north shore 08

[Mike Fernandez]

and M.F. how long did all those smilies take
what is there no surf in pennsylvania right now

Ohhh low blow, cheap shot, no fair!

Scott, glad your alright, Sunset tends to scar people up one way or another. I still have one on my shoulder blade from a fin.

Anyone surf Rocky Point? How was the crowd? That's were I would have been. My favorite left.

[Smokin Rock]

Mike,
i stayed with Syd at Rocky point and got off the couch long enough to watch a couple of sessions at Rocky's. at least 20-30 guys out for the lefts.
8-10 of some of the best surfers on Oahu burning the remaining 20 guys on nearly every single wave. some of the most blatant hacks i've seen in quite awhile. funny though.....the nite before as the swell was finally getting small enough to ride there was no one out and it was 6'.
interesting how inversely proportional "the tough attitude" is. when it's 2-3' everyone one is a tough guy alpha male constantly marking their territory and ready to fight but when it's 10' everyone is sooooo polite.
"you go"!
"no...you first"
"no, i insist....after you"

(disclaimer) the above conversation will never take place at Pipe or Sunset. ever.

[Mike Fernandez]

Thanks Mike

[Jack Beresford]

I really enjoyed reading all the stories and especially the amazing photos from the trip! Steen - you've really established yourself as an ace shooter!

All in all - the best content I've seen on this site in a while. Quite refreshing!

Jack

[Kauaikneelo]

What? No waves in Oz and no stores in CA? Poor guys got to come to the islands to shop and surf! Hey, we have a Kmart ova here! But no waves

[barry]

Ok another installment for the masses (and M.F.)
Bill, Jamie, and I were lookin for surf. started out as usual at Buds, yards was kinda a wash, sunset looked kinda wonky to. so we load up in the car
spend an hour or 2 checking a few spots, nowhere is really doin it at this point
OK (might o been abit spoiled after 6 days straight)
decide to give rockies a shot. sometimes you can nab a couple inbetweeners
between the outside bombs washing through if you dont mind paddling your ass of and takin some on the head.
so we are cruisin past sunset and pull in to check a set and realise its
kinda cleanin up and theres only 3 guys out
we all figure 'WTF' lets have a go
so we all grab our boards that have the most foam and start paddlin.
we make it out and find Ken Bradshaw and 2 others sportin atleast
11 footers
Jamie scores a biggie pretty quick and then Bradshaw nabs the 1 after it.
Bill proceeds to paddle about 20 yards deeper than everyone.
and I am just hanging trying to take it all in, ya see its my first shot at REAL sunset,
I've surfed the point a few times with Buddy but this is more like the real deal
so Jamie makes it back out with a BIG smile telling me that after Bradshaw kicked out the next few they had to go under and Kens leash broke
so now theres just 5 of us. too bitchin

[barry]

so we see Bill consistantly deeper then everybody,
chargin, going for any wave that will peak up near him!
I start to catch a few and Jamie is beaming after catching some long ones
after about an hour some others started to realise that sunset was the place to be so out they came
wasnt to big a deal cuz there were plenty of waves and most were being ridden solo
the trades were picking back up so most of the drops were blind due to all the spray coming up the face.
I was starting to get my groove on,
so with the spray in my face I just put my head down and paddled as hard as I could, then when I couldnt see any wave under me
I would just push up and charge over the ledge.
it was an Awesome feeling to be flying down the face and then put it on the rail into a big bottom turn
then accelerate back up the face and down the line!!!
what a ride, what a feelin, what a rush!
we spent about 3 hours out there, what a classic session!
some of the guys made comments that it
"seems like you kneelos are havin a lotta fun"
and we were!!!
we all came in with BIG Smiles after that sesh

[Scott]

Great post, Barry, and an fitting description of what it's like to surf Sunset. It's really a unique wave and everyone who has the opportunity should give it a go at least once. Not an easy place to get a barrel but it makes up for it in many other thrills.

It was 6-8' (Hawaiian) again today, and still glassy with light offshores. Paul and I again charged out at Sunset early in the morning to a light, friendly crowd (but always a pretty aggressive crowd in terms of gettin' their waves). Every wave well overhead and a treat. Best memory was a larger set wave closer to the channel, with everyone scratching to get there. I was a bit wider than most and just got to the edge of the peak in time to spin around and kick in at the last second. Super steep. I tried to take an angle to avoid pearling. My fins broke loose and I fell fell/slid backward down half of the face. I kept my balance, and somehow the fins slid back in; I made the drop clean and the rest of the wave. I don't think I could do that again if I tried it 5 times in a row.

After a few hours, I moved deeper into the Point for some of the rogue waves that came through there--it cost me. I took one of the larger sets of the day right on the head--long hold downs for about four waves. Beautiful, though, in one sense; you can dive down as far as possible and look up in the clear water as the foam flies above you. Then down reach those long white spikes of churning water, like menacing stalagtites, and they finally get you and give you a good spinning around while you feel the stress on your leg rope. No damage to me (got my helmet on!) but my board had a 4' strip of glass ripped off and the board creased just above the front fin line. I didn't notice it until later and was lucky I didn't have it split right apart under me on my final wave. Hopefully, a skilled ding repair guy can save it. It's a great bigger wave board and deserves to live!

Backyards was also firing this morning with about 40 guys out. Some real tubes available to the good riders. I took some lineup shots I'll try to post.

Pam and I sat in front of Pipeline later this morning to take in the scene. Only a touch overhead in size but thirty guys crammed into about a 75' square takeoff area. And two guys bobbing in the line up on their stand up paddle boards. They generally were a nuisance to everyone else when they'd take off. So many tube rides from the main surf and bodyboard crew it almost gets old. But the whole crowd scene is just too much to want to be part of, IMO. Or maybe it's just that razor reef...

But my kneeboarding is done now; I'm back in Honolulu and flying out Sunday. However, there is some south swell building tomorrow which lights up this side of the island. I've got access to a long board and plan to give Diamond Head a go.

Smokin' Rock: loved your description of the Rocky Point crowd!

[Mike Fernandez]

BARRY: "I was starting to get my groove on,
so with the spray in my face I just put my head down and paddled as hard as I could, then when I couldnt see any wave under me
I would just push up and charge over the ledge.
it was an Awesome feeling to be flying down the face and then put it on the rail into a big bottom turn"

SCOTT: "It was 6-8' (Hawaiian) again today, and still glassy with light offshores. Paul and I again charged out at Sunset early in the morning to a light, friendly crowd (but always a pretty aggressive crowd in terms of gettin' their waves). Every wave well overhead and a treat. Best memory was a larger set wave closer to the channel, with everyone scratching to get there. I was a bit wider than most and just got to the edge of the peak in time to spin around and kick in at the last second. Super steep. I tried to take an angle to avoid pearling. My fins broke loose and I fell fell/slid backward down half of the face. I kept my balance, and somehow the fins slid back in; I made the drop clean and the rest of the wave. I don't think I could do that again if I tried it 5 times in a row. "



Great descriptions you guys. Way to charge it Scott, Barry!

[jim richardson]

Awesome pics and commentary boys. It sounds and looks like you had a great time. Barry sorry to hear about you having your ass handed to you for a day, but from the pictures it looks like you got it back in the right place. Freddie what can I say ...Nice shots! I'm jealous of all you guys. I just got back from a trip to Baja Sur and the surf was fun 4' to 8' some bigger sets, but it didnt look like the stuff you guys had. Beautiful!

[BillL]

It really was a great trip! I started in Kauai where I got to surf the bay really good. Lots of different types of boards out there, from air lubricated surfboards( holes in the deck traversing to the bottom into a big channel) short boards that are really thick (3 1/2 to 4 1/2 ") so they paddle like long boards, 9'0"+ guns ( the majority), SUP's who ripped and were totally polite, assorted short board shredders and the token kneeboarder. I managed to snag a few by myself and then ran into Steve Lis who was riding a 9'0" 5 fin. Had a nice chat with him, congratulated him on his resurgence,he checked my board and gave Buddy his seal of approval.
When I got to Oahu it was pumping! The first afternoon we watched a handful trying to tackle maxing Sunset. Saw a couple of 9'0"s snap, one of which happened when the guy was trying to get in from the shorebreak, it was heavy!
The following 5 days were a surfing blur, lots of good waves, good beatings, whales cavorting, a beautiful ceremony and lots of friends.
Ray, Jamie and I had an all time session one afternoon with just one or two other guys, who were lamenting that they forgot their fins as we were motoring into the sets. Although Jamie didn't need no stinkin flippers, his paddling, positioning and surfing was spot on! For a while it was just us two, trading waves. Very similiar to a session I shared with Barry a couple years ago, we just caught that perfect window of opportunity..

[BillL]

Did I forget to mention Fred? Every time he paddled out he caught some great barrels and the people out in the water parted like the Red Sea to give him waves. You think having a darker complexion had something to do with it? Sign me up for the next Al Jolson makeup call.
Another epic session: Barry and I paddle out after driving the strip trying to find some different surf to no avail. We see some bombs and some real good ones too plus the crowd isn't too bad... It turns out to be a semi repeat of the other day only with trades that bump up the face, making it a bit more amusing. Barry is killing it, I kept seeing big sprays off the back of the waves and Barry flying off the shoulder of some screamers. We got mopped by a couple outside sets which added to the session. You can't expect to surf waves of consequence without paying your dues, it's gonna happen so be prepared!
On that day Jamie, Barry and I surfed Sunset, I was using my guerilla tactics and got caught inside on a outside West peak bomb. This guy was dropping in and I'm right in front of him so I paddle to the left to get out of his way. He sees me, hesitates and gets pitched right in front of me. I'm starting to take a major beating when I feel this body slide down my side going down into the abyss. So I grabbed his arm and pulled him up with me (flippers are a definate advantage) and this guy comes up just sputtering! Nice Aussie gentleman, apologizes and offers to undo his leash so we can untangle our boards which I agree to. We both copped a few more on the head and got back outside.

[jamie]

flashback everytime i read a new post.
Two guys who were everywhere but rarely mentioned are Ray and K.

Ray hangs out at Buddy's and is another example of the different levels that Buddy reaches out to kneelos from everywhere no matter what?
Ray is always watching backyards and when he calls it as being good or as good as he has seen it for a while you gotta go with his call. His had some tough times at some stage of his life and definitely is in a better place right now. During my first surf out at 2nd reef backyards with the jet skis i put myself into a big bowling section just out from the normal take off zone, it was my first surf on this trip and i was not ready for the consequences so i quietly bailed out as the lip pitched over, as i came up I was thinking I should of had go and even now i am wondering what if.....?
When i came in sure enough Ray points out that i bailed on a screamer!
So four or five days later I am out with Bill and Ray during the all time session bill describes above, I hit the same bowl section on a bigger one only this time Ray is paddling out and is going to be duckdiving thru the face if I pull in - I just have to pull in with Ray hooting as I set it up, and as it turns out I get the best barrel of my trip and sneak out the doggy door just before the wave explodes on the shallow bit at the end section. I get a few more barrels during this session but rarely fully relax on any of them, Bill on the otherhand looks like his sitting in a lounge chair when he gets slotted on almost every second wave.

K is a character from Japan who arrives on day 3 of my trip, he speaks little English but more than i speak japanese - and i have japanese sister in law. I have an all time surf at Puena Point with K the afternoon that Fred,Barry and Bill arrive. Its one of those surfs that would never happen but for dial you in Buddy who sends us there after a quick call from Paul Wuslich who has been checking it all morning. The waves were like big Burleigh on steroids for the aussies or I imagine big Rincon for guys from cali. K and i didnt do many turns but we sure raced plenty down the line and took a few on the head for our trouble.

Paul who had done the recon on Puena in the morning paddled out after we had been out for nearly 2.5 hrs and we left him to it till dark. I think he score a couple too!

[Mike Fernandez]

Thanks for the description BillL! I wasn't exaggerating when I said Big Fred was a barrel master in Indo, looks like he pulled the same stunts on the NS Interesting you mentioned about the short thick boards people were riding. I wonder if they got that from windsurfing. The new rage which started at least five years ago were short boards that are kinda wide, but really thick, or as they say in windsurfing, "a lot of volume."

[southpeakbrad]

Wow Barry, Bill, Scott, Jamie, Fred! I'm almost sucking air just reading about all of the adventures you guys had. Thanks for the report! It makes so many of us want that experience, and to not want it, in the same thought

Steen, thanks for all of the awesome shots. So cool for the boys to have the memories.

Saw Bill coming down the hill this AM and I had to ask how this trip rates among his multitude of trips....he says, "Oh...probably top 5 or 6...."