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March 2001
March 2001
Sunday March 4, 2001
9:45a-1:15p
North Shore /kea/
Avg wave face 5-6 feet
Sets wave face 7-8 feet, occ bigger
Mostly clear & sunny; Strong to moderate offshore winds
Took a few extra hours of sleep, missed MM & Fabian who went to
Ehu. Neal surfed yesterday couldn't make it today. Overall there were a
few waves of fair size, nice direction & good conditions, but seemed
like there wasn't enough push from the short period windswell, waves tended
to back off quickly. Crowd grew pretty big by mid session. Long session,
sore arms, Best wave was a memorable lip smash off the trail of a guy who
had dropped in and was kicking out. Mike lost job living on the beach,
Dana friend of Ching Bros, Monster Gun Joe, Paddle Glove Rick, balding
long board wave hog causing hate & discontent. Camera but took no pics.
Wednesday March 7, 2001
3:00p-5:15p
North Shore
Avg wave face 6-8 feet
Sets wave face 10-14 feet, occ bigger
Mostly clear; Blazing strong offshore winds
Met MM at my office for an afternoon sesh; Piled the boards into the
budmobile and booked for the country. When we topped the hill that first
allows south to north drivers a view of the north shore coastline, we were
surprised at the extent of
whitewater. Clearly there was still some size to the swell that we
didn't notice from a few checks of various cams.
Made the usual stop -n- looks; There was some nasty looking shore pounders all along the Log Cabins to Ehukai stretch, the kind of stuff I had to avoid while riding my brother's board. Parked at Sunset for a few minutes, didn't wait long enough to see any sets but noticed quite a pack sitting pretty far out. The in-betweeners were about 2xoh. The offshore wind was fierce.
Me on a borrowed board and each of us a bit under-sticked, we headed back down the coast to hit the less crowded & familiar zones in and around Jocks & Lanis.
After a few from the middle I paddled out to the empty outer peak at
Holtons, where occasional bombs were plowing through. It was inconsistent
but when they came, they came in a flurry of 15-18 footers (faces), mostly
closeouts connecting with
Lanis. Even so, it was a rush scooting around, trying to avoid the
poundings at the same time trying to stay in position to grab the occasional
gem that came through. All made harder paddling a paper thin 6'3" through
the soup or into the gale force offshore wind. The take offs were pretty
much blind until you could stand and wipe your face of the salt spray blasting.
So much for trying to keep brother Rich's board safe...
Later, I saw MM paddling over to join me, just as I surfaced from getting
pitched (again). From 50 yards I could see his grin saying he enjoyed watching
me get launched.... bastard ;-). Sitting waiting for sets, MM mentions
that we need heavier
boards in this wind, too hard to get down the face and that a few that
he saw me ride were pushing 3xoh. At this point I decide I should chance
taking a picture or two. MM then says "pass the camera I'll try to get
a shot of you on a set" so naturally I sez "shoots!"
I was watching the horizon and a few minutes later saw that MM had paddled
about 25 yards in and down the line, setting up for a photo with the disposable.
Right then, the biggest set of our session jumped from out of nowhere.
I was out of position for the first two. The third one was big and nasty
looking, easily 20 foot face and the lip about to unload directly upon
MM, too late to put the camera in his pocket. Last I saw was him pushing
his board away and diving. I said "ohhhh maaaaaan" groaning to myself as
watched it explode right on him. Being farther out I squeaked past before
it broke, but no time to turn around after
ducking because an even bigger one was breaking about 50 feet out from
me. I dove for the bottom and somehow made it without too much battering,
just ragdolling and hoping the leash held. I came up and after the spray
cleared I looked at the
impact zone - no MM to be seen anywhere!
Decided he might be in trouble so I started paddling in. Caught up to
him about 100 yards away, near where the channel usually is. We both just
shook our heads and laughed incredulously, calling it a day. I could not
believe he held on to the damn camera through all that (he was surprised
too). On the beach we saw that both our leashes had been stretched thin
and close to a
foot longer..... someone's beautiful new gun snapped & left in
the dirt parking lot. Even though cut a bit short, the session was very
invigorating. We were stoked.
Good surfing to you,
Bud
Saturday March 10, 2001
8:15a-11:15a
Avg wave face 4-6 feet
Sets wave face 7-8 feet
Mostly clear & sunny; Light to moderate offshore winds
Rich,
me borrowed Makanstick working good, stingers, good session
Monday March 12, 2001
3:30p-5:45p
South East Shore /dhl/
Avg wave face 3-4 feet
Sets wave face 5 feet
Overcast; Blazing sideshore winds
Makan
barrel roll, me borrowed Richstick working good, fair session
Saturday March 17, 2001
7:30a-11:00a
Avg wave face 5-6 feet
Sets wave face 7-9 feet
Partly sunny; Calm to light offshores turning onshore late morning
Makan,
Fabian, John Mags, accident almost 360 Richstick working good, good session
Sunday March 18, 2001
8:15a-10:30a
North Shore
Avg wave face 4-6 feet
Sets wave face 6-7 feet
Clear & sunny; Light (side) offshore winds
The one month old future world champ kept mom & dad from sleeping
for more than 2 to 3 hours at a stretch, so dad missed the DP with Sponge.
Finally hit the road about 7am feeling retro and in need of a jolt (always?)
so I popped Pixies' Tromp le
Monde into the CD player. Made the usual stop for coffee, bottled water
& doughnut at the Wahiawa 7-11.
Driving over the hill I saw decent whitewater on the coast but coming
from a weird direction. It was now 7:35 on a Sunday morning; Seeing an
almost empty parking at the regular spot my foot never let up on the gas
pedal as I flew past. A few
minutes later I'm turning makai across from Sunset Elementary School
and I spot Sponge standing on the bike path. He has a scowl on his face
and a cell phone pressed against his ear (bad reception on the NS).
I drive up... he leans into the window with a big grin (soaking wet from his dawn patrol at Pipe)- "Heyyyyy, I was just trying to call you."
We spend 15 minutes on the beach watching 6 to 11 foot faces at Pipe
peel perfectly in the early morning shadow of the mountain... talking with
friend Ray and discussing where to surf (for "bad luck Bud" on a borrowed
stick, the crowd and
guillotine at Pipe is not an option). All the while Tamayo Perry is
nabbing the best wave of every set, and does his disappearing act each
time.
We decide to check Velzyland (looks great) and just after 8am we're parked in front of Cino's house getting ready to make the walk over. It is a bright sunny day, the water is crystal clear and we score amazingly uncrowded V-land for an hour and a half. We guessed it must have something to do with the previous day of St. Patricks day celebrating. What ever the reason, we immediately tag some pocket rocket reforming double-ups, just reeling and almost hard *not* to get tubed (but you're always aware of the knee deep water that barely covers the reef). If you know Velzyland, you know exactly what I mean.
Mid session I was determined to get a couple pics of Sponge with the
disposable. We were consistently in the lineup at the same time but seemed
out of synch for photos on this day. Tried, but I could not find any opportunities
for shots of the man. Oh well, at least I know he was stoked to have surfed
Pipe for almost 2 hours already, the first one out and rushing thick barrels
for
half an hour before anyone else showed up.
Eventually the crowd started to grow. I was surprised to watch a big,
older Hawaiian guy on a bodyboard pull back on more than a few sets that
looked fully makeable. I did not recognize him but he was talking to a
few of the V-Land regulars,
several were friends of mine also. Later, me and Big Hawaiian Guy are
paddling for a set- a particularly sweet wedge. I was at the peak; He was
on the inside with priority. A split second I make the decsion- I'm up
and committed to the drop.... of course *this* time he does not pull back.
This wave is a beauty and there's no way I could get out now. BHG calls
me off but I'm already standing and the lip is pitching hard. Man, I wanted
sooo badly to pull into that barrel. But I knew I was already in deep kim
chee and had to get out as quickly as possible. Intentional or not, no
matter who you know, stuffing a BHG in the pit, at V-Land, is Not a Good
Thing to do. Especially for a skinny white boy. If I rode it out after
burning him..... yikes. So after the late drop (forcing him to straighten
out) I turned hard off the bottom and try to punch through. To add insult,
my board gets sucked over and is tombstoning next to him when I pop out
the back. As I reel in my stick, I see his board getting pulled in further
over the reef before his head
breaks the surface. He comes up maybe 30 feet away, cursing loudly
in the impact zone. Shit. Sponge is paddling back out after witnessing
the whole incident and he's looking at me, wincing - "Man, he is pissed!"
he says to me. Shit. Hmm, maybe that's my cue to go in. Naahh, I decide
to see what happens. When BHG paddles back out I intercept him and start,
"hey man, sorry, I didn't mean...." but he puts his palm out to face me,
just nods and keeps kicking past. I think he knew I wasn't out to stuff
or snake people, and let it slide. Phew.
The crowd swelled with a bunch of new generation slash and burners.
The Sugihara kid was ripping, must be nice to be a young surfer and your
dad is the founder of T&C. Ran into Cino's son John again (I'd surfed
with yesterday out west). His father
had been making boards for me since I was a teenager and I knew sons
John and Jason since they were young kids living with dad at Maili Pt.,
way back in the late 70's- early ‘80's.
I decided to call it a day before pushing my luck any further with brother
Rich's board and BHGs. On my second to last wave I back doored a sweet
head high barrel, hollow and dry... There must have been 5 people paddling
in the way but I went for
it. Vivid memory of looking out at Sponge as I negotiated the tube
and surfers.... a (bodyboarder) girl's flippered feet hanging out from
the wall in front of me as she ducked through the tube... a couple seconds
later I rode out on to the shoulder with a big smile.
Good surfing to you,
Bud
Friday March 23, 2001
11:30a-2:15p
North Shore /kea/
Avg wave face 10-12 feet
Sets wave face 13-17 feet, occ bigger
Mostly clear & sunny; Light onshore winds
Solo,
Richstick good, hydroplane, over the falls, JBG, paddle glove Rick,
Saturday March 24, 2001
10:30a-12:45p
North Shore /kea/
Avg wave face 5-7 feet
Sets wave face 9-10 feet
Overcast; Light onshore winds switching offshore at noon
Solo,
Richstick, Mike G, Alan W, Hiram beach, drop in kook, last wave long sweet,
poor session
Monday March 26, 2001
3:45p-6:00p
East Shore /nb/
Avg wave face 3-5 feet
Sets wave face 5-7 feet
Mostly overcast; Light side-offshore winds
Makan,
me borrowed Richstick working good, one good blast, fair session
Wednesday March 28, 2001
5:30p-7:15p
South Shore /ll/
Avg wave face 3-4 feet
Sets wave face 5 feet
Mostly clear; Moderate offshore winds
Lance,
El, boat, borrowed Richstick working good
Friday March 30, 2001
2:00p-4:30p
South East Shore
Avg wave face 3-4 feet
Sets wave face 5-6 feet
Clear & sunny; Almost dead calm turning light onshore winds
Surprised to have one of the most satisfying surfs in quite a while,
in small south shore waves, no less. Bagged work early, grabbed my (brother's)board
from home and headed to town for a quick one. I knew there should be a
few leftovers from a
small south bump, but I wasn't expecting much. Driving around from
the Kahala side of DH, my jaw hit the floor when I saw an oily glass ocean
and clean lines.
I guess I wasn't paying attention to the lack of wind so it came as a shock to see dead calm ocean off this coast in the middle of the afternoon (rare). The view from the cliff top was spectacular. The water could not have been more clear; Except where waves had already broke, every feature of the reef was visible. I stepped out of my car into a choking wave of heat and a murderous sun. I thought for a second that today might be the one day I wear slippers down the paved path (like 95% of other always do) but quickly blew it off. My feet are tough.
Only head high at the sets, only a few others out and no wind- the perfect setup for a leashless session. I almost walked away without the leash but last second decided against risking the borrowed board (you're welcome, Rich hahaha).
A few minutes later I had gone from a painful trot to a full blown run
down the path. My eyes were watering and I was truly afraid the skin of
my feet were burning away. They had recently trimmed the brush along the
path and there was no shade.
The loose gravel ground in extra pain every time a foot hit the scalding
pavement. I was trying to run as if on a tight rope along the 3 inch wide
shadow of the metal railing, but it was no help at all. No relief when
I reached the beach either- the sand was as hot as the sidewalk and now
the tops of my feet were on fire too! Faaak! I felt like I was in the Olympics
as I long jumped across the dry sand to the waters edge. Oooohh maaann....
I swear steam came off my feet like a cartoon character. (I'm writing this
from notes 5 days later and my "reef hardened" feet are still tender).
That was the most excruciating 150 yards
I've ever traveled. I took my time paddling out, both feet dragging
underwater.
Out in the lineup I immediately put the pain of my feet out of my mind and got into the glassy sweet little walls. I smile - nodded at the familiar faces and it seemed we all fell into a nice synch of wave catching, everyone stoked. Rich's board was working like magic for me and I was having an "on" day where everything came together. Multiple vert snaps in the hook, wave after wave; It almost seemed too easy.
The last hour conditions deteriorated a bit and the crowd grew. Also about that time, "DasHelmut" came out to grace us with his "expertise", megaphone voice and as usual, try to assert his dominance of the spot. Pphhhhhfffttt. (Of course he probably thinks similar of me, but it's not true I tell ya!! :-)). It's clear we can't stand each other and it's always the jockeying game of who can take off deeper or sit further out to call the other off. I took it as my cue to look for a last wave before ruining a great sesh.
Good surfing to you,
Bud