Greetings from Trails......It's been a while since I submitted my last blog. I got a new sales rep position with a performance apparel line named, RYU. The line features recycled materials, organic material, anti-microbial, moisture wicking technical styles, plus some great sportswear. I've been busy with trade shows, learning the line, phone calls to potential and current accounts. Doesn't leave much time for the beach and surfing. Plus, I try to hit the gym to lift weights 2-3 days a week.

I surfed yesterday afternoon around 4pm and had the place to myself for 30mins. Very glassy conditions, tide a little high, but some really fun waves coming thru with great shape. The new swell wasn't really showing itself, so I was hopeful that tomorrow would bring bigger, more powerful waves. The water is super warm, still, and there is nothing better than surfing in board shorts. I always seem to surf better minus the wetsuit.

So, today, it was bigger, but the swell still hasn't hit. I'm sure the high tide had something to do with that, as there was a bit of backwash. I surfed my 9'7"Regal single fin yesterday and it was the perfect board for the conditions. I surfed my 9'0" Redline11 today, as I knew it would be bigger and better, with much more juice. I wasn't disappointed, but I still brought along my 7'10" Bonzer just in case it was well overhead. That board is really really fast and much easier to duck dive.

So these are some pictures taken after my surf sesh. They are really fun to watch, especially when they surf the waves air currents. My walk down to the beach was uneventful, but when I got to my little alcove, there was this big guy setting up to go surfing. We exchanged greetings, and then all of a sudden he asks me if I would rub sunblock on his back.....say what? He says, "I'll rub some on your back if you rub some on mine". I said that wasn't really an incentive. He then shows me a stage 2 melanoma scar, so what could I do? I had to rub lotion on his back, since he was trunkin it, and not wearing a rash guard. I rubbed the lotion on his back, and yes, it was kinda strange....I was hoping no one I knew saw me. I then decided, since I forgot my vest and rash guard, that I would let him reciprocate, so he rubbed lotion on my back. He thanks me and I say "my pleasure"....huh, what? I look up at him as I said that, and then said "well, it really wasn't my pleasure, and we both laughed. Every wave I caught was perfect, and I surfed each wave flawlessly. I think my Redline is the best board I've ever owned. Thanks Bill!! I got out after about an hour. I then picked up trash for 15mins, and walked back up the 1/4mile hill.

I usually stop at the top to catch my breath and watch the action. It got kinda crowded, but crowded at Trail 1 is 2 dozen guys out. The new problem is that the sweepers have discovered this spot, and it's going to become an issue. Most, not all, of these SUPer's are wave hogs, and try to catch every wave that comes along. I really think they should move down the beach away from the surfers. I do envision problems and confrontations down the road. They need to be respectful of the surfers, because they have a huge advantage over a prone paddle surfer. I'm looking forward to summer being over, and school back in session, as that will diminish the crowds considerably.

Well, will try to surf over the weekend, but I know it will be a zoo. Time to fire up the grill and start the weekend. The last picture is some guy walking down the trail. It's an easy walk down, but a real bitch coming back up, especially with a longboard.

Ciao for now folks.........this is ScooterSurfs and I am out!!

Surfed Trail 1 today, but got there kinda late; 10 am or so. High tide was at 11:42 am so I had to be quick to the beach in order to ride some waves before the tide completely shut down the place. Mike was just getting out of the water as I was entering the water. Just me in the line up for the first 20 mins. or so. My first wave was awesome, had some punch and speed down the line. I cranked a good bottom turn, came off the top, did it again, cut back, then kicked out. Great start for me. Had a couple of spaz attacks on 2 waves, where I didn't get up quickly and couldn't straighten my back to full extension, so I kinda crashed and burned. Nothing is more frustrating than to catch that first wave, rip it really well, then follow that up with, what would look to an innocent observer, a crappy ride or wipe out. Oh well, being 61 has its downside, on occasion. All in all, I had some amazing waves and rides and was pleased with my last ride of the day.

After drying off and changing from my spring suit to my boardshorts, I grabbed my i-Pod, drank a protein drink and proceeded to pick up trash on the beach. Big pet peeve of mine, for sure. I once read an article by Steve Pezman who said that every person who goes to the beach, especially surfers, should pick up 10 pcs. of trash before they leave. My brother and I do this a lot. I never see any other surfers doing this at Trails. It's too bad, because we all share the ocean and beach, and we should respect it enough to be its caretaker. The beach doesn't clean itself, folks. The pictures above are of typical items that either wash up on the beach or are left by beach goers. The most common items I pick up are mylar balloons, straws, plastic water bottle caps, styrofoam, and kids' sand toys. Not only does it dirty the beach, but the animals and fish are harmed or killed by ingesting this crap. Do your part to clean up the beach and ocean and if you see anyone disrespecting the beach and ocean, say something to them. Maybe they're just ignorant, or.... they need a wake up call. Either which way, do your best to make sure your beach is as clean and safe as you can make it.

This was a smaller set coming thru with the tide at its peak. Still good shape. There was still a shoulder high set coming thru every now and then, but it was better when I paddled out. This photo was taken after I surfed for an hour. Other folks come down to trails to share the beach, including fishermen. I keep saying to myself that I should bring fishing gear down and fish after I surf. Great way to spend the day, although I know almost nothing about fishing, especially shore fishing.

These are some of the locals who inhabit trails; pelicans, seals(both in the picture), dolphins, sharks, and fish. It's such a neat eco system down there. These are the critters we help, when we clean up the beach. They're all better surfers than we are, so help your brothers/sisters out! I haven't blogged for a while, so I hope this day finds you well and happy.

Over and Out,
scooter surfs

Greetings from ground zero: Old Man's!! Yes, I surfed SanO with my wife's nephew, James Charlesworth. He and his wife and 2 beautiful children flew into John Wayne for a week to see the tourist attractions, and to me, that includes SanO. So, we surfed early afternoon on Monday April 30. There was a decent swell in the water, a mix of south and NW windswell. Made for some shifting peaky waves. Good fun!! Long ass paddle out though. What's funny is I haven't surfed SanO since last August, and I avoid it like the plague; you pick the plague you like? Black Plague always works for me, but Ebola is good too. Anyway, it wasn't crowded for SanO, because it was kinda choppy. I probably would not have ventured out, if it weren't for James. He wanted to surf, and as the host, one must be gracious and hit the water. James hasn't surfed in 3 years, and when he did, it was at Ocean Beach in San Francisco. That is a pretty gnarly place. Did you know that Chris Isaak lives and surfs there as well? Well, he does!!

So, here is a picture of James Charlesworth and yours truly. As you can see in the background, not too many people in the water, but ohhhhhh, the ones that were in the water were pretty much beginners. That is both a good and bad thing. At Trails, it's ok, because it is never crowded, and beginners don't get in the way, too much. Also, it doesn't break as far out as SanO, so there are less obstacles in the water. I forgot how much fun it was, surfing around these catatonic human buoys!! I would catch a wave, and these neophytes just sit there and expect/hope you can go around them. Well, I can, but if you are a beginner sitting there, hoping not to get run over, and another beginner happens to catch a wave and is heading right for you....well, there's going to be trouble in River City!! Word to the wise and everyone else who can't surf; if you see someone coming at you, make an attempt to paddle out of there way. Don't always paddle towards the shoulder.....if a surfer is heading towards the shoulder, then you should paddle towards the breaking part of the wave..if you have to take one on the head to avoid contact with a riding surfer, then that's the prudent and right thing to do. I thank people for doing that. I also thank people for not dropping in on me when I've been riding a wave for a number of seconds.


We surfed today as well. Trail 1, which is my prime spot. Mike was out, Joe came out later, but James and I had some fun waves all to ourselves. I was on my Regal and I borrowed a rental Regal for James from Stewart's. The surf was really good, waist to head high, lots of time between sets and an easy paddle out. My buddy Ed, was supposed to join us this morning, but it was drizzling at his house, as well as mine, so he opted out. I said that we were going to be getting wet anyway, but he wanted better weather. He really missed a good session.

Later, James took me to breakfast and that's when I informed him that the place we surfed today, has more great white shark sitings than any place in Southern California. It is actually a breeding area for Great Whites!! As expected, he said he would've thought twice about paddling out if he knew that information beforehand. Ha!! Jokes on him.

Well, we didn't see any sharks, dophins, grey whales, or seals. Just a few surfers, fun zippy waves, and complete and utter solitude!! Until next time, this is scooter surfs bidding you all a very fond Adios.......

scooter surfs

I thought I would do a quick piece on Stewart Surf Shop, where I am employed on a part-time basis.
These are pictures of Geoff Madsen, the main shaper at Stewart's. He probably shapes 90-95% of all boards that we sell. Stewart Surfboards has distributors all over the USA, as well as a global presence. I believe we have 18 different models, from short boards to longboards, funboards, fishes, cruisers, starter boards, and every conceivable type of in-between board that will work in almost any condition that Mother Nature can dish up. Geoff's an excellent shaper and can average a board every 30 mins. Geoff was also a member of the Echo Beach Crew in Newport Beach back in the early 80's. So, needless to say...he's a really good surfer!!

This is how we receive the raw blanks. They come from a company called ProCam in Huntington Beach. They buy our basic uncut blanks from US Blanks in the city of Gardena. They then go to ProCam where each of our models has been scanned into a computer; then each model is cut on a CNC machine and shipped to us pre-shaped. Geoff or Bill then fine-tune the blanks, taking out all the ridges, refining the nose and tail, and expertly making the rails, bevels, and concaves to spec. There is always the option of buying the blank uncut, then having our shaper cut the blank by hand, plane, sand etc. This is a time consuming process, and costs around $100 extra. Definitely old school. Some older, crusty shapers only shape by hand. No machine for them! Kudos to those journeymen!!

 These are boards that have been shaped and are waiting for the fin boxes to be routed out by Ernesto, our Venezuelan router. He's a really cool guy, easy going, and pretty buff too. He is actually a personal trainer in his spare time.

These are blanks that are waiting for paint. They have already had their boxes routed. There are also some boards that have been shaped and glassed. The grey funboard also has had an acid resin wash done. Those particular boards have been glassed or hot coated, and are awaiting the painter, Tom, to paint pin lines on the hot coat. He can paint pin lines on the blank itself, but he told me that it isn't as clean and precise as doing it on the hot coat.

This is Tom, the resident Cuban and painter extraordinaire!! He lays down some cool designs, and has to be regarded as one of, if not, the best painter in the surf biz!! He also has to define a custom board order, which one of the salesmen writes up. As salesmen, we are required to draw out the design that the customer wants, with the appropriate Pantone color #'s, logos, artwork, and anything else they want, and take a deposit. I think the hardest part of Tom's job is extrapolating the information that we give him. There is so much information  each phase of the board requires, from fin location and boxes used, to which kind of leash plug to use, to the amount of glass that is used on the deck and the bottom, location of laminates for the glassers etc. The picture on the right is classic, because this guy is pretty stoic, cerebral, and efficient. So, for him to ham it up for my camera was pretty unusual. Not only that, he would make the members of the Geek Squad look silly. Tom is amazing with computers, software, and photoshop. His composites are legendary!! He also has many stories about surfboard factories he's worked at throughout his career, and it's fun to find out what some of the all-time greats were really like. Drugs, alcohol, dealing etc. Some of the stories are quite sobering.

This is Ernesto's bay, adjacent to Tom's bay. This is where the boards are routed, and the slurry is applied to the EPS boards. EPS are our epoxy boards, which are hand shaped, not molded plastic. Very light, strong, and buoyant. The polystyrene material is very, very porous. So, to fill in the gaps/holes, a puddy like material is spread over the board, almost like spackle. Once this is done, and the board is glassed, it looks pretty much like a polyurethane blank. I could go into the painting of EPS boards vs Poly U boards, but I won't at this time. The only task performed off site is the glassing of the surfboards. I may do a separate blog about Chelu Glassing. Needless to say, this is a soulful surf shop, and they are few and far between.  Until next time, stay stoked and keep surfing!!
Scooter Surfs

Got up at the crack of 8:30am to find a text from Mike. Quote, "It be tiny and kinda weak...but what a nice day....supposed to pick up...maybe tide push will help?" Looking out the window, I could see that it was indeed, a beautiful day! I packed up my van with 2 boards; my trusted 9'7" Regal and my 6'10" Funline 11. My board selection was based on Mikes surf report. To my surprise, the surf was bigger than I thought; clean, peaky, glassy, and just a couple of people in the water. I'd say the surf was running 2-4ft with an occasional bigger set, and the waves had some push. Perfect conditions for the Regal. I just prayed my back would not spasm and lock up like it did last Friday. Oh yeah, taking an 800mg IBUPROFEN doesn't hurt either, eh? The wave pictured above, is from last weeks swell. It was big all week.

I caught some great waves with my Regal. I actually did this resin acid wash color pallet to match my Frankenstein fin. I think it works well, don't you? It's a funny thing about riding a wave; as you stroke into the wave, you feel the wave gently lift you and the board up, almost like bread dough rising. It's subtle, exciting, and as it happens you know to pop up to your feet and draw your line and initiate your first turn. You can tell a good surfer from a beginner or intermediate surfer, based on how they paddle, turn their board, approach the wave, and think (or not think) a couple of turns ahead. Most people are content to make a turn then stand there like the Statue of Liberty, trimming until they fall off or try a cutback, where they usually fall off. Then there are others, usually short boarders who flail away like one of those blow up stick men you see at car lots. I've come to the conclusion that anyone who rides a molded epoxy board is of the statue variety. They want a board that doesn't ding, and floats them well. Huh? Really,, that's why you buy a board? I guess if you like riding a board made in China, with no intrinsic value, no soul, and no turning ability, and is like trying to ride a ping pong ball, then by all means, buy and ride them. Just don't expect to improve your surfing for the foreseeable future.

That's Mike doing a nice bottom turn on a solid wave last week. Don't know which day it was, but I do know that it wasn't a big set wave. Mike will take off on anything, so if the wave jacks up in front of him, he's going!! I can't wait until I buy another DSR Camera so I can zoom in and stop the action better. My point and shoot is nice, but not for action photos. The other photo was taken on Thursday. I didn't go out as I thought it was too windy and not good enough. This wave says different......what's funny is this day, these conditions, the size, and the crowd (3 guys) would be considered an epic day in Florida and Texas. I guess I'm a little spoiled, and being 60 years old, with back and knee problems makes me a bit jaded when it comes to mentally committing to a surf session. A set wave today, is pictured below.

 I will relate one other incident that took place prior to surfing today. I had walked down to look at the waves, and there were a few people and dogs checking out the surf. Everyone had left except one guy and his dog. He happened to leave the bluff a minute or two before I started walking back to my car, to suit up and have a surf. As I approach the guy and his dog, the dog stops to do it's business, where I slow down to make sure the guy picks up after the dog. Well, guess what? The guy starts to walk off with his dog, and I say "hey wait a minute, aren't you going to clean up after your dog?" "There are no bags", he says. "Look behind you, there are blue bags right there"! He says, "I'm going this way", and I say, "there are bags up at the parking lot too". I then say I surf here all the time and he says he does too. I tell him, "you'd better pick it up or I'll report you to the state park officials and if that doesn't work, I will take care of you myself"!! As I walk away, I'm shaking my head and wondering why there are such assholes in the world. Both Mike and I have almost stepped in dog doo on the beach. My patience runs thin when it comes to trashing our beaches and trails. Oh, and I did look to see if the guy had picked up his dog's crap, and it was gone. I don't like to threaten people, as it's not my style, but someone has to call people on their bad behavior. Until next time?

Ciao for now,

Scooter Surfs

My best friend Richard, ordered a new board from me at Stewart Surfboards, a few weeks ago. It is the newest model from Bill Stewart, the Redline 11, 9'0". I don't say this about many boards, but this board does it all; we only make 9ft Redlines, and they turn like an 8'6", paddle like a 9'6", and nose ride like a 10'0". The nose riding of this board is nothing short of astonishing!! I made Richard jump thru lots and lots of hoops, in order to get to the finished product. Lets just say I pranked the hell out of him thru the entire process, and it was really fun. We've been friends since the 9th grade, so pranking each other comes with the territory; just ask him!!

First off, after we agreed on the color you see above, a nice seafoam green fade, I sent him a text,  changing in colors....I changed the colors to hot pink and black. Then sent him a picture of the new design, which kind of looked like a maze. His response was, "you're kidding right"? Yes, I was kidding, but that was only the start. I did send him jpegs of the finished shaped blank, the paint job prior to and after hot coating; then sent him pictures of the logos and pin lines, which are painted on the hot coat, not on the blank itself. The real fun started after his board was delivered by our glasser, Chelu glassing, in Talega, SC.

This is me, pretending to wax his new board. I texted him the following: "I'm going to wax up your new board, and take it for a surf. I will let you know how it rides." Richard says, "you'd better not!" The next thing I did was send him a picture of his board in the sales rack, not the private, roped off, custom rack, complete with price tag and dimensions. I really priced the board to move, and told Richard the board may be sold before he comes to pick it up, ha!

Such a deal for a $900 surfboard, eh? I came to find out that someone actually tried to buy the board, and that created a bit of a brouhaha. The price had to be explained by our main shaper, Geoff. Luckily, I had already gone home, knowing that Richard was picking up his board at 10am the next day. So, I missed all the excitement. Geoff wasn't too pleased with me, but the guy ended up being cool about the price and the events that led up to the discounted price tag.

Here is Richard's board all finned up and ready to go.......nowhere!! This is what he saw when he first focused eyes on his new board. Whoops, my bad!! A good laugh was had by all, and that was the end of my pranks. We are surfing this Friday, he on his new board, me on my Redline 11 Yellow. Ed Bradley(another very close friend), and my son Justin, are also meeting us at Lloyd's Spot. Justin rides a Stewart California Noserider, another great board from Bill. Eddy rides a Becker 10'0".

You might be wondering why he chose to have DRAGMASTER logoed on his rail? The story goes back to the early 70's, when Richard bought an orange Datsun pickup truck. I had an earlier model that was red, complete with camper shell and bedding. Anyway, the tires he had on his truck had white raised lettering, and DRAGMASTER  was what it said on the tires. The name kinda stuck. I also was lucky enough to find a fin, that came with a much bigger fin order, in the exact color of Richard's board. That was totally cool, and rare.

I know he is going to really, really like his new board. We went with 24"W X 3 3/8" Thick @ 9'0".
The board should float him well, paddle amazing, and if he ever finds himself on the nose (when hell freezes over), he will be smiling!! I think I had more fun with his surfboard order, than I've had with my own personal sticks. Now, let's hit the surf, so I can drop in on him, cut him off, and hassle the crap out of him. I'm here to expand the experience for him:-} Until next time, this is Scooter Surfs, bidding you all a happy 4th of April.

Ciao

     Got a text from Mike at 8:45am saying our spot was going off. After exiting my car, this was my first look at the surf, coffee in hand. It looks pretty good, bigger than yesterday, with less water/wave texture created by the wind. Needless to say, after taking this picture, I walked back to my car to suit up and pack my back pack.

     Just Joe (another guy that surfs Lloyd's spot) and Mike surfing the reef, and getting really long, good rides. The shape is hit or miss; if the set comes thru and doesn't have both swell directions in the wave mix, it usually will be a close out wave. A close out wave is a wave that breaks all at once; you take off and have no where to go. Sometimes those waves are fun, if you have a plan? There are a few things you can do.....1st, take off and do a quick turn off the top, then do a big re-entry off the approaching section of the wave, riding the breaking whitewater cylinder straight down. Hard to do for sure. 2nd, you can go straight down as far and as fast into the flat as you can, then when your speed is maxed, you make the hardest bottom turn you can, bending at the knees, then extending your legs for maximum extension off your turn. This is really fun to do, but be prepared to take one on the head. Or you complete your turn, then cutback and straighten out, riding the soup(whitewater foam) for a while or you jump off your board. You have to be quick. I guess the last thing you can do is make your bottom turn sooner, then drive straight up into the throwing lip and either kick out (leaving the wave) or try to pivot off the top, turning thru the exploding lip and ride the wave back down into the vortex of the beast. Not a problem on 2-4 ft waves, but when the surf is overhead, you really have to be focused and committed, or you can sustain a very serious injury.

          So, my session was not that good today. As well as I surfed yesterday, I felt like I didn't have my stoke on, and my wave count and surfing suffered. It's funny how that works! Conditions were almost ideal; good size, good power, and consistent. Doesn't make for an enjoyable paddle out, but 10 minutes later, I was outside. Anyway, had a little trouble catching waves on my Redline 11, rode a few with less than exciting results. Timing was a mess today. I did manage a big set close-out wave where I cranked a huge bottom turn, only to be forced to straighten out because there was no wave face to ride. That one turn put a smile on my face, as there is always one ride in a session that you remember for the rest of the day, and sometimes well beyond. Kinda like a round of golf where your game kinda sucks, but everything seems to come together on that one shot, or that one putt for birdie or par. Keeps you coming back, right?

     Here is the reef showing its teeth. Gnarly, big, and sharp. Lots of blood and skin on those rocks.

   "Peeled and ready to go"! I really do love this board. If you want a board that does everything well, and I mean everything, then this is the board for you. It's a "1 board Quiver".

     This is where I park my stuff. Just a little alcove, that sits just below the trailhead viewing area. It's so nice that the sand is filling back in and creating a lovely beach. This place is magic, never looks as good from the top as it does in the water. It is a fickle wave, not terribly powerful, like Huntington Beach, tends to feather before breaking, so late take offs are the norm. It is a bitch to walk up and down the trail, but that definitely cuts down on the crowd. Zoo city is just a mile up the beach, but you only have to walk 20-30 yards to the water, on level sand. Just you and 150 of your best friends!!

     Well, I have to work the next 3 days, so you won't hear from me until next week. I will start writing about past surf sessions, my ear operation last year, when I had to remain on land for 2 months. Kept busy taking photos of my son, brother and friends. Will post those pics as well.

Ciao for now,

Scooter Surfs