Santa Cruz

I ventured out to the Bay Area a couple weeks ago. You might have heard the hype everywhere from Surfline to the Weather Channel which dubbed the weather systems the "Western Wallop!"

Three major storms battered the West Coast, leaving flooded roads, mud slides, major rain, stormy surf and incredible snowfall in the Sierra Nevadas.

I spent a week there. 6/7 days was blown out with stormy surf in Santa Cruz while northern spots had 20+ faces with unridable conditions. I managed to catch Steamer Lane the day before I left. Sadly, I wrecked my knee before I paddled out and I could hardly make a bottom turn.

Highlights of the trip: R. Dorosko charging middle peak on a rental tuff lite longboard sitting next to a couple locals on their guns, and just barely scratching into a wave that I am saying measured close to 18 feet. He managed to get one that was around 16 foot though. *Point of interest, the Dorosko brothers are incredible surfers. R. and Dave surfed Todos Santos on a woman's rounded pin short board and an 80's fish, respectively.

Total Trip Cost: $400. Total Waves Caught: 6. Averages out to$66.67 a wave. Not what I would consider a successful trip by any measure but a fun trip none the less.

*These photos were taken after the session.

New Look

Our West Coast Dirtbag, Will S., just checked in. Seems he has been cruising the Pacific Coast in a '85 VW Westfalia. Hopefully photos will be coming soon!

I will be rolling out some changes to the blog over the next couple weeks. Look for a new design/layout and some exciting new features.

Late summer secret spot.

Turkeys and Herbivores

How to: Prepare for a road trip on the I-95 corridor during a major holiday

step 1) Move one foot. 2) Wait one minute 3) Repeat steps 1 thru 2 from Philly 'till you reach NYC.

The trip was a success on many accounts, family was seen, streets were skated, some surf ridden and the total cost came in under budget.

The line-up at Rockaway is as multi-cultural as the subway leading to it. A mix between Puerto Ricans, Hipsters, Urban Profesionals and Jappanese "Herbivores." See Attached story http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120696816&ps=cprs

The crowd was friendly considering the amount of drop-in's I witnessed. Taylor got some nice ones and rode his Woody Whittle Surfboard like an autistic child on a tight rope, hard to believe and even tougher to witness.

It is cold and flat in Wilmington today so lets think of the good times!

Jessie and her shortboard!

The Core Banks

A few weeks back, I was lucky enough to join, Dirtbag Taylor on a trip to North Carolina's famed Core Banks. If you are interested in learning more about them please send all questions to Taylor, he has got some really good maps.

We trailered Dirtbag Taylor's boat to the quaint town of Moorehead City and charted a course for *******. The surf was around six feet when we arrived, but the prevailing NE winds that generated the swell also made for a very strong current.

Taylor rode his Woody Whittle shortboard like a frog dancing on a lilly pad. I rode the "Something Special," a single fin that did not feel at all "special" and began bodysurfing mid session. A photo of that can be seen on

http://crystalpierpost.blogspot.com/2009/11/idanor-easter.html

At the end of the day Dirtbag Taylor developed a special man crush on two local gentleman. One of them owned a Hobie power boat shaped by Phil Edwards. Google it. Its neat looking.

A special thanks to Taylor for giving me the opportunity to join him!

A Radically Altered Approach.

I am not an artist,

I am naught
and
honest.