a Turning Point

[El Kneelo]

I believe that everyone has a moment in their life that is a turning point, where there is no longings, no problems, and no expectations. A moment when you are at total peace with everything! Then everything changes! This was mine:
"It's going off at the Wedge! Grab your board and come on!" my friend Steve exclaimed as he stood at my door on a Wednesday afternoon. (Why always Wednesdays? Hmm…) I asked: "Cool if Amy comes?" "Sure! Let's go!
So I grabbed my SunLine (Team Abdul) 5"5" twin w/ channels, my Churchill's and we jumped into his Fiat Spyder. I sat behind Steve, in what was considered a "Rear seat", with Amy on my lap. Our boards were loaded into the passenger side of the little convertible and we were on our way!
That particular summer I had fallen deeper and deeper into the punk rock scene and was going out to long beach, LA and Hollywood on the weekends. I can remember times paddling out pretty hung over! I had also fallen head over heels for Amy.
Amy was a neighbor girl, who lived down the street. She was always running away and getting into trouble. It started out that I wanted to show her how to mellow out and just smoke pot and have a couple of beers. She wanted to show me how to take pills and all the rest… She won!
Part of what had always attracted me to kneeboarding was that it was sort of underground, sort of out of the normal! I guess that you could say the same for me!
I was sixteen. By this time I had black-purple hair shaved up the back and long in front, 6 earrings, my Doc Martens, leather jacket, blah blah blah… I was so punk rock it hurt! Hahaha! (The '80's)
My friend and neighbor, Steve was good and wholesome (an actual Eagle Scout) who didn't drink or smoke Chud. We had little in common except kneeboarding! I don't know why he was always such a good friend to me? Anyways, Steve had a fascination for the wedge, his grandparents at one time, had a beach house in Balboa. So he grew up spending summers at the wedge. I would too when I visited him! The Wedge was our favorite spot Aug-Nov. I had broken two boards there: a Small Faces and an old Fiber-craft. The Wedge isn't that dangerous when it's big, it's when it's small and you are riding shore break that you're going to do a head plant! You have to keep in mind "Parallel not perpendicular to the shore!"
Anyway, by the time we got to the Wedge, it was afternoon. I remember walking out with Steve and Amy, there was still a small crowd watching, 15-20 people. The waves were as big as I'd ever seen them! 25ft+ They were so big that they were pitching over the Jetty into the channel! I looked over at Steve and he at me and he said "Don't be scared it's only water!" (Our battle cry) I just looked back to the surf and grunted. I don't know if I would have paddled out solo? I don't think Steve would have either but we strengthened each other! (Didn't want to wuss out, you know?)
The waves were coming in one on top of the other in four or five wave sets. We paddled out between sets (about 20 yards!) At the Wedge, you never take the first set wave. That wave goes up the beach, comes back, meets the incoming swell that's peaking over the submerged rock, while, if situations are right, (as was this day) a side wave bounces off the Jetty and meets at the peak! All three coming together lifts you 20-30 ft in the air! You're looking at dropping in 20-25ft straight down! My heart is beating just writing this!!!
We each caught a couple of waves: 20ft + Fast-Fast lefts! I don't remember much of the first couple of waves except that my adrenalin was pumping and I was muttering "Oh my God oh my God" over and over to myself. I do remember people cheering us! Cheering us? What? I've never been cheered for??
I remember the biggest wave that I've ever ridden!
I waited for the third set wave; I remember hearing the splash of the water in the channel on the other side of the jetty as the waves broke! The back wave joined the set wave at the same time that the side wave joined them over the submerged rock! I was starring down 30ft to the bottom! I yelled "Fxxk life!" (Another battle cry)! As, against every human instinct, I dropped in-got up-bottom turned (all in the blink of an eye!) I was flying! The shoulder was pulling back a bit so I hit the lip! I snapped back, free fall, reentry, I continued under a section, then saw my out. I turned out a little and cut back vert! I hit the lip and was launched probably 15ft in the air! I tucked and did a somersault (Sort of a kook trick!). I knew right then that I wasn't going to get another ride like that! And I was worn out from the adrenalin; I got out of the water.
As I came up the beach people were patting me on the back and shaking my hand? It was indeed surreal! Growing up I'd participated in sports but more out of an obligation to my parents than love for athletics. I don't remember anyone cheering for me?
I got back to the scub tree under which Amy had made our camp. I was sitting on the sand watching Steve ride his final waves. Someone came by and said something like "Great wave! You're awesome!" or something like that, then Amy walked over and sat in my lap. I leaned forward and kissed the top of her head. If I died right at that moment, I could have been content! That was the most perfect moment that I have ever known (so far)! What more could a guy ask for? I had just ridden the biggest wave of my life, people were cheering me and the girl that I loved since I was a kid is sitting in my arms? Little did I know that that would be the last time I surfed for almost ten years!
When the sun went down, the spell was broken… I remember that we stopped off at a Shakey's Pizza on the way home. The next three years I was less and less sober. Punk gigs, gang fights, with and without my gang! (You get your ass kicked in a gang fight without your gang!) Heartache, Cristal meth, OD's, Psych-Hospitals, , car wreaks, ICU'S…. I got stuck sober in'87 but didn't get back into the water until the mid 90's.
I realize that you see the past through rose colored glasses! I hope and pray that this doesn't sound like bragging, just an incredable Turning point in my life that happened to include kneeboarding hat was right before I stepped off the edge into my drinking and hardcore drug use. It's said that God shows mercy on drunks and fools, I was both!

[El Kneelo]

I was talking to someone this weekend at the orphanage. This guy had surfed the Wedge also. I forgot all about the roar of the waves and how you could feel the eath shake when the waves broke! It has been over 30 years, maybe in my mind things have gotten a little distorted? 30 years? My God! It seams like yesterday... I used to be hip, slick and cool... now I'm just lumpy and dumpy!
I firmly believe that Youth is wasted on the young!
Ian