Surf Safari
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A fall of high pressure systems and the least activity that NOAA has ever recorded in the Pacific finally subsided and the North Pacific came to life in early January. I packed up my boards, left the Columbia River Gorge and headed south along the east side of the Cascades. I aimed for Santa Barbara, an area I've become fond of during the last two and half years of roaming up and down the coast. Setting the cruise control at 55, I arrived two days before the first of 5 swells was scheduled to arrive.
For next twenty days, I bounced around the area from Ventura to Goleta. I surfed until my wetsuits gave me rashes in my armpits and behind the knees. Like so many other surfers on the West Coast, I had a thirst to fill. I started the swell with three functional boards and ended with one intact. These are a some photos from mid January to the beginning of February.
Trevor showing off some finds from the Eastern Sierra.
Stoked on Ryan Lovelace's rolling house.
Parking lot surfing.
The wood stove in Ryan Lovelace's Cosmic Collider.
Shred sleds at low tide.
Trevor's Camper.
Taking a breather.
Cyrus Sutton's quiver nestled in the back of his camper.
A tried and true set up for camping and getting out there. A 4x4 pick with a canopy is best bang for your buck in terms of capability and reliability. I'm partial to Japanese trucks because of their size and proven record.
Tan lines.
Surfboard watch dog.
Cyrus's camper.
Calling it a day.
Suiting up.
Switching out fins.
Home is certainly where you park it! Ryan's rolling home will be in the book. You can pre-order it here. It ships in a month and a half or so.
Old timers, the same that speak fondly of the days before leashes, will talk about this three week stretch of waves for years to come, most likely even decades. While the waves were happening, it is hard to acknowledge how good they are. This was different.
Here are some links,
