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Saturday, July 7, 2012

7.6.12 High Tide Punta Roca with Aaron; Amid Chuchos/'QS Competitors Galore

This was Aaron's last morning here.  His plane was scheduled to take off around noon.  We got to Punta Roca at our now-usual time of 4:50.  Mac tagged along, but wouldn't be surfing due to a cut he received from the nose of his board.  He brought his camera and hopefully, I will get the shots soon and post them.

The paddle-out was uneventful, save for a slight scrape of fin on rock once I'd made the decision to abandon terrestrial life and accept my aquatic destiny, at least for an hour or two.

The trick in these situations is to catch as many waves as possible while the crowd is rolling in.  If you are too choosy or your are unlucky enough, as I was on this session, to sit through a twenty minute set lull, your goose is pretty much cooked.

My first wave was fast, but small.  I snapped twice and paddled out for another one.

My second wave was deeper.  I hit it very well upon first snap.  As I ascended, I realized the lip would be folding over my rail if I continued on my current trajectory.  I attempted to snap-stall, but was too late to do so.  I got hung up on the lip (imagine that!) and panicked slightly when I went over the falls.

A good hour (!) later, I finally got a look at one, but unfortunately, had to kick out as it sectioned off.

I sat just inside of the sectioning area and was half-paddling for a wave.  Gilbert Brown (Costa Rican pro surfer) was on it and he was zooming.  Just as I'd stopped paddling, he yelled, "Go, GO!" and waved me on to his leftovers.  Had he done so a second earlier, I could have ridden what would have been my wave of the day. Rats.

About twenty minutes passed.  I saw Gilbert catch another wave and do an under-the-lip absolute OBLITERATION of the top.  It is without a doubt the most impressive backside snap I've ever witnessed live.

The PA system was being warmed up for the contest when I caught my last wave.  I was within six feet of the guy who burned me.  I yelled, "Voy, Voy!" (Going, Going!) and he kicked out but not before wasting the meatiest part of this four-footer.  Mac said he thinks he snapped a shot of me being burned.  We shall see.

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