Still Good Out There

Got back out again today afterwork.  It's still good.  Started off crowded and rowdy but by the time the sunset after 2 hours of surfing the crowd thinned out nicely.  More fun lefts off the pumphouse.

Local shaper Marc Andreini was in the water.  Here's a great video from Mollusk Surf Shop about him.  Make sure to watch until the end of the video to see his classic style.  Makes me think the early 1970's was a really cool time to be in California.  From Yosemite to the coast lots of people rewriting the rules and reshaping the future.


Meet Your Shaper: Marc Andreini from Mollusk Surf Shop on Vimeo.


Surf ~ 16

Simply Fun

The ocean gives us what we need.  Sometimes it's a healthy beating, sometimes it's small playful surf, sometimes it's heart in the throat death slabs, and for the last two days it was smooth walled up lefts.

My buddy Adam at work filled me in with just a few words, "south swell filling in" as we passed each other in the office.  As always he was right.  Monday was good, Adam and I shared waves at the far north end of the beach.  I bounced around on my shortboard while he goofed on his longboard, starting fins first without a leash and still killing it.  The night was warm, clear and quiet.

Tonight was really good, verging on great.  Went out alone in the fog and was pleasantly surprised by the size and shape.  Sorta big but smooth and clean, walled up and firing left.  At one point I thought I heard the cracking of thunder but it was just a big one freight training down the beach.  Definitely had the best ride in recent memory.  It was simply fun.  The rides reminded me of the famous surf drawings by artist Andy Davis.  You get the drift.

Surf ~ 15

Solitude

Had a busy week and didn't get out until Saturday.  Wind was light offshore and the waves were a playful size.  Missed the ideal tide by a few hours but that wasn't the problem.  Problem was all the agro dudes in the water turning every wave into a paddle battle.  Oh well, always good to get wet.  Instead of surfing on Sunday I decdided to stay home and repair some dings in the sun instead of going heads up with the bro-brahs.  Maybe next time I paddle out it will look like this video from Australia, perfect peelers and no attitude in sight.

Solitude from Nathan Oldfield on Vimeo.

Surf ~ 13

Goldilocks

I was back down in LA yesterday for a morning meeting.  I decided to drive instead of fly because not only is it cheaper to drive but I can also bring a surfboard and take a dip in the ocean after taking care of business.  The meeting went well in the morning and I was heading north out of town by noon.  About an hour out of LA I stumbled onto a place called "surfers point" in Ventura.  Yeah, that will do.  It's a nice little right point that must absolutely light-up during the right swell, tide and wind conditions.  Waves were small but I managed a few on my shortboard.  Even in marginal conditions the point setup a few nice shoulders to feel the glide.

It was a surf session Goldilocks would have been proud of.  The water was neither warm nor cold.  The waves were not really good or bad.  I wasn't quite in Southern California anymore but I definitely wasn't in Northern California either.  It was just another day on the Central California coast.  A place that doesn't get a lot of attention.  There is a lot of talk about SoCal and NorCal but my guess is that the people of CenCal prefer it that way.  So here's a short video from that magnificent stretch of coast that might just make you rethink the California landscape.

Surf ~ 12

Rude Beast

Got a lovely note from Howard this morning.  Already planning ski trips for next season!  He attached a fun photo of me from this year's eastside adventures.  And in true Howard fashion his caption captures so much more than the frame.

And what rude beast is this

His hour come round at last

Slouching toward Dunderburg

To be reborn ~H.W.

Happy weekend everyone!

Summer in the City

It was a beautiful summer weekend here in SF.  It was even hot and sunny at the beach, a rare San Francisco moment for sure.  But with the holiday and gorgeous weather brought the crowds.  What is normally a cold and quiet sanctuary became a hot and rowdy zoo.  I'm not complaining, just telling it like it is.  Chris and I battled the crowds to get a few rides.  Had some fun ones for sure and enjoyed the weather.

I've also been told the blog is getting a tad boring with the same parking lot shots week after week.  I get it. So with that I bring you a video from a far off place.  Perfect peeling lefts without a 4th of July kook in sight.



Surf ~ 11