Monday, January 15, 2007

Scenes from a Snowy Surf Weekend


















It was an amazing weekend. White knuckle rides over icy roads. Bourbons and beer backs. Wining ourselves to sleep. Swell that tested sand bars. Long intervals and speedy walls. Moth-like snowflakes falling in the lineup. Clear turquoise water. Chilled Pinot Gris. Home cooked dinners and breakfasts. A last second victory by the Oregon Ducks over Arizona.

What more could we ask for?

How about a final session under clear skies at Oregon's most mystifying mysto spot? And a final wave, fifteen minutes before we had to leave, that was redemption for 15 thick lips to the head, 11 trips over the falls, 6 slams against the ocean floor, and 20 numb toes and fingers from 3 days in sub-zero air temps.

I'd do it all again in a heartbeat.

Jose Gonzales - Heartbeats

17 comments:

ras said...

Score. Man I am envious. Although I got my new Neilson 6'4" FF Fish via Fed Ex yesterday and looks like we'll have an 9 to 12' swell filling in over the weekend. wohoo. The only only problem is the -10 Celsius air temps forcasted for Sunday.

pushingtide said...

whooooooaaa. You lucky dog Siss.

Beautiful pics. No art was made on the trip?w

Chum said...

No art was made, per se, unless you count the performance art that went on:

The water guillotine impersonation.

The changing-out-of-cold-wetsuits-in-the-snow dance.

And, of course, the burning-down-the-restaurant-for-asking -for-our-IDs "happening" (we're all over 30 years old).

Foul Pete said...

Nice shots! I heard PC was pretty busy on the weekend. I got skunked Fri. Nowhere was making much of the beautiful swell. Monday was good early am. Tonnes of peaks up and down the north coast. The mysto of all mystos was on but I was solo and so went to old standbys, which had some of the best rights I've seen there in a long time, reeling into the south-end. Then the tide dropped and it was game over.

Nash said...

Nice, wish mysto had been working better for me Saturday. COld walk down, the left on the beach was working but not sure anyone could have made it. It was as big and fast as I have seen it. Made so drops that hurt bad, paddled furiously to make it ouside of sets coming in that were easy double overhead and bigger as anything I have been in...ever. Beautifuol though and did acutally catch a couple. Unfortunately the rt pnt wasn't working. WIsh I had opted fro bro-hampton.

Slim said...

looks like everyone got waves. viva oregon.

surferbrat said...

You make cold water surfing look like heaven. Although breaks that perfect and empty are heavenly regardless of the permanent ice cream headache I suppose. Beautiful photos.

J.P. said...

Great photo gallery man. I feel all tingly inside.

J.P. said...

Oh yeah, and that burning restaurant/lounge kinda makes me sad.

Chum said...

I know, JP. That place must've been so classic, with its '50s logos and location right next to a mountain of discarded mussel shells from a nearby seafood plant. I wish I could have actually had a drink there before the Girabaldi Fire Department condemned it to a "test burn."

twin said...

Did I see you in the water on Sunday? I was the blind one....

Chum said...

I saw one girl in the lineup sunday. Was that you? Blind? Does that mean you didn't see me?

I surfed PC from 10:30 to 3:30... Spent the second half of the session avoiding crowds (at Gas Chambers).

twin said...

I was sitting at GC (for the most part). Got in at noon...out at 2:00. Didn't catch much....as I lost a contact on the paddle out and couldn't see for shit. After a month of dry dock...felt good to be in the water.

G said...

Ah, the memories. Still trying to relive the handful of waves that are seared into my memory from the trip. Also, still trying to get the color back in my blackened toes...actually it's amazing how quickly you forget about the cold. Just posted some of my pix from the weekend. OS also posted what might be the best skate video I've ever seen. Check'em.

G said...

Oh yeah, tomorrow looks great again. An embarrassment of riches...unfortunately, I have no riches to pay for the trip. Maybe get one in this weekend?

Patch said...

Good score!

muebles madrid en stok said...

The chap is absolutely just, and there is no question.