Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Art



'From The Backside (Santa Barbara County)'
Peggy Oki

Man I need to update this thing more often. Saturday before last I went up to Santa Barbara to see Peggy Oki's opening at the Sojourner Cafe. She's one the original Dogtown skaters and a great person. She does these nice watercolors and is very active in a bunch of marine mammal preservation charities, so if you're in the SB area before December, check it out. Stopped at Ventura on the way up and hit C-Street for some slighty blown out chest high chunkers. Fun surf and was glad for the Matt Moore board as it was bumpy as hell. I did get a decent right to throw some turns on, and as it petered out I had to dodge a paddler with a hard turn that put me into a zippy little left closeout on the very inside- right and left on basically the same wave is a fine old time. Since then I've hit the Ocean Park beachie a few times for the usual South Bay mixture- a fair bit of mush, lots of closeouts and few gems-Monday AM certainly had it's moments and best of all, I get a new wetsuit this week so as it cools off I get more comfortable for a change!

Thursday, November 02, 2006

A Wave


Photo: Jamie Brisick

"Plunging breakers are the most impressive. Their principle characteristic is very rapid release of energy from a wave moving at high velocity. There is a sudden deficiency in water ahead of the wave which causes high velocity currents in the trough as the water rushes seaward to fill the cavity beneath the oncoming crest. When there is not enough water to complete the wave form, the water in the crest, attempting to complete it's orbit, is hurled ahead of its steep forward side and lands in the trough. This curling mass of falling water will often entrap air and then, as the upper part of the wave collapses, the air is compressed. When the compressed air finally bursts through the watery cap, a geyser of water is hurled into the air- sometimes over 50 feet."

Willard Bascom, from 'Waves & Beaches: The Dynamics of the Ocean Surface' 1964

No plunging breakers for me this week, but we went and hiked the Devil's Canyon trail in Angeles Crest so I am content.