crowd surfing

I shot these pics on a nice sunny day on the east side. I estimated there were about 2,000 surfers in the water. After doing some calculations I figure there was about a 2:1 local-to-kook ratio. Now I have to question the local-ness of those locals who were willing to go out there with 1,999 others and surf the same wave. Even if you are that good you have to assume you'd be dodging kooks left and right. The most core locals don't like doing that. They want to focus their energy shredding waves, not surfing over the backs of kooks!

Maybe these guys should have upped their kook deterring skills. Barked louder, mad-dogged harder, waxed windshields, uh, more. I don't know. They should have done something!

Even though the waves were pumping (again), these locals have a lesson to learn: if you plan on ripping waves really hard, you have to take the crowd factor into consideration. Crowd surfing isn't for hard core central coast locals...it's for kooks!!!

wild wild westside

My wife and I took a drive over to the westside a while back. Nothing says central coast local quite like the surfers who frequent Steamer Lane. It was winter, the sun had set, a big swell was in the water (how many times have we said this this winter?), and there were a dozen guys still out...ripping.

I took some pictures of what I witnessed. I'll let them do (most of) the talking. The locals didn't have to intimidate anyone out of the water on this night. The conditions yelled "beat it kook!" for them!

On an additional note, a loyal reader and friend asked that I explore the Santa Cruz surfing east-west rivalry. I usually like to pen the central coast local vs. the kook, but I suppose I could consider doing an expose into this feud. Stay tuned...

Super Sick Silver Strand...

While I was still chillin’ in the other central coast, I had the opportunity, no privilege, no honor, of taking some photos at Silver Strand. That’s right, the Silver Strand. It was super sick!!! The A Team was out in full force. There wasn’t a kook for miles around. I would take aim and shoot a sick barrel down the beach, then turn and shoot a sick floater up the beach. It was all-time!!! I give mad props to the locals that were absolutely ripping that morning. Take your time and really soak in these photos…maybe you will get a small taste of what I got to enjoy at Silver Strand…

the 'nard rocks!

I recently took a trip to the other central coast...to the Ventura/Oxnard area. The 'nard rocks! I couldn't believe my eyes! El Nino has been super good to them too! Check out this Oxnard local getting sick on his backside. The Channel Islands behind him and nothing in front of him.

Kooks beware: if you're in the 805 and the waves are pumping, it's best to stay out of the water.

Merry Christmas, Kook!

This past Christmas I took a couple trips down the coast to photograph other central coast rippers (and to shred some waves myself!). Santa Claus delivered this bomb a couple days late but you didn’t see this guy complaining…way too much froth in his mouth to argue with Santa!

When the waves are this good, you don’t even have to worry about kooks; they’re either on the beach watching or washed up on the rocks! Where is this un-identified monster? Let’s just say it’s south of Big Sur and north of the Ranch...‘nuff said, kook!

10 ten reasons you might be a kook...

10. Your windshield get’s waxed!

9. You bought your board at Costco

8. You live in Mountain View

7. You wear webbed gloves

6. Your quiver consists of 1 board

5. You read Surfer magazine

4. You say “stoked” a dozen times a session

3. Your leash always gets tangled in seaweed

2. You paddle back in when it starts pumping

1. Somebody yells at you, “Beat it Kook!”

Warm-ups…as important to a surfer as wax…

When the waves are good, who has time to warm up? I’ll tell you who: anyone set on rippin’!!! For peak performance, the best warm up. They take a few extra minutes to prepare themselves, and their bodies, for the magic that is about to happen in the water.

When warming up, make sure to lift your arms up. After that, reach down and touch your toes…the one’s inside your booties!

After central coast surfers are warm, they can go make the cold water hot from their shredding! Just check out this guys’ bottom turn. He’s warmed up and on fire!

Watch out kooks, a warmed up surfer can do more than just tear a wave apart!

An Epic Morning…

Not every time a central coast surfer gets out of bed in the morning do they score epic surf. Most of the time they wake, load their suit and board, and drive to their home break…only to find it “okay.” But some mornings, this morning, a few lucky shredders drove up to pure gold.

The spot? Oh no. Can’t say. It’s a secret spot that only the most core central coast surfers know about. Want a hint? Check out the photo to the right.

Let me paint a picture for you: sick bowl after sick bowl. Right bowl, left bowl…it didn’t matter…it was going off! Just how firing was it? Check out the picture to the right! Can words describe these pictures? To put it bluntly…no.

Next time your alarm clock goes off, you grab your suit and load up your board, maybe, just maybe, you and your buddies will score waves like the ones these lucky shredders did this morning. Good luck!