Thanks

Happy Thanksgiving.

I went with a new tradition this year and woke up early enough to surf. The whole coastline has been lit up, so I made the quick drive to Nahant to check it and I was glad I did.

The sets that were rolling in varied in size, anywhere from waist to head-high and there were plenty of peaks to be had with maybe six other guys out. It was cold and I promised myself that I would get at least a couple of rides before packing it in.

One wave can make a session. I had only caught one half-way decent ride and was starting to ponder heading in since my upper body was starting to feel chilly when a nice set came in. I went for a shoulder-high zipper and almost stalled at first but some extra weight on my front foot made the drop possible. I half assed the bottom turn being that I was somewhat astounded that I didn't screw up the drop and that I was actually still up and flying, so I didn't quite get to work the wave the way I would've liked but you never would've known it from the way I was hooting. A perfect start to the day.

Thanks.

Sessions

Life gets in the way. Either that or I’m just too damn lazy....I mean...busy(that’s it).

I got to experience something this weekend that hasn’t happened ever since my little boy entered the world. I got to surf for two days in a row this past weekend. With the onset of winter and incredibly crappy weather looming, that is a gift.

I’ve heard it said that if you don’t surf in the winter in New England, you don’t surf. Well, I haven’t run out and bought my 6/5/4 yet but I’m attempting to go as long as I can with my 4/3, boots, gloves and hood. I’ve only been back here for a bit over two years now, so forgive me if I throw in the towel once water temps dip below 45 or so. Last year I made it to the end of November. I’m shooting for December this year. Have I mentioned that I hate winter?

In any case...

*Disclaimer – I sincerely doubt that my circulation is going to be massive but I just wanted to say that I may name drop the spots I frequent. They’re well known so I’m not really giving anything away.

Back to it...

I headed for Nantasket on Saturday afternoon. My mood wasn’t helped by the traffic stacked up on 93 due to road work and I was kicking myself for not heading north. A trip that normally takes me 40 minutes from my hovel in Somerville got dragged out for an hour and a half. Once I was down there, all was fine.

The waves were about knee to thigh and relatively clean. It may have been grey and cloudy but the temps were still hovering around 60 and the water was in the 50’s. I didn’t need my hood. My weapon of choice and currently the only weapon I possess outside of the beater funshape that I learned on was my 9’ 2” Erie Peeples single-fin.

*Disclaimer Part 2 – I may have expounded on style in my previous post but I wouldn’t want anyone to think that I have much. I manage to avoid stinkbugging and can get onto the face more often than not. What happens next can be a crapshoot but I’m getting better.

I surfed for a couple of hours and caught my fair share of rides. The two that stand out were similar in execution. I pulled in, got up, found the sweet spot and set my rail, moved forward a couple of steps to get some speed and then back again to stay in trim. I can still see the green wall rising in front of me and remember the fact that it seems quiter, except for the hiss of the water under your feet. Permagrin for days.

Sunday was a bit different. I headed North in the morning to check some spots I had heard about but none of them were working so I pushed on and went out at GH. Call it about waist to stomach and closing out a bit more than peeling. I caught a couple of good rides but mostly took a pounding. For starters, I quickly realized that I needed to be just a tad bit further back on the board than normal after pearling while stroking for one. On a subsequent wave, I pulled in and got to my feet, turned and took those two steps to get speed but the whitewater was already nipping at my heels. I attempted to backpedal and perform a half-assed cutback but I was a bit late. The board went flying, as did I and subsequently the board flipped over and my ass slammed into the skeg. A couple of waves later saw me get whacked in the dome after eating shit. It wasn’t my best day but you have those too and it still managed to be a fun day.

Note to self – The longboard may not have been the best choice even if it was my only choice. I saw a guy having a ball on a quad fish and now I’m fiending to place my order, which won’t happen for a few more months. C’est la vie.

Lines

Everyone who surfs has their own take on riding waves. Opinions...assholes. You know how it goes. I like what Allan Weisbecker had to say about the subject in In Search of Captain Zero:

"Unlike skiiing or any other earthly endeavor, wave riding is a creative interface with an active, in some sense living force of nature. Given this, is not an aesthetically valid relationship with the medium the obvious goal of the act of riding a wave? In other words, the wave's the thing. The surfer must follow its lead, respect its diversiform flow."

I've always liked a more flowing, smooth style as opposed to some of the more aggressive aerial stuff that you see a lot of "rippahs" displaying. The guy in this video? Good style.

I emailed Mani Caro to inquire about the "stubbies" that he shapes and really am jonesing one. It's going to have to come after the quad fish that I'd like, though. Priorities.

Son of El Meezy

First Blood

Check one....one...one...

Is this thing on?

Allow myself to introduce...myself. For the sake of the tale about to unfold, you can just call me El Meezy. I'm a New Englander who spent a large portion of his life in New England before doing the Horace Greeley thing and landing in Babylon(aka LA). While there, I headed down the pre-ordained path that began an eon ago when(as a wee grom) I took an errant surfboard to the back of the neck while playing in the whitewater at Narragansett Town Beach. I took up surfing and after 8 years or so, moved back to Massachusetts.

At the present, I abide in Somerville, MA, where the waves aren't exactly tasty and yet I've somehow become even MORE obsessed with playing in the water than I was in California(oooh look at the irony).

I won't bore you with the plight of the New England surfer. Suffice it to say that the wave tribe on this coast doesn't exactly have it easy.

In any case...

Away we go.