New Flashpoints coming to Florida

[surfhorn]

I'm in agreement here. The "Art of Small Wave Riding" can really tune up one's surfing abilities.

Its really easy to ride a big juicy wave but try and perfrom on a slow, dribbling under-3' wave and look out. My old KBs would barely pick up a small wave let alone actually plane.

To keep tuned up in the summer when things really get small, I pull out my 1966 9'10" Yater step-deck longboard. Definitely, God's gift to the standups! What an amazing board. I can a surf 6 inch wave, pumping on the tiniest of wave surfaces. I've also surfed it in 6 foot lined up Pleasure Point. This LB is the culmination of years of design.

I feel that by riding the LB in small conditions, I keep that sense of planing and that translates directly across to my KBing.

But there's a down side to this: most of my worst accidents have happened in small, weak surf, when you're not really paying attention.

[willli]

sitting in the line-up on a lazy summer morning and looking up I would watch the stunt planes ( bi-planes, super bee..) that left from Gabriski in Westhampton to work on maneuvres over the ocean, and intentional stall is integral to some of their more spectacular tricks.. there are good stalls, and disasterous ones.
One maneuvre I enjoy in small waves is the lip stall. I love to feel the momentum shift from forward to sideways, from ME to the WAVE. The tipping point is sublime, the re-entry even more critical than takeoff, but you are there positioned, poised for a moment where nature reminds you why you can even ride in the first place. A flick of the tail and you sideslip into the wave.. or you can poise and wait for gravity and water to take you in an apparently slow dive down onto your forward inside rail where the transition to acceleration is rapid and strong.
The floater sequence by Baden in "Sparrow" was both remarkable and familiar. It would look very different if shot from overhead, more like a series of turns than just up and down.
The point is the frequently gutless conditions endured by the East coast(usa) surfer require the mind to remain playful in approach to riding waves, to gain such joy from just being there when its rarely good, that when truly good surf is traveled to its appreciated in a way the jaded will never understand.
I had many long and wonderful sessions with Raz (Ricky Rassmussen), and unlike Florida the northeast has just 1 US champ. I remember the debate when he won in typical East coast conditions at Huntington Beach whether the automatic invite to the Pipe Masters should be withdrawn, would he embarass everyone and sit on the beach, terrified of the powerful surf.
The arrogance of people blessed with good surf! As if origin has anything to do with desire and ability.
The eastern credo is "never drive away from good surf". Those used to week long swell events will never understand the cry "you should have been here an hour ago!" Nor will they understand how enthusiastic we get over even marginal conditions. Or as Raz said once to me in the dead of winter surfing together in huge gnarly bitter cold conditions that punish the body and sting the face as the manes of spray freeze as they blow back.. "if you can surf here you can surf anywhere, you've proved to the ocean you're worthy"

[K-man]

Summer is about here,and small[under 6ft]seems to be the rule.Got me a pocket rocket,if I can catch it-I can ride it Flat-fat-pretty wide,don't work in anything over 6ft-outta control

Surfhorn,
seems like you,ve been in the s. cruz area for awhile.Usually surf the north reefs,or a bit south around moss,plenty of good surf.Last time Surfed pleasures was about 6-8yrs ago.Had a chat with another kber-don,t remember the name.Wonder if it wa you.
Hey-do you remember otto?If you did what was his monkeys'name?Im going back aways so this s*&^ may be rather esoteric.

Stay wet

[surfhorn]

Hey, K-Man -

Yeah, I remember Otto and The Fun Spot (it was an old, converted gas station at the foot of the Sant Cruz Wharf). Otto rented out beach equipment...had the largest collection of longobards. I remember going by there in the late 60's/early 70's and just staring at the amount of surfboards in one place. What a zoo....don't remember the monkey's name, though.

I don't get up north much anymore. With family and my work, I surf the clock and not the swell mostly. It's only about 2 minutes down to the beachbreak at Rio. But when a swell is going, I like to hit Sewer Peak for the drop or ride further down The Point if I'm into going for distance.

In 1976-78 I had enough of living in SF, so I finished up my classes at SFSU by communting up Highway 1 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There weren't that any surfers in those days and many times I never even got close to The City. Its really hard to pull up to 6' glassy Waddell with no one out and then continue on to class. I dialed my instructors into my program.....I was studying biogeography and just told them that, if I wasn't in class, then I was surfing...er, doing research!

[hart]

Hey willli..

After reading your post I had to talk to Wayne Warner. Wayne is Brett's father and runs the laminating side of Warner Surboards in Brookvale..and as you know, they build my boards.

Wayne was originally in business..many moons ago with (Narrabeen) Col Smith..who in his time was regarded as the best 'free surfer' in OZ.

Their label of course was "Morning Star" and Wayne spoke fondly of his business relationship with Rassmussen. Ricky accepted a sponsorship from Wayne with Smithy doing the shaping..unreal for those times..US surfers riding OZ shapes.

Rassmussen won a Pipe Masters didn't he?

hart.

[Scott]

Seems I remember the monkey's name was....SAM. Pretty despicable little character. But then, so was I. I worked occasionally a few hours for Otto in my early teen years so that I could freely use the only good board he had--this one Gordon & Smith longboard he kept buried back behind all his crappy boards. What a noserider it was...lots of fun sessions at Cowells on that thing...wishing I could find a way to drown that monkey.

[willli]

Hi Hart,
If Raz HAD won at pipe a 'Slater" would have been born years sooner. what he won at pipe was respect, something east coasters had very little of at the time. I went to work in NYC and Ricky went off to surf the world. On his visits to LI we'd hook up in the water, sometimes the only two crazy enough to go out. So different from when his mom used to drop him off to surf only after being reassured by Jim and me that we'd look out for him.
It's sad when talented people die young.
but you have pointed out an association that proves how small the surfing world is. that the board you shaped for me was glassed by a company that sponsored a friend years earlier is a bit strange, yet in a way, wonderful.
Willli

[hart]

willli,

the surfing world is indeed a small one..and all the good, do seem to die young. In all manner of things.

now, that's not to say, that those who remain are not..??

the thing I so love about surfing is that it is inescapable..you are, what you are..and you will be, what you will..you surf, therefore you are?..

history will not only create you.. it will define you. Irrespective of what you think.

viva la difference..yet long live the like minded.

And many more commonalities to come.

2 tomorrow, with every respect to the past.

always,

hart.

[john -]

Hey Hart

that Eric Carson board (recent picture post) is beautiful - apart from the lovely lines who came up with the deck design? a shame to deck pad that one!

when im wealthy but still low class i want one like that

dorje

[hart]

Dorje,

Certainly wasn't me..the Swedes came up with it a long time ago

Eric has Swedish background..so I thought an adaption of his flag may be appropriate...(And I have the cross of St Andrew on my 5 fin).

It is also repeated on the bottom (but reversed so that the cross actually does wrap)..so grip won't be a problem.

Oh, you didn't answer my question (another thread).Have you surfed Northy at all ?

And I hope that Eric will be stoked.

hart

[john -]

hart in short no!

born in sydney so i will claim local rights at some stage

only real surf experience in sydney is a foam board at manly when on hols as a kid

but when i get to come up and and purchase my old mans longer board from you, you can check out my style in quality surf so as the lines are just so. This is with luck not a threat but a promise - but i dont plan to be old or afford it for a few years!!!

dorje

[red]

Dorje,
What Bruce Hart neglects to mention is that you will be sharing the Northen Beaches' only "world class wave" (no flames from Freshie, Whaley or anywhere else, thanks) with a fair proportion of the world's best surfers. You know a spot is overrun when surfers of Keg's ability surf pre-dawn to avoid the crowds!
Be nice to the wife. Get some decent video footage. Send to Bruce - better than struggling with the closeouts that pass for surf most days on the northern beaches.

[hart]

All things come mate..I'm sure we both have plenty of time.

And don't judge a cover..until you've read the book.

Isn't that what they say?

hart

[scoop]

whats this "my board" Bruce...Posseccion is 9/10ths the law matee....lol
you will have the cash this week matee (gee I love that board)...I had a top session at (world class) dee why point on sunday morning...its a shame the swell backed off at around miday...was a meter plus earliewas taking off at first rock for the first time

Tony

[Beeline2.0]

..