Surfing lesson in Venice with Julian 10/28/12

Today was Julian's first surf lesson.

When you see one and you want to turn around, scoot back towards the tail and kick your feet in a circle.

I'm going to tell you when to go...and when I do, paddle like hell.

That's it!

Surfing lesson at Venice Beach with Captain Chris Van Den Bremer of KLM and his bro Seib:

Sunday, Oct 21, 20012

Hi Blog.  Today is Sunday, Oct. 21, 2012

I have a new location...it's pretty sweet.  We now launch right from my boat slip on Marquesas Way in Marina del Rey.   You can see it in the background.   For your convenience there are bathrooms, showers, swimming pools and hot tubs.

Here a picture of Alice and Ben from today's standup paddle board lesson in Los Angeles:

Catalina Channel crossing 9/8/12

It's Monday morning, the 9th of September.  I'm sore from yesterday's race of 26 miles in an outrigger canoe.  Krista and I are packing for Maui for the Pailolo Challenge.  It's a channel crossing that begins at Flemings Beach in Maui and ends in Kanakakai town in Molokai.  Marina del Rey, my team, is not sending a crew - so I will try to find one there.

This is the end of the year's outrigger season.  I became a better, stronger and faster paddler...and I figured out some new tricks on becoming a better SUP instructor.

Now that summertime is coming to and end, I'll have more time to devote to this blog.

Here's a picture of Avalon in Catalina:

...and a shot from the finish line at Dana Pt.  That's me and Uncle Calvin.

Man...I just haven't had time to do this...it's summer.  Southern swells, SUP lessons, outrigger races and sailboat races.   Had a fun group here, the girls from Miramax films:

Stoked!

Andrew came all the way from Ontario, Canada to ride a wave!  This was his first one.  I love this job!

Maverick Moments on Surfline

Well kids...I made it to the big-time.  Here's a very well made short-film of a day out in the surf.  I'm at 3:38.

http://www.surfline.com/video/webisodes/maverick-moments_68023

Maverick's 1.6.12

Well...this was an interesting one.  My models were showing a 9ft. swell with 16 second intervals...no big deal, so I thought.

A few of us went up to the cliff that overlooks Ross's to check it out. The wind was howling from the northwest, the water was all hacked up.   After 20 minutes or so,  Alex Martins made the call to paddle out.

It was a big media day, as there were lots of photograpers shooting the opening ceremony for the Maverick's contest.   The  Of Men and Maverick's production crew was out there as well, getting some final shots for the movie.  There must have been three boats and five skis in the water…maybe more. 

I was sitting south of the main bowl, just minding my own business, like I always do…waiting for the bombs to swing wide.  I wasn’t paying attention when one came my way.  It took me by surprise and I wasn’t able to see if there was anything behind it…so I started stroking.  The wind coming up the face was too much for me and I got hung up in the lip…unable to make the drop.  

The next one started to feather on me.  I managed to swim through a vertical face, but my board didn’t.  My fifteen ft. leash was stretched out to like twenty-five feet and I was dragged into the pit.  The wave after that was full on.  By the time I wrangled my board…it was too late.  Here’s what it looked like:

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Again...same old...surfing, helicopters and surf lessons.  Here's a video from El Porto...I surfed Monday and edited this Tuesday.

1.22.12 Los Angeles

I was flying with a new student Sunday.  We passed by Gladstones and I saw my buddy, Chuck, paddling into this one.  I had to get his picture.

1.10.12

Best weekend surfing at Mavs!  The swell was much smaller than projected.  I paddled out with Haley Fiske and caught a good one.  Here's a pic:

The next day was the opening ceremony for "The Jay," the big wave contest held at Maverick's.  Media was in full force that day and there were plenty of jet skis in the water.

I was sitting to the south of the main bowl, when a set swung wide.  I paddled for it and the wind coming up the face kept me from making the drop.  I fell off.  The next wave started to feather and pushed me further in the pit.  The wave after that was a real bomb and landed on my head.

After a good 20 second thrashing, I surfaced and was left with half a board.  Before the next wave had a chance to blow me up, a nice man on a jet ski came to my aid and pulled me to safety.  Thank you Maverick's water patrol!

Here's the carnage: