Water, Water Everywhere And Not A Drop To Drink
Hijinks On The High Seas… And Beyond
Tag Archives: surfing
Evolution in Dirty Jerz
I observed from a not-entirely-safe distance as my fellow Garden Staters paddled through fitful bales of viscous, 40-something-degree sea water.
Seaside Park . 4.29.11
I thought this:
It seems unlikely that he’ll make that. Just look at that wave: Hurling the weight of its frigid lip over its deceptively curvaceous hips at Red Bull-vodka speed. Hollow and fast–but definitely not an easy score.
A mostly solid, greenish curtain formed within milliseconds and stretched for considerable moments.
He emerged.
It’s that time of year again…
The 2011 Billabong XXL Award winners will be announced Friday, April 29th in Anaheim. As usual, the wipeouts inspire sympathy pains. Check out Thiago Candelot at Jaws and click that screen shot for more…
Click to see the rest of the nominees
Catching some O’Neill CWC Thurso…
Screen shot 2011-04-16 at 12.05.54 PM
Screen shot 2011-04-16 at 12.06.52 PM
How to Feel Like You Surf GOOD (Even When You Don’t)
Step One: Surf in Australia.
Many of Australia’s beaches are world-renowned, and I guess owing to the fact that Asia is so darn close, that continent’s tourists really enjoy this continent’s beaches. Now, Asians and I have couple of things in common–the most notable being unhealthy loves of both bubble tea and photographic equipment. And landmarks. Yes, those too. Accordingly, when you visit Bondi or Byron or Surfers Paradise, you will find lots of camera-clenching excursionists (I like that word) with a duty to obtain evidence that they were there. (I know the feeling.) Get ready for the best part: What cooler form could evidence possibly take than a snapshot of a real, live surfer? If you have a surfboard on the east coast of Oz–nevermind whether you are actually using it–you WILL be photographed by a traveling Asian, and then you will receive a grateful nod or wave. You will feel like a rock star. This foolishly unexpected, yet brilliant, bonus to surfing some of the world’s most famous beaches is, alone, worth the plane ride.
Quik Pro Day One (And Aftereffects)
February 27th, 2011
Coolangatta
8:45 a.m. NSW
7:45 a.m. QLD
I am not a snob.
A piece of overripe fruit just fell from a tree and splattered on my leg, from which I also occasionally flick a renegade ant. I am sitting on a filthy bench at a bus stop, having a $1 cappuccino from 7-11 and feeling triumphant because a moment ago, I won a battle of wills with a seagull—over my apple walnut scroll. That fucker got pretty close, but I held my ground.
I’m wearing yesterday’s denim skirt and white tank—and bikini bottoms. I think I have been spending a lot of–possibly too much–time in the sun. At least that crater in my foot is no longer packed with sand.
anarmandaleg (WAX)
My first session here was at Bondi. When I got off the bus, I ducked into some news agent, figuring, Hey, we’re at Bondi; every shop must sell wax. I was correct.
However, I did not anticipate that when the guy rang me up, he would ask me for $4.95 (AUD, of course). I said, “Pardon me, good sir?”
He said, “Yes, you beautiful, young lady, I said $4.95.”
I scoffed.
He said, “How much you usually pay?”
“Like a dollar fifty,” I responded (scandalized).
Now he looked scandalized. “Well… uhh… give me $3.95.”
I said merci and chalked it up to a small store, a captive audience, and some good, old-fashioned gouging.
That is, until the next time I happened to check the price on wax, and it was still somewhere around five bills. I accosted my US-born, fellow surfer of a landlord and he laughed and simply said, “Yeah, everything here is expensive.”
Fair enough. At least I can say I haggled my first Aussie bar of wax. And won a 20% discount.
Masculine Ferry and Foam Boards
In wandering around Sydney and its glorious suburbs, I have been advised many a time to take the Manly ferry from Circular Quay. To MANLY. Seriously, everyone I’ve met has told me to do it. So today, I finally did. I did not bring my board because, quite frankly, I didn’t feel like lugging it on the bus and the ferry and for a walk of indeterminate length. When I got there, I learned that you could rent a foam board for $15/hour, which would be roughly equivalent to the cost of eggs on toast. Worth it! I love to Wavestorm! Who doesn’t? It’s like all the best things about surfing, except being able to turn your board and duckdive. Today, on my pink BZ, I was reminded how much those things occasionally matter–especially when there’s some freaky rip-roaring current and the sea is suddenly composed entirely of whitewater. And not to be a whiner, but just about every time I find myself on a longboard (or carrying one) I say, “Ugh. This is why I’m a shortboarder.” Not because longboarding’s not fun; just because I’m lazy. The boards themselves weigh about as many stones as I do, and paddling out is a bitch. Anyway, I have also decided that while BZ may be the Escalade to Wavestorm’s Suburban, Wavestorms are lighter, more maneuverable, and generally, better. In my opinion.
Stay tuned for the wallet debacle that is WAX in the land Down Under…
Water, Water Everywhere And Not A Drop To Drink 