Just an note to say thanks for the Californians who shared their waves with us last week. It was a great week. Not a crowd in sight except in Huntingdon beach at 6:30 am, there were about 100 kids in the water.
We hit Malibu and it was working not a huge crowd. It seemed orderly enough but they all charged the peak once the first set wave came through. I still managed to bag my quota, though the drop-ins were a bummer. We could only rent South Point 9’2" but I stall managed to slide a few piggies over. What a beautiful wave. If I hade my noserider with me I’ve no doubt that I would have gotten the best hang tens of my life. I could just imagine it in a summer swell - a zoo.
Newport is a very chilled spot, with an older crowd.
Sunset Cliffs was definitely the highpoint though, fabulous glassy reef set-ups, and hooking up with Keith Melville and meeting Moondoggie.
We rode trestles with a few sharks, small and onshore, but I can see the potential. I still have the cuts on my feet and the dings on my board to show for it.
Pacific/Mission Beach & EL Porto were just like home - onshore beachies, but fun, especially when teh Dolphins came through…
I got a 7’6" Campbell Bros Bonzer. Its an awesome board. Incredible speed from the bottom turn, really lets me rip, even at 7’6". As Rich Pavel told me - “its deceptively High Performance”. I love the idea of that, This old guy on an egg ripping better than the 6’2" thruster crowd, pretty rare around here.
The other two guys bought fish (A wegener with 3" agave stringer & a KG) at http://www.iconsofsurf.com an incredible shop. Some Swaylocker recommended it to me, I cant recall who it was and I’m posting this to say thank you.
From a shapers perspective, I got to stay with Tyler Hatzikian and to discuss some Noserider ideas I’ve been thinking about. I also got Rich Pavel to myself for an hour, he even gave me a shapers tour of his personal bonzer which was pretty cool. I was impressed by the Bing Noseriders and the Denis Murphy Noseriders too.
Thanks again to all the Californians, and incredibly friendly and chilled crew.
If anybody is coming to Ireland let me know and I will sort you out.