last surf

A short session at home. Rubbish surf, forgot my hood and had to drive back for it, caught nothing worthwhile then snapped my leash and had no spare. Hope the new swell hits soon! Happy New Year. Off to the boys' party up the hill, they have transformed one of the barns and invited the usual suspects.

Oxfam - give money to the tsunami aid fund.

shift happens

Christmas was lovely, and life goes on just the same here, but for the shock of the tsunami disaster. The ocean, which affects my life so positively, has devastated that of so many others. I'm going to give quite a lot of money. I don't know what else to say. It feels like 9/11.

surf, what else

10.2ft @ 6 secs. Four days to go until I can surf.
On the plus side: no family rows, a white Christmas, no less than 3 new surf dvds to watch, and plenty of WAM activity.

euphemistically speaking...

The Euphemism Generator seems a bit random, and I don't know about 'always amusing', but it's an interesting idea. Could be developed all sorts of ways - I'd post some but I'm too bloody busy.

Reading: Richard Bach's One to keep some perspective
Music: a bit of Snoop
Surf is: Don't tell me

bruce

Bruce Irons won the Eddie with a 35ft wave and a 12ft closeout barrel at the end. The pictures are amazing.


I am seriously considering pissing people off by going for a surf this weekend instead of going to Birmingham. My bro's flat will still be there next week, right?! The buoy dropped last night and has now picked up again, all that's needed is some shelter. I think I know where to find it...

Eddie

ASP press release: 'The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational has been called on! While most venues are unrideable, Waimea Bay will be the focus of the surfing world as 24 invited surfers attempt to do what most would never consider – paddle into the mountainous surf. The event has only taken place a total of six times in the past 19 years, and has never run as early as December.'

Go hard, boys! Hawaii's so huge the Pipe comp has been postponed: 'Gigantic waves in the 20-30 ft (7-10m) plus range have arrived on the north shore of Oahu, creating massive walls of whitewash across most lineups. Traffic jams stretched for miles as early as 7am, with everyone eager to claim a vantage point to watch this historic day of surf unfold.'

I can't wait to see the photos.

locals

Back to Whitesands via a few other possibles yesterday. Was ok, 2 to maybe 3 ft, not closing out so I actually had loads more waves, but it was crumbly and hard to get on and no flaming power!! The two OTL guys were there again, I have worked out (with Mart's help!) that one is probably adam__pitters. Didn't get a chance to say hi anyway.

As I was getting changed this chick runs around the van, blonde hair everywhere, skinny, ok looking but no fucking model, and starts being loud, 'I'm a local this, I'm a local' that to the guy next to me, clearly a local too as he was out yesterday as well. Anyway, she was all 'who are all these people, just more all the fucking time, it's like where are you from, Stoke-on-Trent or something haha' yeah very fucking funny. (Iaith! Ie, ie, wi'n gwybod.) We can't all live by Whitesands and frankly, the way it breaks, who wants to? But anyway, she was saying all this loud as you like and right next to me, obv. not a local. She better not turn up with an attitude at 'my' home break, that's all I can say. Mind you, the boys would be all over her... Anyway, she wasn't directing it at me, she just had a big trap I suppose, but fuck, be friendly! People paddle out with the boys, Pob always always paddles over and says hi, shares a wave. I'm kinda too shy but sometimes do it too, new people love it, a local coming over to say hi, discuss the way the wind is fucking it up or whatever... (Do I even count as a local, not at the moment I suppose.) But still, get over yourself!

She paddled out just after me and stayed in for less than an hour. She could surf ok, but the only wave I actually saw her on was a right that she dropped in on someone on. All the locals squash themselves in the far north corner and scrap for the waves, pointless. I'll always prefer to go wide and pick off uncrowded ones, and wait for the tide to push and then the middle bank starts working...

It was smaller and less clean than yesterday, but on the push there were 2-3ft waves, crumbling but not closing out like yesterday, so I caught a ton of waves in the first hour when it was decent and there weren't tons of people and flaming goats... (only 2 and not in my way, but really, how can you go out on something that says 'mega wave team' down the side? Have some self respect, man!) Anyway, the first wave was the best! as per fucking usual, why why is that? Am fresh I suppose. Fresh, clart!

Huff. Rant over! I had a good time, personally had a better surf than yesterday but not hoping for much tomorrow. Sore already, did some yoga to try to realign things! Now beer, to dull the pain...

whitesands

...was 3-4ft on the push, light offshores, SWEET!! At last, I get a decent surf. First wave was a blinder, got another one I was pleased with. Lots of closeouts - the biggest ones, typical. Head cold when paddling out, but ok after a while. Only 10 or so out in the hour or two I was there.


There was an OTL'er parked next to me but I was to shy to say, hey, who are you?! G reg Merc, who's guilty?

Went to Ma Simes and dropped off the Nev to be sold (lovely 6'2" but it's too good for me) and part-ex'd the Rip Curl wettie off eBay for a brand spanking new O'Neill Psycho II. Oh the joy - I was only cold during the longest lull, and it's so flexible. I only got out because I wanted to squeeze in a surf back home, but I was just too late, getting dark and tide too high. But the swell has definately hit, and it's going to be excellent tomorrow early on the drop.

Introduced myself to who I presume are the new Ship owners by walking in ('twas shut) to go to the loo like I owned the place! Oops. Wonder how long they've been here, really should try to keep up with the gossip to avoid looking like a tit.

carve

Well, I've sent in my app for the Carve job. I cannot imagine how many people will be trying for it - tens for sure, maybe hundreds! I read in an old Carve a response to a letter where someone was asking, how do I get a job as a surf journalist? They basically replied, don't bother: there are only about 5 or 6 fulltime jobs in the country! I remember being pretty well put off by this letter, not that it stopped me writing. I just didn't want to bash my head against a wall. The letter also said, become a cheery features writer. Alright if you happen to have married Gabe Davies or something - you've got the contacts all set up (as well as a bloody gorgeous man).

Down on myself for not getting a job whose application hasn't even been received yet...! I'm not sure I chose the right examples of my work and I didn't like my critique. I had to struggle not to sound overly formal or overly casual. Maybe casual would have been cool, like Carve style, I mean I love the way it's like listening to your most lucid, surf-crazy mate relate their latest adventure, but it's a serious job and... oh, I dunno.

But it has made me more determined to get a proofreading/copy-editing/writing job. I love IT, but it's not all-consuming like words are to me.

And I can't live away from the sea for much longer, that is for absolutely sure.

thesaurus

Stuck for the perfect word? The Visual Thesaurus is a beautiful way to find synonyms and stimulate creativity. Fun to play with, but you have to pay after a few tries!

There's a doco about Rell “Kapolioka'ehukai” Sunn available in the States; I don't think anyone sells it over here though. I've put it on my Christmas list anyway. “Kapolioka'ehukai” was her middle name, given to her by her grandmother. It means 'heart of the sea', which is the title of the film.

banned

Hooray, a solution to my Band Aid - Do They Know It's Awful? dilemma. Unfortunately, my copy isn't physical. I'm just going to have to take pleasure in the 'snip' sound my empyting Trash makes. It's going nowhere near Kiama.

link

You can now listen to Big Midget here... 05 the calm blue.mp3

big midget

The two samples I've heard are chilled summery music. At the moment it's a leap to remember what that's like. This sort of music helps! Their CD is for sale on eBay, and as it's only £3 I've got myself one. Very melodious, happy type stuff. I hope to stick up a link to one of the samples so you can make up your own minds (but I have to ask them first!)

sal

Poor old Mart is 'sick' today, missing some nice surf at Rest by all accounts. The OTL members who went for a surf left him a little get-well soon message which the Rest Bay webcam picked up...



That'll cheer him up.

midget aid

Glad to see that the iTunes music store has taken its head from its arse and put the Band Aid song on for 79p. They are then donating 70p themselves for each track. The PR dept should have seen it coming. Unfortunately it does mean I have to buy it, but I suppose there's nothing to say I have to then listen to it. Just the thought of Will Young sends a little shiver down my back for some reason (seriously).

Email this morning from a band called Big Midget who are selling their cd 'the calm blue' on eBay and cite influences such as JBT, Blind Melon (oh Shannon, I wish you'd stayed with us), Ben, Jack, that sort of thing. While I admire their enterprising spirit, I'm not sure spamming is the way to go about building up a fan base. But I'm curious to see what they're like, so hopefully they'll send me a free MP3.