Mike Fernandez

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slats
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Mike Fernandez

Post by slats »

One for all Mike's mates in the States.

Mike has been spending the last couple of days of his trip to Australia with Ken Stapleton ( Stapo) and he decided to celebrate his trip last night by going out with the boy's in Sydney.

I just received this text message from Stapo.

'Mike passed out on the kitchen floor, he can't stay on his feet, he's f#$@,
I can't get him off to bed to go to the airport.."

Mike should have an interesting long trip home...we hope you have a smooth flight Mike,.
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Post by randiego »

Comedy! :twisted: :twisted: Go Mike!!

Man. That's a long flight to be hung over. I'd keep 'er going :shock: :shock:


.
Last edited by randiego on Thu Mar 20, 2008 7:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by Masons »

F*** yah Mike, do work son!!
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Post by Bintang Bob »

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Kneel before the majesty of our mother ocean
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Post by Bintang Bob »

actually my heart goes out to him.... :roll: BUT, he did interest Stapo's & Murrey Weir's sons in a "pub crawl".... :lol: both those guys play league rugby at a pro level, they're big men & great guys.... Mike woulda never known what he was in for & I'm betting he got as many over his head as in him (if a round is bought & you can't drink your, it goes over your head).... :lol: hope he survives the flight home & I'm glad I got out of Sydney the night before.... 8)
Kneel before the majesty of our mother ocean
SFKneelo

Post by SFKneelo »

Oh good GAWD! :lol: :lol: :lol:

That brings back some memories...

Paging Mike F.... paging Mike F.... Mike F, to the white courtesy phone, please.

You OK? Please share!

One quick flashback is this time many moons ago... heading down to Mazatlan for Spring Break the cheap and cheerful way... by train out of Mexicali.

Jack? You out there? There's some pix still out there. Not good pix at all.
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Post by twinfinfish »

:oops: :oops: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: Hang in there Mike !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Smokin Rock »

Mike,
sounds like a classic end to a awesome trip. i hope you'll give us a few stories when you start feeling better. :lol:
"This sucks more than anything that has ever sucked before." Butt-head
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Post by KenM »

Just imagine, hangover on top of jetlag. Yoiks. Maybe the hangover will wear off by the time the jetlag sets in.
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Post by Jimbo »

Damn - this all sounds too great! I'm goin down under next year!
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Post by Jeff »

:wink:
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Post by KneeBumps »

Best cure would be to stay another 3 weeks! :lol:
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All I want in this life and time is some hit and run"
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Post by Mark Ramirez »

What's the rush Mike, the key here is complete recovery. You'll have to stay much longer :D
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Mike Fernandez

Post by Freddie »

Hey Mike just stay and ENJOY!!!!!!!!!
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Post by Mike Fernandez »

OMG I was hammered! :shock:
First, before the stories, I would like to thank Ken Stapo for putting me up at his house in Sydney, and in Jervis Bay. His, and his wife, Sharon's hospitality just doesn't get any better. Kenny's roots go way back to the first boats to land in Sydney back in the day. He was awarded the Presidential Medal for sport for his history in Rugby. Kenny taught me the difference between Australian Rules Rugby, Rugby Union, and Rugby League. I am now a Balmain Tiger fan, it's the team Kenny recruits, and trains with.
When I won the auction at the Worlds for a stay in a condo at Jervis, and a Drift board, I didn't know I would find out so much more. Sydney is really a good looking city. Kind of reminds me of the Jettsons cartoon with all the new skyscrapers, and the way the freeway meanders between them.
My first surf was at Dee Why beach with Kenny and Kell, Murray Weirs son, who is going to be a pro rugby player. He's also a good kneeboarder. Dee Why was about 4-6ft, and bumpy, but I was just glad to get into the water. I am glad I was baptised to OZ waters at Peter Crawfords home turf!
I was riding what Kenny calls his magic board.
The next day Bintang Bob and his wife Suzy came, we went to see Bruce Hart, they picked up their new baords, and we took off down south to Jervis Bay.
It was great seeing Bruce again. I would have shot some pics, but he wasn't shaping this day.
We got to Jervis Bay late in the day, met up with Slats and Waka, then went for a surf at a place called Black Rabbit. Got some nice 6ft lefts. I was riding one of Waka's boards, and it worked well. We stayed out till night :shock: never thought I would surf with the sharks, but it was fun :D
Waka was telling people in the lineup I was the Arizona Wave Pool Champion, and I won a trip to OZ. People believed him. I figured I would go along with it because the chicks would dig it :P :lol:
I had a great time hanging out with Rob (Slats), and Adam (Waka). What a couple of fun guys to hang with. We were always laughing about something.
After a couple days of surfing small stuff, Waka and Rob's son Mark took me to OZ Pipe. It was about 3-4ft, but had some power, so I got a tube on my first wave. That is what I promised myself I would do. Nothing great, just a tube. But Mark was getting five secs. tube rides in front of me 8) Mark has a great style, and is really good. I think Rob was impressed in the fact that Mark ordered a couple of boards, and actually paid for them. When you find a good shaper, stick with him, even if it's your dad. :wink:
Afterwards we went and got a cappucino and a meatpie. :D
The next day, Waka, Rob, Mark, and me went and surfed 4ft. Pipe. I got some dry tubes, then started taking some water shots. I'm glad I started shooting, this was the last day that Pipe broke during my trip. I only have one roll of film to show for it. Next time. :wink:
About 500 feet out, what looked like a three foot dorsal fin came out of the water along with some splashing. There were about six standups out with me, and some spongers. The standups were standing on their boards to get a better look. I asked if it was a shark, they said yes, I said it didn't look like Whitey because it looked kinda reddish. I was going to get the next wave in, but the standups all beat me in :P :twisted: Bloody cowards paddled in! When I went in, Rob said it was a seal.
Afterwards we went and got a cappucino and a meatpie.:D
Waka then gave me one of his many grand tours of the Bay area. What a beautiful coastline! And we saw some Wallabies, and Roos during the tours over several days.
Afterwards we went and got a cappucino and a meatpie. :D
The next day Rob and Waka took me cliff hiking to the secret place they go Sambo hunting. Crazy wave that I would never drop in on. It wasn't really working, so it didn't matter, but what a great view of the coastline.8)
Afterwards we got a cappucino and a meatpie :D
The next couple of days the only place working with the wind, and swell was Comerong Island, problem was the road to get there was under contruction, so we had to paddle across a 1/4 mile inlet, and hop some bolders to get to the sucky right wedge break. It was a tough paddle as the tide moved, and the fear of the landlord was always present. The first time we did it, there was a school teacher taking a group pf 15 spongers across, so after Waka introduced me as the Arizona Wave Pool King, and I stood there with my thumbs up posing :P :lol: :lol: :lol: Waka says to the teacher, hell, now there is only a one in 17 chance of us getting attacked :shock: :lol:
We get across to the break, and there is one Mal out there. A Mal (Malibu) is what the Ozzies call loggers. :P So I figure the dude is dissapointed to see us, but he has nothing to fear from us, he looks like Donk from the Crocodile Dundy movie, or an ex rugby dude. But wait, now he sees 15 spongers scrambling over the rocks :lol: :lol: :lol: I don't think he was pleased. He ripped every wave he got.
After surfing 3-4 hours, and paddling across the inlet again, we went for a cappucino and a meatpie :D
The next day the waves were kinda small, so I went fishing with Rob, and Freddie, another good kneelo. He had a tinnie, and I think I caught just about every kind of fish there is out there in the crystal clear clean water. Flathead, Red Rock Cod, almost a Salmon, got off when he jumped in the air, Tailor, Red Snapper, Sambo, and even a yellow Moray Eel. :shock: He bit my line as we were trying to get a pic.
We had a GREAT dinner that night at Rob's with everyone. A regular Barby :D
The next day was day one of the Bendalong contest at Bendalong Beach, about a half hour away. It's the only contest I remember from the 70's magazines, and it was a lot of fun. I had the first heat with Albert. He's a gracious competitor, and a good guy. My next heat was with Baden Smith, another great competitor, and good guy. In my opinion, Baden is the epitomy of professionalism in surfing, and board prep. It was interesting watching him, prepare for his heats, and surf his heats. I got smoked in my heats, but I had a lot of fun. I have had my time in the limelight, I am here now for the comeraderie.
I surfed about 8 hours this day.
In the evening I went to the party house, but I just had my surfing gear, so Kenny lent me a pair of trunks, and underwear. It was a fun party/barby with great sausage sandwiches with tomato sauce, and coleslaw mixed into the bun.
The next day, I thanked Kenny for the trunks, and appologized for the underwear :shock: :lol: :lol: :lol:
Day two I surfed about 6 hours. Both days were about 3ft faces. I was impressed watching the guys surfing the little whimpy waves. The contest surf gods didn't let us down with a good dose of the mediocrity found in contests. They also gave us smooth conditions during the contest. Bendalong must be a good wave at about 6-8ft.
I got to try Keg's Elmo board, it worked great, such a weird shape, but it felt like mine. It didn't have a leash, but I didn't need one, I never fell off. Great looking Elmo bedsheet glassed in the board instead of fiberglass. :lol:
Then I rode one of Bayden's boards. It's a different kind of board. A quad shaped by Stewart Ponsin. 6' x 22 1/4" wide. Full concave on the bottom. Took some getting used to.
It was great meeting and surfing with many of the guys we chat with here. Keg, Scoop, Wolruss, Tony Wales, Simon, Bayden, Bumps, Albert, Crippled Crusader, and others I might have forgotten. Also hung with Steen on the beach, he was taking pictures with Rob. Steen was on the beach with his sheila. Sometimes it was kinda hard keeping our eyes from roaming as the sheila's walked by on the beach. :shock: We didn't want to make Steen's uncomfortable. I swear he was only shooting the surfing :lol: :P I was thinking of surfing Woolongong, but the place is a desert for waves. :twisted:
The next few days were spent surfing, watching Rob shape, glass, and sand boards, and drinking cappucino's and eating meatpies with Waka :lol:
The dreaded day came when I would have to leave paradise for the return trip to Sydney.
When I got back, Jay, Kenny's son took me to surf North Narrabeen, home of Simon, and Nov I am told. It was a fun 4ft. The place must be unreal at 6-8ft. Afterwards Jay showed me Monavale, another famous spot I remember from the 70's Tracks mags.
The last night I went and saw a Balmain Tiger rugby league game. Pretty cool! Some freakin hard hitting going on. I was on the field shooting pictures, but it was tough with only a 24mm lens. I am still waiting for the film to get developed.
I was making fun of how the Ozzies don't drink pints, but schooners which are smaller, so I challenged Jay, Kell, and one of Jay's friends (Mike) to go on a pub crawl to see if they could hang with me :shock: :shock: :shock: Well, we hit the first pub, and I slammed a schooner down, but Kell beat me, so I was in second place, then I saw Mike cheat and try to put a 1/3 full glass back on the bar as we were leaving, well I really capitalized on this incedent, and really started talking GOOD WORD :lol: So after the next pub, I dropped to third, then the next one I was back up to second, then the dreaded Jagerbomb was offered. I should of bailed, but I didn't want the young guys to get off so easily, so I downed it! :shock: I don't drink the hard stuff, and usually I am hammered after two pints, but this night was different!
It didn't end here, we went to another pub, the Union Hall, and I was so hammered I drank some kind of blue liquid they were drinking, well that was the end. I am sure I ended up in 2nd/3rd place :twisted: I got a taxi back, as the guys were mingling with the sheila's, and I had a plane to catch. It was 3am at this point. I had to be at the airport at 8am. Well Kenny woke me up, and once I stood, I knew I was fockkkked! :shock: I had to squat cause I felt weird, then I fell back :shock: Now I was thinking, :lol: no prob, I'm staying another week, but Kenny gave me an aspirin, and I made it to the airport and past security :shock: :twisted:
What a great trip! It wouldn't have been half the fun without Kenny, Waka, and Rob. For that I am thankful! Thanks to Rob's wife, and Waka's wife for letting them hang with me so much.
It was great meeting Bintang Bob, and sharing the Coopers Red with him, and surfing with Suzy.
As Governor Swarzenegger once said "I'll be back!" And soon! :wink:
I am a traveller of both time and space, a weaver in and out of dreams, I see worlds seldom seen.

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Rocky Point/Black Rock
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