Blacks - thanks

[hankj]

Growing up in Del Mar I kneeboarded Blacks my share, probably 500 lifetime sessions. But this trip I really noticed a palpable kneelo positive environment which has got to be due to you folks who are regulars there fully legitimizing kneeriding at that spot. It almost felt like you get slightly more respect as a kneelo there than as a surfer - didn't get fully snake at all, and the couple of drop-ins kicked out immediately when they saw I might make the section. So thanks to you guys who've put in the time a good surfing to make that environment what it is.

Is Blacks the best beach break in the world? I've not surfed them all but I'd say, to me and in a vacuum (in which the crowd doesn't exist) probably. It's crazy how good those waves get, without the terror factor of Puerto (which to me looks too scary) and the shifty lumpy aspect of OB that tends to restrict you to tighter, shorter, more reactive/conservative surfing (though outside the vacuum I'll take OB all day because it's so easy to get good waves there even when it's busy). Never been to France or Portugal or the East Coast but Blacks is just magic the way those peaks push up and peel, over and over and over - there's something so unique and consistent about how the deep water canyon rifles peak after peak onto those sand bars. The wave is both totally critical and totally rip-able to the point of cognitive dissonance. Again, thanks to the Blacks regulars for making this a really comfortable place to kneeride.

Here's the report I filed to my Facebook friends the day after Christmas - such a treat to catch Blacks relatively uncrowded and going off!

Lost a flipper early in this morning's surf session at Del Mar with Chris and John, and was super bummed to walk the beach a futile hour and never find it. My family took pity on me (because truth be told I was acting a little butt-hurt) and sent me out to buy fins and for a make-up sesh. Got to Blacks at 10:30 still feathering light offshore and pumping 5-8 foot faces, top to bottom but fun not real nervous surf. But big and hollow. Crowd had gone home or got tired, and while not uncompetitive in the end I went in because of exhaustion, having made, among assorted high speed hacks at the lip, every one of the wide variety of types of barrels the place can conjure. Saw many others in the light crowd get smoking, spinning barrels, some smiles and laughter, about as mellow and positive as it gets given that it's Blacks. Super, super beautiful blue sky warm day, warm water, gorgeous scenery. Now there's onshore winds come up and the swell will die by tomorrow - the moment is gone. I got lucky it turns out losing my flipper and just fell into it. It was an awesome memorable surf, a Christmas gift I owe to my awesome family.

[southpeakbrad]

Henry, was stoked to meet you that morning. The days run together but I think it was before Christmas. Have fun in the NW and looking forward to seeing you next time you're down.
Brad