it strikes me , typing to people here , that a lot are under pressure .... financial , emotional / mental , physical , at the moment , and that has been going on for a while .
I hope we are all able to "get out amongst it " [ocean] , and find some respite / solace / comfort / peace / ?escape? from what at times seems a mad old world , eh ?
take care [of yourselves] and [whenever possible] keep surfing !
cheers ,
your Swaylocks 'brother'
ben
It does seem like a mad old world doesn’t it?
Been a while since I’ve been ‘out in it’, but soon, I hope, soon.
Take care of yourself too Ben.
Cheers mate.
thank you , Johan !
good / happy waves to you
cheers
ben
Good on ya, Ben, for reaching out to let Swayaholics know you care!
No matter what is going on in our lives, wet gills always makes it that much easier and better!!
Hi Ben, been really busy with the day job, but doing OK.
Spent almost 3 weeks out of the water with a sore back, but got a couple hours in yesterday, and I felt great. I think all the time I’ve spent over the last 40+ years paddling a surfboard have tweaked my body such that laying on my stomach helps my back feel better. Either that or as they’ve been seeing, spending time surfing really has medicinal value.
Take care! Harry
Damn! Rain, onshore, small non-surf. Maybe it’s just my perspective but I feel we’re all swirling down in to the abyss. Economy in the tanker (board sales and dings sloooooooow), Bin Laden did not cure anything (nor did I have faith it would). Big corporations are running the world+ control gov’t. AND my brake rotors are being chewed up by my lack of brake pads, too poor to fix.
Where’s the love for “everyman”?
You’re right Ben, dipping in the water feels SO GOOD, I miss it!
South swell supposed to hit this thursday, maybe the www will tell everyone ahead of time+ clutter the line ups. At least I got my fat, floaty boards to equal the playing field.
my best to all SW-lockers’ers, keep the chin up and blades sharp!
Ben, you’re a good man. Crazy how we care about people we have never met. And trust people we have never met.
all the best
Ben,
Great post! I have been too damn busy to build for over three weeks, let alone get on the sways. It was nice to have a little time today for sways and discover your post. Very thoughtful, thanks for that.
I’m hearing you Ben. The world has been so negative for a few years, all bad news.
I think the media get us worrying about stuff that is really outside of our control and scope. If we turned off our tellies and computers and looked around us we could proberly go away realising most of us are OK. We perhaps have more food, safety, shelter and the like than most people on the planet before us.
The sun will come up tomorrow, the beach is down the road and the family and friends are all around, oh and there is cold beer in the second fridge.
[img_assist|nid=1059054|title=Scarborough solitude|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=100|height=75]Scarborough this morning.
"
I think the media get us worrying about stuff that is really outside of our control and scope. If we turned off our tellies and computers and looked around us we could proberly go away realising most of us are OK. We perhaps have more food, safety, shelter and the like than most people on the planet before us.'
yep , I TOTALLY agree . I turn on the tele at 6.25pm , check out the wind , swell , and temps on channel 9 , then turn it off by 6.31pm.
cheers Ross for the scarborough solitude reminder ! A bit like early yesterday [sunday here] , when there was only Marty , Karl , and myself out for a fair while . In some zippering FUN little lefts !
....did you go out this morning ?
was big Karl there ?
rainy glassy days are fun eh ?
beer is the answer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
what was the question again ???????????
herb
I have to agree with Ben, reading between the lines indicates that all is not 100% in the USA. For many decades our downunder countries have looked to the US as the world condition indicator, any significant changes in the US economy have always impacted on us somehow. In 2011, NZ and Aus are stand alone countries, with the Aus dollar now worth more than the US dollar. The Aus dollar as always been worth more than the NZ dollar so that is nothing new for us, but it does have ramifications in terms of the world economy and a potential target.
NZ’s political plan is to get wage parity with Aus, probably an impossible dream due to all the mineral resources that Aus has, hmmmmm mineral resources…The only thing we, US and NZ, can do is to form a new NZUS Pact, there was an ANZUS Pact before we went anti nuclear, and INVADE AUSTRALIA, oops NZ is already doing this by migration. In fact a couple of famous AUS surfers, have Kiwi parents, e.g. Zane Harrison, Dean Morrison. Tomorrow ve take over ze Weldt.
Seriously though, I hope the world economy will recover to enable all of us to have a reasonable standard of life. It might be time to share innovative projects here, every so often, to stimulate opportunities that may provide new sources of income. I can see the purists, stating that this is for surfboard design only, however the brother/sisterhood established here should be reason enough for sharing innovation in other fields as well. We are so spread over the world that we aren’t threats commercially, except with making surfboards. I would also be a skilled craftsman if hadn’t been subject to major fibreglass itch a few decades ago, when I built my first board. Funny how it put me off making another one, but made up for that by designing/acquiring a fair number of boards over the decades.
“If it wasn’t for fibreglass itch I would also rule the world”
MrT
Cheers to you Ben - thanks for your thoughts to all. You are a good man indeed.
Those of us who have won the lottery of actually being alive and are loved, healthy and have enough to eat have no reason not to be happy I think - any more than that is an absolute bonus.
Just remember, there are probably billions of people in the world who would swap their life for yours in a heartbeat if they could.
Thanks for checking on us all Ben.
Same vibe going on in Puerto Rico.
A friend once told me a story of an ancient Chinese curse, that went like this: “May you live in interesting times.”
Well, this thread is confirmation that what I’m observing at home is basically going on all over the place.
Anyway, just saying hello to all of you and taking part in this thread.
May the good vibe be.
Chip, Another masterpiece! That photo is balm to the soul. It captures the experience so well. A couple of buddies shooting the breeze between sets hoping for a few more before dark. We've all been there and it is a good familiar feeling. It is these type of shots that really get to me. Close ups of snap turns are usually the only view the mags show. But what turns you on more in the water than seeing the hump rise up and begin it's taper? The "set up" of the break is what I want to see. Ron Stoner took the best surfing photos I've ever seen. This one is right there, one that gives off the feeling or the experience of being in the water. Once Again...ONYA!!!! Thanks for that.
Thanks Ben
The last time I surfed was at Chun’s reef in March the next time will hopefully be in August. An uneventful day is a good day for me now. That photo is great can’t wait to get back in the water again. Sway’s lets me get away from the task at hand.
Aloha Hannya
Howzit Greg, That is one of the best parts of being a Sway Brother,We have not met many of ourweb site friends but when we di get a chance tomeet it's like we have known each other for ever. I for one have deep feelings for my Sway brothers and would do wahtever I can for them and I can say that everyone that I have met has been a great person and enjoyed their company. I don't think I have ever belonged to a forum that makes me feel so good about as this one and when I tell people about it they can't believe that there is a site like this one and I tell them to check it out and see what they think. I think that another part is we are a different type of people and making surfboards is a different kind of job/hobby/ career and that is what makes us unique in even cyber world. I have been proud to belong to Swaylocks since the day I joined and that was a long time ago and I am still proud to be a part of it and be able to help people make surfboards if thet is what they want to do. Just remember there are over 15000 of us now and growing every day and when you think about the amount of craftsmanship in this group it is amazing. Take care and remember we are a brotherhood of buiders like no other. Aloha,Kokua
Ben, that’s such a wonderful thing to say.
I know when I’m near the water things always get calmer and the sound of the waves “always” aligns me with a higher power.
Wishing you all good rides.
thanks for the pic Chipfins,keeps me focused on recovery to get back out as soon as possible.BTW,if I may share my latest experience,my last surf session was so good and so appreciated,just before going in for surgery to remove a cancerous tumor.I went for a routine colonoscopy,no symptoms whatsoever,and was dianosed with stage 2 colorectal cancer,which turned out to be stage 3 at surgery,so radiation and chemo coming up next.My first colonoscopy,6 years ago at age 50,was clear,and HMO’s tell you that you don’t need another one for 10 years,had I waited another 4,don’t think I would have made it.SO,GO GET A COLONOSCOPY,if you haven’t done so already,it’s the only way to detect colorectal and colon cancer,#2 killer of men.Enjoy your session,surf with aloha!