So I just got my Surfing Mag in the mail last night and it was dedicated to the East Coast, and it really got me thinking and by the end of it I was pretty damn proud of our surf scene over here on the Right Coast. Many articles were written by guys from the West Coast, and how they use to not even think of the E. Coast when it came to surf, or they thought it was terrible for some reason. What they found after traveling and surfing places in NY / NJ, the OBX, and yes, my beloved NSB / Ponce Inlet, Sebastian Inlet, all the way down to Deerfield Pier and Reef Road, is that we truly do get great surf here, and many would even so far to say that when it's good it's just as good or better than the West Coast at times. Only difference being it's more consistent over there. But if you surf the right spots on the E. Coast, there is almost always a rideable wave. One thing they all seem to mention is that when it gets good here, it's not nearly as crowded and you can score WAY more waves in a session than you could out West, so they enjoy it more, and not only that, but it's more laid back here as well. One thing's for sure, is that they respect our stoke, and how proud some of us are of our coast and the waves we ride. Now i know many people have a negative attitude and will tell you all sorts of things about being on the E. Coast, and while some of it may be true, I choose to look at it from a different angle. The best part about not getting as much consistent swell as the W. Coast is that we appreciate the waves a lot more when they do come. Nothing better than that feeling of FINALLY scoring BIG at the end of the anticipation for each swell, whereas in other places you could end up jaded, and that's something I never want to happen.
Sorta glad we're getting recognition. It seems with every bit of recognition that comes to the sport or an area or whatever a degree of dilution comes along with it. You gotta change your tools for the job. You can't ride a lot of the same boards they ride on the west coast (or maybe ride them as often). I think about it a lot after spending a couple hours in washer machine slop and having a good time with a handful of other folks.... How many west coasters would be out here with us? That being said, when I started, I'd go out anytime anywhere. I've become a bit more of a discriminate surfer now and can understand why someone with a more consistent wave wouldn't want to be bothered. Gotta respect the stoke!
Reef Road, Hurricane Irene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwFKhX8oXFQ&feature=related OBX, Mid November 2010: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZF4oT2P0a54&feature=related Ponce Inlet, Hurricane Bill day 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NQzySuZg8M New Jersey, Hurricane Irene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiRD6i3hVlw&feature=related
Yeah i hear that, I definitely didn't care what conditions were like in the beginning, as you learn more about the ocean you start to plan your days around better conditions, however, i've found that when I haven't gotten in the water in a while i'll take anything available to just break the streak. The way i see it, any day in the water is better than one out of it.
Our ability to get stoked on anything the ocean throws at us is a blessing in disguise. In Micronesia is "flat in the summer" meaning it could be micro barreling 2-3ft...most dudes wouldn't even bother. I mean not even surf for 3 months... However I was always like "this would be 200 people in VB... i'll paddle out" I surfed almost everyday while they drank beer in the parking lot... when typhoon season hit and the breaks went richter... I already had a feel for a number of heavy spots (albeit on a smaller easy to figure out scale) and was already so well entrenched in the local lineups no one even bothered to tell this haole to beat it. I knew folks that arrived during typhoon season that surfed even better than I did, that could never crack the local lineups and even took a crack in the skull from the local enforcers. I think they could just seee that I really wanted to surf and put my time in without any other ulterior motive.
Surfing is not defined by a specific location - we're all in it together. Damn proud to surf the East Coast.
no doubt. gotta paddle out in all sizes, tides, and winds to know a place well. if you were there when it was small, well...you can always drink beer in the parking lot later.
Nice, seem them about 3-4 times in concert, some of the most fun i've been to actually, still have a few of their CD's, but haven't heard anything from them recently
They have a couple of songs on the Dark Fall soundtrack, including Ghosts on the Boardwalk. Great stuff. And I have to say, the weekend (Oct 19-21) before this friggin' storm was one of the best weekends I have had in a long time because of the surf. May have been considered a decent day in some more consistent areas, but for me was one of those all-time weekends. Love surfing the right coast. Also, paddling out every weekend with my daughters over the summer regardless of size, really helped me in getting the most out of the surf, and putting in some long sessions. Dying to get back in one of these days.
the dark fall stuff is from either ghosts on the boardwalk or gold record albums...i don't think they used anything older than that. & yes...the weekend before sandy was super fun. would love to have another session like that before 5/4 weather hits.
