Well, there was no denying it. Oceanside was firing this morning. The first real S swell of the season had arrived, and with it, a too-long train of unfamiliar faces from points south.
It took me twenty-five minutes to get my first wave. I was burned by a guy wearing a Rip Curl fullsuit and a Matusse hood (I am NOT issuing a fatwa). I had the honor of watching him pump a few times, then kick out, all without looking back. I booed as loud as I could.
As he paddled back out, I said, "You stuffed me on that one, bro". He was really sweet and apologetic, replying, "Yeah, well I kicked out". A less mature EddieP would have dogged him the rest of the session, taking off on every wave he took off on, ruining it then kicking out; maybe even throwing in an unsolicited "Yeah, well I kicked out" after every time.
I caught no waves of note where I was at Mavs. The current was pushing me south into the pier and I fought it for over an hour. Since there was no sense in doing that, judging by my results thus far, I started eyeing the other side of the pier.
One cool thing I saw is a guy get probably the sickest barrel I've ever seen in Oceanside on a right. He must have been a pro, because when he kicked out from his barrel, on the very next wave was the one and only Taylor Knox. I had a front row seat to watch him get pitted, then go crazy off the lip, but he got too horizontal and ate it. The first guy who got barreled then sat with Taylor and they talked story.
The pier was getting closer and closer. I watched the water swirl back and forth: to the beach, then out to sea. It was going to be difficult timing. A wave was coming and I decided to just go for it. I had to paddle out and north as the wave came and then I sprint-paddled north. My legs came close to hitting a pier piling, but I flopped them up towards my ass and came out unscathed.
I caught about five waves in forty-five minutes. Meaty ones too. There was one wave I got that if I had set up properly and not gotten so crazy with the speed I probably could have stayed in the barrel for a couple of seconds.
I did a couple of solid hits on two others, making just one.
One of my last waves was on a right. I swooped down the generous face on my 5'4" and did what I proclaim to be the most vertical backside hit of my surfing career. Best of all, I pulled it. I had so much speed but of course the wave fizzled after that.
I went in with the sneaking suspicion that I would be yelled at for being gone close to three hours including walking time. I am happy to report that my ears were spared.
It took me twenty-five minutes to get my first wave. I was burned by a guy wearing a Rip Curl fullsuit and a Matusse hood (I am NOT issuing a fatwa). I had the honor of watching him pump a few times, then kick out, all without looking back. I booed as loud as I could.
As he paddled back out, I said, "You stuffed me on that one, bro". He was really sweet and apologetic, replying, "Yeah, well I kicked out". A less mature EddieP would have dogged him the rest of the session, taking off on every wave he took off on, ruining it then kicking out; maybe even throwing in an unsolicited "Yeah, well I kicked out" after every time.
I caught no waves of note where I was at Mavs. The current was pushing me south into the pier and I fought it for over an hour. Since there was no sense in doing that, judging by my results thus far, I started eyeing the other side of the pier.
One cool thing I saw is a guy get probably the sickest barrel I've ever seen in Oceanside on a right. He must have been a pro, because when he kicked out from his barrel, on the very next wave was the one and only Taylor Knox. I had a front row seat to watch him get pitted, then go crazy off the lip, but he got too horizontal and ate it. The first guy who got barreled then sat with Taylor and they talked story.
The pier was getting closer and closer. I watched the water swirl back and forth: to the beach, then out to sea. It was going to be difficult timing. A wave was coming and I decided to just go for it. I had to paddle out and north as the wave came and then I sprint-paddled north. My legs came close to hitting a pier piling, but I flopped them up towards my ass and came out unscathed.
I caught about five waves in forty-five minutes. Meaty ones too. There was one wave I got that if I had set up properly and not gotten so crazy with the speed I probably could have stayed in the barrel for a couple of seconds.
I did a couple of solid hits on two others, making just one.
One of my last waves was on a right. I swooped down the generous face on my 5'4" and did what I proclaim to be the most vertical backside hit of my surfing career. Best of all, I pulled it. I had so much speed but of course the wave fizzled after that.
I went in with the sneaking suspicion that I would be yelled at for being gone close to three hours including walking time. I am happy to report that my ears were spared.
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