So other than the 100 surfboards, swimmers playing in the break, and 80% of the waves having party written all over them I didn't see what all the fuss was about. The vibe seemed friendly to me. Everyone paddling for the same wave almost seemed like an unspoken game that all were enjoying.
first street is where I go at 6am in February so that there is someone to see me drown and tell my tale. Holiday weekend, I bet it was a total sh*t show! Not that where I went was any better. fun little bump friday-sunday. I did time the parking right and got the croatan side of the jetty all to myself for a good 30 - 40 minutes the other morning. Rare occasion.
Like a lot of locals, I tend to stay away from the whole VB Oceanfront scene during the summer to avoid the crowds, parking issues, congestion, and other nonsense. IMO, fall and winter are better times. I like going out off 1st St. in the evenings after work around the Holidays with the Boardwalk lights and a few other people in the water besides myself.
Well today is the official first day of the beaches being cleared of tourists and kids and the eventual migration back to 1st street for alot of us. I normally don't hit the jetty till October when the suits start coming on; but we really don't have a huge "local"/"agro" vibe; but damn it can get congested out there like the bridge tunnel. But you braved it on the Holiday with the music festival... you crazy man... you just crazy. Or as the kids call it... you cray cray! Next good thing to happen on the oceanfront? Virginia Beach Craft Brew Fest Oct 19-20th. Normally $10-$20 for all you can drink..err sample.. of craft brews. Good post session re-hydration event
Glad you survived to tell the story. Same could be said for around here, total sh*t show just about anywhere, but I got up at sunrise and managed to get it in before it got too bad, unfortunately it got crowded rather early too, but I managed to weave in and out of the tourists while not getting tangled up with anybody. Soft tops galore out there i'll tell ya, one even appeared to have a pillow on the nose of the board, 2 in 1?
There's a dramatic drop-off with crowds at that spot after the tourist season. The city really pushes Surfing at the Oceanfront to tourists as one of the "things to do" when in VB. I'm sure some kind of surf lessons with X Company are in the Top Ten Trip advisor activities. I've never had a major problem there during the wetsuit seasons. It'll still get packed when it's thigh high and clean, but most of the guys in the water know what they're doing.
I seldom surf in a crowd, but when I do, I yell "Everybody go!" on the first wave of the set. Then I have the second wave to myself. It only works once in a while, but it is a hoot when it does.
I find you Virginia Beach types fascinating. Really, I do. I always have flashbacks of WAVY TV News when one of youse post. Sometimes I pretend Lee is Jon Klientop(or whatever) and 757 is Wes Laine. I actually miss The Virginian Pilot. Dude, one of my old surf crew dudes lives down there now. He don't surf no more. He runs marathons or rides a bike or something. I know, lame, huh? Runners suck. You don't do that for fun, you do that to get away from Allen Iverson's boys when you short them. Ha, you give them a wad with a $20 on the outside and just a bunch of $1's in the middle....or photocopied $20's. That's when you run. Wow, what happened? Youse guys used to have so many names in the sort-of-professional realm....Spates, Culpen, Brody and a bunch of others I can't recall at this moment. Now you ain't got nobody except that Michael Dunphy dude. What happened? Where's Eric Anderson? Do you guys still go to Peabody's? Are all you guys in the military or work on military installations? Any of you ever see Superfish out on the beat? That would be exciting especially since he's buff now. That's quite a place you guys have down there. If anyone wants to feel my presence go to the Wendy's on Battlefield Blvd in Cheesypeak. I used to toke up in the parking lot there on my way to the Banks......over to the side, I think near the trash area......Call my name or better yet someone tag my name around there..........
