TRIM MACHINES

...AND THE DAMAGE DONE.

Thanks to Marc Andreini, trimming's now constantly on my brain too. Let's just hope he gets better real soon from his recent injury so he can make enough boards for everyone to experience some quality trim.

Monday Monday

How do I describe my first day on the Vaqueros de las Olas? Do I start with the first wave I paddled into, where I belly-flopped when the board tilted unpredictably as I tried to pop up? Nah.

Let's start with the next wave, where I made the drop, banked off the bottom and hooked into the high line of a screaming left. I was so intensely focused on the feeling that I saw little more than the lip feathering above my head and the nose of the board sailing along the steep face. I couldn't even really figure out how long the wave was when I turned to paddle back out. It seemed like a long way. When I got back out a kneeboarder paddled over to me and said he had an amazing view of my wave, and had the lip thrown more I would have been barreled. Then he just said, "You were goin' so fast!"

My next wave was even better.

I can only describe the ride of the Andreini as surfing with the wave versus against it. The paddle-in was a little slower than I imagined a 7' board would be, but once it got up to speed, the thing just glided. I felt like I was coaxing the board to go where I wanted, rather than forcing it around the face of the wave. At the risk of sounding new-agey, it was a zen-like experience, following the fall line of the wave and letting the board do the work. Something tells me this board would just naturally go as fast as the wave goes. Slow peeler? Cadillac. Racetrack? Lamborghini. On the flipside, if you tried to do anything drastic, like crank a hard bottom turn or cutback from the tail, you'd fall. At least I would, anyway.

Those first couple good waves weren't a fluke. With each left I caught, I got more comfortable, taking off deeper and crouching lower in the pocket. My final ride was the best: Drop in, turn with my hand dragging in the face, rise up to the pocket where the wave was almost vertical, crouch super low and just hold that stance. I seriously didn't have to move at all for probably 100 yards. When the wave would flatten, I'd assess my situation and see a section way ahead and just park myself in the groove as the wave stood up again. It was crazy. Mind boggling, really.

And I hear those full-rail cutbacks are even more intense.

This cowboy can't wait to ride again.

Howdy Pardner

Ever since I rode my first hull waaaaay back in the oh-seven, I've been intrigued by those voluptuous, organically-shaped little (liddle) vixens. The brahman who lent me his personal 7' Liddle then — the inimitable Festus Porkmeyer — laid a compliment on me when he saw me riding his in Crescent City. He said I was "made for" one of those boards. I think he was referring to the fact that I'm hopeless when it comes to riding a surfboard off the tail, but anyway... My interest was further piqued when Manny Caro said my next board should be an Andreini after I ordered my last custom from him.

Then, last summer, I met a American fireman in El Salvador who was sliding his blue 8'0 Andreini across some pretty challenging point waves and we started to talk about his quiver as we waited between sets. When he mentioned that he had one in particular that was too small for him — I pounced. Three months later and here it is: My new 7'0 Vaquero de las Olas. Made from EPS with an opaque cream resin tint, it's super light weight and in amazing condition. Dig the old OWL logo in the first pic!

I only wish I had it for the two amazing days I got earlier this month. At least now I know exactly where to take it when the conditions come together again.

Special thanks to Hank for the bro-bro-bro deal and Jeremy and Giles for bringing it home to papa.