Saturday Surf and Turf 7/19

So those who know me know that I have this affliction of waking up early and not getting back to sleep. The whole early to bed, early to rise deal does have its advantages.

Saturday I blinked awake at 5:45 and decided that it was surf time. I dragged out of bed and threw my nine footer in the back of the truck. There was a rumor of a significant swell coming in that should be peaking Sunday. I headed to Sunset and discovered that the swell consisted of 3 foot cruisers every few minutes. The typical weekend crowds were there but minimal and mellow.

After picking up some peelers and chatting it up with a few new friends I looked at my watch and it was about 7:45 it felt like the swell was building a little but my shoulders had had enough and the crowds were picking up and getting a little more serious. Time to go.

On the way out I saw a bunch of folks dressed in costumes with their long boards. For example William Wallace was playing bagpipes, Jesus and his buddy an the Arab were chatting it up, their was an alligator with a massive tail and all sorts of costumes that involved capes. WTF, eh. So I changed out of my wet suit and got back to the beaches entry point just in time to see all of these really stoked goofy people just flat out taking over the line up.

(From another year but you get the picture)

I specifically remember a very sullen face older (non participant) guy speeding in from the point and getting taken off of his wave by a squatty female in an alligator outfit. It was great! What are you going to say to an alligator? He just paddled back out and probably had a laugh later that day. Every significant wave was a party wave with ten people paddling for it and six people catching it. Then the trick was trying not to run in to every one else that was on the wave. Mayhem!
One wave had Jesus the Arab and some guy in a cape all zooming towards the beach and laughing their heads off. What a blast!

Dooda Surf 2008. It was really fun to see the pretension taken out of what is just a great past time. It will also teach me to leave my camera at home...

After that it was time to walk the livestock and Bella and I headed to the top of Mandeville Canyon. It was overcast in town and it was socked in on the top of the mountain.

Really good start to a great weekend. Went to the Santa Monica GLOW exhibit that night (someone else can review it. It was neat but not my ball of wax) and then had a mellow Sunday surfing at station 8 and getting ready for the week.