Hey Banditos,
Thanks for all the words of wisdom, kudos and judos. The small board WAS a bit touch-n-go on the bigger set waves, but I think my lack of shackdom has been purely the result of bad technique. I've reviewed the pictures of the big wave two posts ago a few times (it's still flat) and know that if I had taken a higher line and thrown on the breaks a bit I woulda been there. Just like Gaz and Doc said in the comments.
What really happened was that I looked up, saw the curtain start to fall, and made the mistake of trying to "punch through" the back instead of straightening out. The yellow t-shirt that I was sporting was ripped over my head and twisted tight around my arms (ala a good hockey fight), making it pretty tough to get back up for air. But I made it through the sandy foam in time. This guy from SF who we were surfing with said if I went for any more of the set waves I'd have to call my blog "Charger Fish."
Hey Nash, the Mandala suffered a pretty nasty gash right on the stringer. Not anticipating this flat spell, I hurried it to a Nica ding repair dude who patched it with a really big brown blob of fiberglass right in the middle. Oh well, back in the chilly PNW I'll always remember kicking out the back of a tropical Panga Drops "bomba," not realizing I was five feet up when I came down on my board. I'm sure it'll warm my heart.
Porky, I'll definitely still take you up on the Occster. Since riding the Manny 2+1 and my North Pacific step-up (which is also in the dusty hands of the ding maestro in a fishing village to the south) I'm starting to wonder how dangerous tri-fins can actually be...
P.S. If you were wondering, this post actually started out as a comment on the "Hollow-lujah" blog, but then it got so long I realized I should just give it its own entry.
Adios!
P.P.S. The series of shots above is another failed trip to Tooby Town. There are tons of insects in Nica. Did I mention that? One fairly rare breed is the stink bug. But here we have one captured on film.
The Clash - Sandinista!
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11 comments:
Sorry to hear the Manny has a skid mark. Maybe you should start a second blog dedicated to ding repairs on custom colors called "the Hershey's skid kid", or "the brown frown." At least it happened ni a place worthy of the sacrifice.
head down playa colorado to el gigante - they'll sell you lobster for around a buck.
Tube rides sometimes just come...obviously a hollow wave helps...it's been a few years since I've seen the inside of a bona fide barrel...some little cover ups, in & outs, and almost theres...but a real tube ride comes only when all the factors come together...keep trying, you'll find it, and then you'll know...oh yeah, keep your eyes open...you don't want to miss it!
you should close little bit your front knee...
just a humble tip...
be safe,
jb
I gotta admit I hope you don't get totally tubular this trip, so you have to plan another one soon...and I can make it. That's pretty nice, huh?
Or maybe don't try so hard or think about it so much? Some memorable tubes — and, I'm sure, many people's first tubes — happen right off the takeoff — by accident. When you take off deep, at an angle, skipping the bottom turn, hugging the wall and simply trying to make the wave, well, sometimes things happen. And without much effort on the rider's part.
Good luck, tube virgin! Although part of Porky would hate to see the Macho Man lose his innocence.
For what it's worth, I don't think you're stinkbugging in these photos.
Part of me doesn't want to say anything...because it's not like I'm some expert or something...hell, I don't even have a surf school...but anyway...Whif says you're not stinkbugging, but you are...sorta...here's the deal...stand up...It's ok to drop in in you stinkbug stance...but you have to extend your legs and body...don't stay stuck in that perpetual crouch position...paddle in, make the drop, as you snap off the bottom, extend your legs and body, it'll generate speed, speed you can use down the line, and speed you'll never get if you stay squatted down for the whole ride...it may not help you get tubed...but pump and go and maybe something good'll happen...or not
Looks like your in there to me bro. Ah Colorado you can pull in all day just not always out which isn't all that bad becuse for me it's getting that view and that sound and feeling. BTW your killing me with these pics! Who's the photog giving em some props! That camera is ridiculos too! In all the years of surfing and after many many trips I dont have any pics like that. Charge!
Thanks Doc, Dub, Whiff, JK, Jair, G and Porky. I tend to stink it up the most when I'm trying to get under the lip, otherwise my main problem is standing up too tall...
But that's just scratching the surface of where I need to improve. The catch-22 of good waves it seems is that the better they get, the more I want to surf better. You see guys getting shacked and throwing buckets on head high waves and you just go, "Man, pass the Flor de Cana, I'll never be that good."
Which hasn't been a problem lately, because the waves have been less than stellar for the past week.
I'll try to squeeze out a couple good blogs before I go though.
Dub, there was this guy named Tom from Texas who had just arrived to take photos of travelling surfers. He had amazing lenses and offered to shoot me and three friends for $100 for a whole day. We picked the right day and he only charged us $50 because he got so many shots of other guys. Here's his website:
www.ptfotos.net
My wife was glad she didn't have to sit out in the sun all day!
Fun blog. Just found it thans to Mollusk in BK. A former PNW surfer (years and years ago) and semi-frequent Central American surfer, I am enjoying all the sights.
Cheers.
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