft. 14sec swell breaking just out in front of me. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Mother Nature save me.

Monday, February 06, 2006

Back From the Surf

WELLL!!!!!! That was a MUCH needed session. Even though I only managed 3 or 4 rides, and they all SUCKED, it was my "seahabilitation" I have been needing. The surf was perfect Texas conditions, about waist+ to chest with some few sneaker head highs on the set waves. The swell peaked at 12ft this morning, but it was extream SSW, and our beach faces a moderate SW, so the jettys were blocking a good deal of the big stuff. Just like the report said, the winds were offshore, 5-10, and just walling the waves up. I was actually quite warm for the first time ever in a winter session. Maybe i was just soo stoked to be in the water again, I didnt realize just how cold the water was; or it could have been the rash guard I wore under my suit. Ahhhhhhhh, there were soem perfect rides to be had, but I just dont perform well in cold water/wetsuits. I feel so restricted, but I guess more surfing in the suit will get me used to it. I will be posting some pictures (if they are ok) as soon as I can get them off my camera.

Surf in the Morning

Well, as the title states, I'm going surfing in the morning. The bouys
are showing 10.2ft at 8 seconds (yes I know not a true groundswell but
its as good as it gets in the winter time here) and I have to get on it.
I do have work at 10am, but that's leave plenty of time to squeeze in a
session before I head in. The only problem is the drive. I have around a
1 hr and 15 min drive to ge there then about 45 min to one hour drive
back to work. Ahhhh I don't think I have been this excited in a long
time. The winds are supposed to turn offshore for us around 5 or 6am
with a light NW @ 5-10. Wooooooo. If u are not a surfer then its truely
difficult to explain the importance of that and the amount of stoke it
builds in a surfer. The water is a toasty 61 degrees so hopefully I
won't be too cold on that old leaky 3/2 of mine. Well I better get some
sleep as I have to be up at 4:45ish and get on the toad. ill try and
remember to take some pics and ill post then later. Ahhhhhhh dammit I
just realized I left my damn leash in my friends car from the lst time.
So they are not planning on getting there until 6ish and when I want to
be there by 530. Surf without a leash? Grrrrrrrrrrr. They live like 30
min from me so I don't want to drive and go get it and the shops don't
open that early so buying one when I get there is out of the question
also. Well damn. Night.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Been a While

Well, it ha sbeen a while since I have been in the waves. The surf i mentioned in the reports, fell apart on saturday so I quickly forgot about it. Well sunday, it got its act together and man was it going off! Waist to chest+, clean with light offshores. South Padre was the place to be though with 6-7Ft faces with offshores. Well now im just sitting at work, wishing I had some waves. On a brighter note, I have been moving into my new apt with my best friend. Wow moving sucks but, its nice to have my own place. Ok well i better get back to work.