Watching this clip from recent big Avalon reminds me of the first time I started surfing in my 40s, before I took the 10 year break.

http://www.coastalwatch.com/news/article.aspx?articleId=11510&cateId=113&display=0&title=Video:%20Avalon%20Beach%20-%20March%2016,%202013


At Nth Avalon there's the left of the Pt and a right just Nth of middle, when it gets really big, the one in the middle just disappears into the left, and on this day, it looks like that mostly happened, but at around 3 minutes, you see a fat of guy having an awesome ride on a quality right.

Well on the the day I was there many years ago, it was not quite so big and the right was holding up really well and peeling off nicely into the rip between the 2 breaks.

I can't remember what I was riding in the way of a LB. but I think is was an ex comp board from Frank Latta. Whatever it was, it was way better than my confidence levels when I managed to get hold of a dirty great bomb.

It was overhead, super fast and it was walling up in front of me and at rate that I did not think I could match and I needed some way of removing myself from danger without too much loss of face and without everyone knowing how tiny my testicles are, then my savior appeared somewhere in front of me.

No, I don't mean Jeebus or Huie, it was a drop in on a LB, way over at the shoulder paddling like fury, and probably blameless considering the closing wall that was on his left. There was no way any fool on a longboard would be there.

Regardless of that, I had found my patsy and I was not going to let him escape, so even before I shouted, I was preparing for my escape with a stiff legged bottom turn, stiff legged because I was scared stiff and any knee bend probably would have resulted in a loosening of the anal sphincter and a soiled wetty.

On the upward journey I let go with my best incredulous holler "oui", he turned to the left and I can still recall the look on his face as he was pulling up and I was doing one of the fastest and highest dismounts I had ever done, with triple twist with pike, degree of difficulty 8.7.

My next performance would have knocked out all comers at the academy awards, I did the Mr Bean like, disappointment half grimace that he always does when he is blaming someone for one of his own stuff ups. The soul searching looking to the heavens, the soul destroying head down and shaking as I paddled towards my buddy with the news that someone had ruined my best wave. And when the guy paddles up to me to offer his apology, I even pretended that all was forgiven and say "them's the breaks".

Probably the worse thing about that incident, is that to this day, I still fee no remorse for that poor chap.

Does that make me a bad person, a gutless wonder with small testicles, or pretty much your average guy just wanting to save face

well judging on some of the poundings I saw on that vid Obs - probably not young mate
Some really sweet positioning by some others though and I loved the guy with the Hawaiian stick's ride toward the end on that right - geez that was nice work
Great little vid cheers gnarly day there

OB, I've seen you surf, and I reckon it's a bit of all the above.

I see you take off on waves I leave behind because I don't want a fin up my hieny. I see you get dropped in on, and let em off with a smile and a wave of the finger, unless they do it twice.

Can't see how you're a bad person, although some of the comments you make about the young ladies in the surf make me wonder. Especially considering you have a daughter

Thing about Av is that there is quite a clique up there, and sometimes they're nice and sometimes they're gods gift to surfing. We all. Try to save face, even if we trip over on the footpath we take those few little running steps as if we meant to do it all the time!

Thems the breaks I reckon. Sorry I messed the session with you today, let me know I you get off early.

Thank you so much obct for posting I really enjoyed the clip.

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62mac said...
Thank you so much obct for posting I really enjoyed the clip.

Yeah, me too, and I'm someone who hates watching SB clips.

But that's different, that's balls and all survival, and some of those get offs were really funny, they would've have killed me just on the drop, let alone the hold down.

Excellent work obct! As usual!

Mate, we lived/owned (with assistance from CommBank) at 688 Barrenjoey Road for 6 years. Happy Days... So much fun, and great waves on the Northern End of the Insula Peninsula.

But at the same time, you can be faced with frustrating enduringly long SE & NE Combo wind swell garbage... But when it lights up, watch out! Ultimately, the longer flat spells got me onto a McTavish Carver (briefly), and then spent considerable time on a McTavish Original. Beach Break specialist Longboard. Bob McTavish has told me a few times that The Original is one of his proudest inventions. It's specifically designed for some punchier beachies, and that is exactly the style of waves that I was riding that board in.

Did the jump off the rocks at North Avalon a heap of times. Great fun in medium sized swell, and scary when it gets BIG!

Our joint at 668 Barrenjoey was just near the corner of Whale Beach Road. Fark me, I had some fun late arvo session at Whale Beach... The Wedge... Heavy wave, and the older blokes that own the hoses there tend to stay clear of it when it gets really punchy.

Here's the deck I built out the back of that joint. Repainted the back shed in French Provincial Style, on 1 feature wall. Left the other walls matching the house. Looked pretty cool. Stacks of palm trees. That place was paradise.

I've still got that esky!
It is Esky brand actually.

PS - I built every inch of that thing! No paid tradies. 100% by me, when not surfing. Only paid an electrician to fit off some lights.
Edit - in Led Zeppelin terms, I gave it "Every Inch of My Love"!

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Simondo said...
I've still got that esky!
It is Esky brand actually.

PS - I built every inch of that thing! No paid tradies. 100% by me, when not surfing. Only paid an electrician to fit off some lights.

that is wicked young grommetti .... cool

Good to see you have some talent Simondo