The previous day, I'd taken an hour (!) to drive to Scripps, check it for five minutes and go back home with dry hair. I'd left a little too late, and I'd taken local roads to get there. I vowed to exact my revenge...
The south wind was back and Scripps is the closest spot to North County that can take some of it due to downtown La Jolla's outcropping.
I checked it again on this morning and, while PACKED, there seemed to be enough waves out there. They were big too!
Because of the pack, I had to deal with parking a ways away. After suiting up, I was walking north to the stairwell and looked up at the sky. I was wondering if the sun would come out, so I looked behind me. While doing so, I managed to kick into a slab of sidewalk that was about a half-inch too high with the ball of my left foot. Pain immediately surged up my leg, but not enough to make me turn around. I walked it off and descended the stairs.
I paddled out and was struck at how consistently the waves kept coming. I avoided a couple of people on waves by duckdiving a bit prematurely, and finally, found my perch and sat down on my board. I glanced around and saw three girls in the lineup, the most I've seen in a LONG time. I had to paddle out a bit farther as set waves appeared and was reminded at how bowly the waves get here. An added bonus is they seem to jack up more quickly than at other spots. I adjusted my mental metronome to ligero and perched yet again.
After more than a dozen paddle/pull-backs, I finally got a good look at an overhead set wave when the guy paddling outside of me decided it wasn't for him and pulled back. YESSSS! I was pretty late on it, but stomped down and descended. I passed up a very hittable section due to someone being in my way. My less radical strategy allowed for me to do my usual, pump-pump-push into the approaching right. I leaned farther back than I should have, thinking a wave this size would have more push. I flopped awkwardly onto my back, energized by the biggest wave I'd caught in many weeks.
The crowd cock-blocking continued for a good ten minutes when I caught a left. I noticed someone about thirty yards away coming towards me on the right. I waved him on as I kicked out.
I caught a right which, upon descent, I noticed this big bald dude coming towards me. He was close, so I straightened out and watch him hit the wave behind me. I caught the footy and, bald dude, if you're reading this, start your top turn higher up on the wave next time! I bottom turned away from him in the flats to minimize the chances of us tangling and dove off my board.
About fifteen minutes later, I caught a left which looked good, but quickly (and hollowly) closed out. In my haste to above the liquid guillotine sniffing for my neck, I washed the fins out and managed to slide out and smack my left knee into the board. It's still a bit sore as I write this, but nothing that will keep me out of the water.
We'll let this crappy late spring run of waves do that...!
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