From - Wed Sep 25 10:41:54 1996
Path: nntp.earthlink.net!nntp1.jpl.nasa.gov!nntp-server.caltech.edu!news.cerf.net!pagesat.net!news.emf.net!overload.lbl.gov!cse.lbl.gov!njtravis
From: njtravis@cse.lbl.gov (Nancy Jean Travis)
Newsgroups: alt.surfing
Subject: Hang Loose (Huey's Rule #9)
Date: 19 Sep 1996 00:43:15 GMT
Organization: Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory
Lines: 70
Message-ID: <51q4v3$5bq@overload.lbl.gov>
Reply-To: njtravis@cse.lbl.gov (Nancy Jean Travis)
NNTP-Posting-Host: cse.lbl.gov

When the best laid plans start going by the wayside, I usually
credit Huey for the monkey wrench and reconsider. He's never
failed me yet. I planned to go to Santa Cruz today but when I
got up something felt wrong. I didn't want to go. I checked
the buoys and they were shit, the swell wasn't showing. I checked
the radio and it was mayhem on the freeway, an overturned semi
(that's a wrecked road train for you southern hemi folk) and jams
everywhere in the South Bay. What they called on the radio "a
pre-80's commute" horror. 

But what a killer filth day! I'd go surf in the north woods hey.
An hour later all alone in the Reefers carpark, I'm not sure whether I
should be happy or bummed. There's no people as far as I can see,
the birds are going off, a bunny sits on the track and stares at
me.....and there's no waves. Yeah there's always Sonoma I remember,
I've got all day. Or Point Arena ;) It was only 9am by then.

But as I'm charging back up the gravel track, miles from the nearest
town, here's an old dude in shorts hitchhiking near RCAs. I never
pick up strangers but this guy couldn't be hiding a weapon and he's
too damn stoked looking to be real. So I stopped and said "What is it?
Got tired of jogging?" 

"Im on a mission," he smiled and explained he's been hiking out on
the headlands and found a piece of timber he absolutely had to have
to build something on his ranch. He couldn't get it passed the gate
but he saw the cattleman (for the second time in 5 years) and the
man had left the gate open. "I know its meant for me to have it
today. I need to get my truck. It a beautiful old piece of timber."

Well I smelled karma brewing so I drove him up to his ranch, Moon
Meadow, and declined coffee. "Nah, I'm on a mission aswell. I know its
meant for me to get waves today." "Oh you'll get waves," he said.
"I know.  I'm a philospher, I believe in things." He waved and 
I just felt lucky. 

I drove to the town beach and the groin was breaking way out and rolling
all the way through the lagoon. Empty. Hey, I've never seen it
so clean. Two guys from San Francisco paddled out about the same time 
as me and we just milked that wave for hours. They were so stoked
they didn't count as a crowd. I couldn't figure out which of
us was the better surfer because the excessive fun meter was redlined.
Waist high, a bit slow on the takeoff, but it reformed and sped up
inside rolling for a half mile on the sets. Cowells without the Uni. 

What a treat! After my last surf being murdered in West Oz, this wave
was like a cream filled cake on a silver platter. I couldn't even
get my hair wet, so I started trying to do head dips for amusement.
The wave was so long you could plan your agenda for the week on
the way in. 

Better still, it started building from the south. I was telling
one of the guys about Privates and a set immediately smacked me
over the head. I swear I'll never mention it again. I shouldnt
even mention this, hahah. At 12:30 a bunch of locals came out,
6-8 or so for the lunch rush but I was so tired by then, I
didn't care. And then the thing just shut down like a curfew,
amazing how fast it died. Back in my van, I checked the tide book
and it had shut down when the incoming tide hit 4 feet.  Like I said,
cake on a plate. It was a pig out for 3 hours then when I was done, 
so was it. I wouldnt believe it myself except my legs ache, my
traps are fried and my teeth are sunburned. Thanks Huey!

Fang


ps remember what your mother told you, (or my mother):
1) never talk to strangers
2) always wear some ID if you surf alone
hahaha, NOT!