Quiver #4

8'6" Downing Makaha. It's stashed at a friend's place in Hawaii and gets ridden at Makaha. George Downing is a hero and is often hanging around the shop. In the back room Keone Downing's oversized check from his Eddie win is thumbtacked on the wall behind a rack of boards. There's always 4 or 5 of the most insane, sleek frightening 9' + full race Waimea guns in there too. It's a serious surf shop. I rode this in a good sized South Shore swell and had one of the funnest days of surf ever, even despite horrendous crowds. I rode it in small, midweek Makaha surf that was empty except for me, a couple of lifeguards and Dave Parmenter stand up paddling. Riding it is always a treat.

soon...

Central Cal. My lousy photo makes it hard to tell, but this was a solid 6-8 face. I'm back up there next month, and can't wait. Cold, empty, a little scary and astonishingly beautiful. Reminds me of parts of NZ & Victoria, except with oaks and chaparral. Good seafood and aching arms.
Meanwhile, back in LA I finally arrive at the beach and there's working waves.Not great waves, not even good waves really, but waves. I rode, I threw a couple of hard turns to see what the starfin would do and went to work happy. Can't ask for much more than that.

Winter Of Our Discontent

Well, of my discontent anyway. Weeks of no go for the surf, mostly due to my limited window for surf of late, but the swell and weather have hardly been co-operating. It's been dire, my last few go-outs have met with tiny closeouts, waves breaking in inches of water and the like. It can't last, and after getting in the water for the first time in over a week on Friday, it felt good just to be paddling around in the sun. I have had a chance to do a few tasks like ding repair, but I'm ready to surf again.