Location : O
Time/Length : AM/3.0
Rating : *****
Performance : ***
Board : Hansen 50/50
Notes : Well Tina and I made it down to LA to see Gina who was renting a nice Adobe themed shack in Culver City. C Street in Ventura was on deck and we left before dawn. An hour later we met Eric S. in the parking lot – a long time no see – he was riding the brothers Marshall power-morphing log. G was riding her 94 LA brothers Marshall. C Street was a gold kissed California dream- blue skies -a slight offshore and near glassy lines in a four-tiered set up. The furthest tier was way out by the point – then tiers 2, 3 and 4. 4 was closest to shore but each tier had lines coming through.
I was riding a vintage 92 Hansen 50:50 kindly supplied by Jack K. (his Dad – Mark K. – just wrote a great review of Finnegan’s barbarian days in the TLS.) It was floaty with rounded rails. I felt nervous because the waves were so perfect. I needed to get one under the belt. After catching a nice inside right – (see video – after which the battery died on the camera rendering it a useless wrist appendage for the rest of the session) – I got a feel for the board and decided to paddled out to Tier 3 and wait for something to come my way and not piss off a local. It was a bit of a wait- 30 minutes? I was pretty cautious – generously giving away waves to folk. Finally, something came my way. – Clearly mine position wise. Head high.
THE WAVE – PART ONE
I got right up. Shockingly a jabrone shoulder hopped me – right as I was racing off the lip. (I knew he wasn’t that good a surfer because I had watched him earlier) I felt confident enough to yell “hey I m on it” . He either didn’t hear or was ignoring me.
The wave was just starting and it looked like we were going to be partners. It was big and clean enough that we could both pick a separate line. He rode it high and I was low. I couldn’t kick out even if I wanted to because he was above and slightly ahead of me position wise. I calmed down and settled in. The wave stayed this way for what seemed an eternity – both of us riding our respective slots – I’m guessing 200 yards. Then things changed.
THE WAVE PART TWO
It switched up and started to hollow out. The jabrone glanced back and noticed me – I think he genuinely thought he was alone on the wave. He then – thank god – made a polite yet inelegant dismount. Part two was all mine.
I hit the high line immediately because the wave offered up a very wide feathering lip that seemed to be collapsing behind me. I kept racing along – maybe for a hundred yards. Looking down the line however I could see the end was nigh. It was going to close out around me if I didn’t make it around a section. I didn’t think I could make it but as the white water constricted around me – and another sweet open section in view-I dug in and perched near the nose angling to sweep around the section. I made it- barely – slightly off kilter. I regained my footing and confidence. With the whitewater section now behind me I braced myself for what looked to be a completely different ride.
THE WAVE PART THREE
The final section was smaller and hollower. (The first part was wide breaking – it’s crest crumbling and with a great big slope.) I had now travelled way inside. I kept down low crouched and in the pocket -almost covered – maybe another 75 yards. Finally the wave more or less ceased to exist. No big crashing end. I shot out to a flat water dismount
I immediately felt it was the greatest ride of my life and said as much to E and G.
I got a few more outside ones then moved to the inside- it was all groomed to perfection. G and E grabbed a nice right in tandem that I wish I could have caught on film.
Definitely a Very solid 5. As far as the sun drenched California dream with friends filled with laughter and great times I would have to quote spinal tap and turn the dial up to 11.
Stats/Video : https://vimeo.com/149357830?utm_source=email&utm_medium=vimeo-cliptranscode-201504&utm_campaign=29220