From - Tue Nov  5 15:37:26 1996
Path: nntp.earthlink.net!bdt.com!news.zeitgeist.net!news.pixi.com!sponge
From: sponge@ohana.com (Neal Miyake)
Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard
Subject: Expectations -- 10/26/96
Date: 31 Oct 1996 16:52:32 GMT
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Summary: small surf on the north shore
Keywords: surfing bodyboarding hawaii sponge
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The forecast was for 4-6' sets for the dawn patrol on a declining swell. 
Jerry and I arrived at Ehukai Beach Park at 5:45 am on Saturday and were
greeted with... small waves.  It was no more than shoulder high.  High
expectations can really be a bummer. 

Out of the darkness, a figure started talking to us.  This local guy was
deciding whether to go out, and he started going with his pidgin english,
swearing on every other word with his high-pitched voice.  He hadn't
surfed in about 20 years, but heard the forecast and decided to longboard. 

Although Jerry and I were disappointed, we decided to go for it, and
convinced the local bruddah to do the same.  After all, it's (almost)
always good enough to get wet, to at least paddle around if nothing else. 
So we changed, waxed up and trotted down the beach. 

It was a calm, clear night with a nearly full moon overlooking Pipe.  Dawn
was still over a half hour away, so the moon backlit the lineup with a
surreal reflection.  Darkness can truly amplify even small conditions into
exciting moments. 

The three of us traded waves for a few minutes, relishing the solitude and
blackness.  Unfortunately, it didn't last long.  By the time dawn came, I
counted a dozen riders in the lineup, and two hours later, the number
swelled to forty! 

But the increasing crowd was understandable.  Slowly but surely, the waves
got better and better, with some sets pushing five feet.  The weird thing
was that it was coming out of the west--that meant new swell!  Where the
hell was it coming from?  I thought it was on the decline? 

With the sunlight, I was reacquainted with our friend who we coaxed into
the water.  He turned out to be a pretty imposing fellow, and seemed to
know a lot of people in the lineup.  I guess I didin't expect him to be so
large.  But he had a heart of gold, helping out Jerry, and talking,
talking, talking. 

I saw this bodyboarder who looked vaguely familiar, so I started talking
to him.  His name was Dean Seppings from South Africa.  I probably met him
in the lineup last winter.  Nice guy; real quiet in the lineup. (He just
made a spread in Pit mag). 

The bodyboarders from SA are really making their presence known on the
North Shore.  Last year, a guy named Alistair Taylor came over for a
month, subsiding only on one large bag of potatos, and made it to the
Morey International finals.  Hardcore! 

Another familiar face in the lineup was Joel Tudor (the longboard prodigy
from SoCal).  I made small talk with him and found out he was in town for
the last leg of the Bud Surf Tour.  He was already bounced from the event
in lackluster Turtle Bay surf (the event will finish up at Makaha). 
Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to see him ride on his triple
stringer tanker (no leash, of course), but I've seen him work small
Ehukai with his traditional longboarding style. 

One of the great things about the North Shore is that you get to see and
meet people from around the world.  Surfing celebrities are a dime a dozen
here, and getting in the water gives you the opportunity to meet the
personalities behind the media gloss. 

What about "us" two celebrities-in-our-own-mind?  As for Jerry, well, he
was very aggressive for a guy who picked up the sport less than a year
ago.  He took off on some really nice waves, and was as stoked as ever. 
Even when it's small, Pipe has a lot more power than your average wave,
but he handled. 

I enjoyed myself also.  I was pretty aggressive and caught quite a few
waves before the crowd overwhelmed us.  Although the swell was westerly, I
caught some nice funnels at Backdoor.  However, my wave of the day came at
Pipe, where I caught this four foot west peak with a slight north hook
that concaved the wave face inwards.  I raced out a bit too far, but still
managed to get pitted nicely. 

The good waves were short-lived however, with the waves coming back down
to shoulder-high and inconsistent.  By that time, 9:00 am, we had had
enough of the crowd, so we bailed. 

Once home, I called the surf report, just to see what they called it. 
"Only one-to-three feet", they said.  I understood why it was called so
small, but I smiled to myself, knowing that we got it way better than
that.  I guess you never know what to expect. 

Aloha from Paradise,
sponge
www.ohana.com/hisurfad/

P.S.  Sunday was a whole different story.  The buoys were at 17 feet and
17 seconds, and the surf peaked at fifteen feet in the afternoon!  I ended
up exercising to Cindy Crawford with my wife.  (no flames, please.)