Dano at Malibu

http://www.freestyleusa.com/blog/sports/surf/scott-caan-surfing-malibu-on-an-alaia

As usual…one of those cats that you rarely see on a wave where he is not in front of someone. 

rogelio

Hi Roger,

It’s pretty tough to get a wave to yourself at Malibu. Damn good wave, though.  You know better than I.   When my wife first started Med school in 86 I surfed there because I didn’t know where else to go.  Figured that out and enjoyed some of the less popular spots.  Is Dano James Caan’s son?  He surfs good.  The alaias sure are fast. Mike

 

te:

New Radical Shortboard Twin

1981 Local Motion

Shaped by ME

 




hey greg,
thats a photo I took of one of your twins to sell on craigslist. I got that board from a garage sale back in August 2010. Put some TLC into it, fixed all the dings and cleaned out some battle wounds.
I tried it a handful of times at Chuns, Mokuleia Beach Park and Lanis. But it was just a little too small for me. Its a 5'8 and I'm 6'1 190lbs.
So I listed it on craigslist and ended up selling it to Scott Caan, Dan'O on the new Hawaii 5-0 in November 2010.
I ran into Scott this past February at Lanis and asked him if he ever used it. He said he did, and it works for him. He took it back with him to California and says he uses it at fun size Malibu.
Just wanted to give you a heads up on its journey.
Keep up the good work! 

 

that last wave is awesome…

Friday, the 20th. A head count of 80!!! guys out at 1st. pt. alone. Head and a half. Malibu Shuffle.

Last summer I surfed Malibu a bit since I had a job near there building a deck.  Like usual, I snapped random pics, didn’t even know who Scott Caan was.  When the show came out, I went back and found a pic of him in my archives.  My wife loves the show.  She saw this pic, and says Scott sure has a nice wetsuit.  I pointed out to her its the same one I have, just looks better on him LOL.

 

I surfed Malibu point on Friday I started surfing at 5:30 am to 8:30 am got out for a bit.

I caught seven waves three from second to almost the pier and for the record no I was not going to shoot the pier like Alan Sarlo was doing.

Suited back up around 9:30 and went out again until noon.

I drove up from San Diegoto hang out with my 63 year old dad who still rips Malibu and Rincon.

First session was magical you can really feel the power of malibu before the hordes of nuts show up sadly the second session was just stupid, frustrating and dangerous I counted 75 people.

The insanity level of the people that descend upon Malibu is a real eye opener.

 

I pride myself on not burning anyone or getting in anyones way so after waiting almost an hour and half I finally got one to myself no one behind me or in front of and I thought wohooo time and patience paid off!

After exactly one bottom turn top turn I dared to start winding up to make the inside sandbar run only to have some clown drop in behind me and start trying to shove me out of the wave I had waited and worked so hard to get.

During the time it took me to look back and then forward I realised I had what I thought was a boogie boarder drop in on me.

So now I’m stuck between some overly agressive nut behind me and someone who was moving at the pace of a snail.

The guy behind caught up to me tried to do an off the lip into me giving me a shove which in turn caused me to bump into the boogie boarder who turned out to be  Jesse Billauer which knocked him off his board.

It felt like a real life keystone cop kinda deal.

If you don’t know who Jesse is follow the link.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesse_Billauer

 

All Jesse could say to me was what was wrong with me?

Why did I go high?

As he is blaming me for the events all I could think of what was this guy on and he was just floating there not moving it took me about five seconds to realise the guy was unable to fend for himself in the water.

For a second I thought I had really hurt the man.

Once it dawned on me I helped collect his board and get him back together as his small crew of people swam overand  helped get him out and into position.

 

About thirty seconds into it I had Scott Cain give me some low level grief about how the guy behind me didn’t matter and that he and his friends were the only ones that mattered.

I must have looked at him like he was crazy as I told him everyone mattered and I mean I was really put off by his comment and aparent mindset.

Somehow what was going through my head must have been shown in facial expression and tone or he must think his star status counts for something and how dare I a lowly peon talk back.

All I could think of was wait you pushed this helpless man into me in the middle of this pig pile insane asylumn and you dare be indignant and angry because he was run into???

Honestly people were running each other over right and left collisions and bodies flying on almost every wave even to the point the ambulance had to haul someone off on a stretcher.

Awesome waves! Awesome day! 

I watched Kelly slater try an ariel three sixty without a leash only to blow it with a little kid paddling out right in front of him his board literally skipped over this kids head.

I won’t get into how many people got nailed by leashless longboarders the Ohs and Ahhs happened all day.

I stayed until 6:30 just soaking in the insanity and the magic of the place.

 

I did meet some of my dads friends who were all very friendly and mellow but I also saw and met some less than awesome people!

To them I say no wave is worth someone elses health and well being a loose longboard really could create another tragedy like Jesse.

Oh and some masked sweeper (sup) rider kept wandering around bellowing about watching cloud vs becker if he is reading this you better learn how to post on youtube.

Yes I do have pics!

About 8:30 am with around 35 people on it.

[IMG]http://i54.tinypic.com/55nfq0.jpg[/I

 

Everything you describe benr, I have seen many times! I have often thought that having Jesse out there when it is crazy like that, is a hazard to everyone…

the problem is that on these swells…guys show up from everywhere and because they are not regulars…they do anything, knowing they are not known and might not be back for months…

I have not been around for this swell and feel that I have not missed anything as these events usually end leaving me wanting…

prefer this size… lotta people say Malibu is best from knee to shoulder heights…

[IMG]http://i52.tinypic.com/2qb826o.jpg[

ey Ben, I’ve seen it too.  I did not know Jesse’s name, but I’ve seen him there, and yes he has an entourage with him.  That was just a shame the way things went for you that day!  There is also a girl who is paraplegic, in a wheelchair, that surfs there as well.  A young blonde, just a beautiful girl, looks like a model.

My approach to Malibu is to be out at the crack of dawn, surf until 7:30 or 8:30, then call it a day.  At my age, I don’t need the grief and the headtrips and the UV rays that come after that LOL.  One day there was a big crash on PCH, and the CHP had traffic blocked for hours.  Tragic for someone I’m sure, but man, that was some good uncrowded surf for awhile!

Like you, I don’t think any wave is worth someone getting hurt.  I try to remind myself that every time I paddle out there.  When I get snaked, I just turn back and write that one off.  Of course, in your situation, that wasn’t an option, with the guy breathing down your back.

The “aggro” attitude that comes with pro status is one reason I really don’t follow or care much about competitive surfing.  Years ago Rory Russel said to make it as a competitive surfer you have to paddle out and be an a$$hole sometimes - at that point I realized I didn’t care all that much about what the pro surfers were doing.

I have met and / or spoke with some nice people at Malibu.  One guy, a Hawaiin SUP’er who goes by the tag “Steamroller” on Swaylocks, just a really nice guy.  Didn’t snake anyone, hangs on the shoulder and picks up leftovers, pretty mellow approach, at least when I was there. 

Here’s some pics from last summer, you or your dad may know some of these guys. (edit to add: pics have since disappeared, sorry about that!)

 

bummer deal. i know several people who surf there and were in fact out that same day. word is they do that with jessie a lot. get him into a wave (figuring nobody would drop in on him)then surf behind him. on a normal day perhaps that’s ok, but to have him out in the mayhem like tha tday, not cool for him or others. maybe he should get some new friends…

Hey Huck, your mention of the traffic being shut down on PCH reminds me of one of the times when the hills were on fire from the valley to the beach. Can't recall exact year, late 80's early 90's???? The fire had burned through to Latigo (not the Malibu Rd. fire) and traffic was stopped in both directions all the while an overhead south was running. Through several attemps and nefarious ways and not a little trespassing, a buddy and I made it to Secos with no one around...anywhere!!! We surfed it for hours with ashes and embers falling in the line up. It was a trip with the smoke and the sun going down watching the flames up the Arroyo Sequit.  We thought we could surf until they opened the Hwy. and get back to our trucks, wrong! We had to wait until nightfall and sneak our way back. Suffice it to say, it was a damn long paddle after that session.

 As to your story and BenR's that is the reason I hardly even check Malibu anymore. Also, the town has taken a (in my opinion) a very negative shift in atmosphere. Hollywood has definitely ruined it. And folks thought the Val Kooks would take it down.

Hey Huckleberry,

The first in the group of pics you posted…guy with hat and orange board and red van…Scotty was his name…passed away in the water at County Line some months back…He was a morning regular…good guy and good surfer…He was known for his classic “Cheater Fives”…

 

Sorry to hear that, I spoke with him briefly, admiring his board - it was a custom he had commissioned, it said “for Scott” under the glass, nice orange swirl.  The old timers ruled the dawn patrol, which is what I liked about it, and he was one of the regulars during the time I was there.  Made the morning surf a bit mellower, then the younger aggro guys started showing up around 7:30 or 8, time for me to get out.

Scott Lawton.

“Boy” was best freinds with Scott’s boy Morgan.

I had good times with Scott a heck of a guy.

Still missed.