From rtaylor@geog.ucsb.edu Wed Dec 04 22:16:33 1996 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: All the sea's in love, and a brief golden moment From: Surfer Bob Date: Wed, 04 Dec 1996 14:16:33 -0800 CC: rtaylor@geog.ucsb.edu Hi all, The buoys jacked up about 5 feet in a few hours Monday, so I ignored my crushing load of end-of-the-quarter schoolwork and dashed out to my favorite dumb little surf spot just before dark. It's probably bigger down the coast aways, but there's not time for that now. The sun is maybe four fingers from the horizon as I leave my house. It's a quick drive, a half mile trot down the tracks and across somebody's land, a steep hillside, and I'm peaking through the Eucalyptus trees looking at glassy little waves on a cobbly shore. I run through newly sprouting grass across the mouth of a humble little creek and out to the tiny scrap a point that makes this wave happen. The tide is dropping and it looks a little kelpy. There's one guy out, plus me makes two. I give him lots of room and no one says a word. It's immaculately glassy, and there are goodly lulls between occasional shoulder high waves. I get one that closes out, and then one that backs off before finding one that connects. There's room for a couple of quick little carves in the bowly beachbreak section on the inside. Although there's no sand left on the bach now, I stand up on sand in the shallows. I get what turns out to be my wave of the day. It's a glassy little peak that backs off after takeoff, forcing me to fade deep and shift my weight forward a bit. Then it stands up all down the line and I drop into the trough, accelerating. I duck, it throws, and for a glorious instant I am hopelessly deep in a perfect cylinder of backlit seawater and diffuse late afternoon sunlight. I pop out the back and as quick as it began, it is over. I hoot a little and paddle back out. The other guy gets one good enough to get him hooting too. A lull sets in, and the local seal bobs up like he usually does. I notice he's got a partner today. The two of them bob side by side, watching us attentively. They are being very cute. Then two western grebes paddle by, side by side. Two surfers bob and watch a thin, golden red winter sunset come over the California coast. The sun sets and it gets cold. I eventually realize I'm looking for one to the beach. I get a fun, small one at last and can't resist going back for one more. The Big Kahuna smiles, and one more quick little wave peels through, carrying me in. I get out, and spend a minute or two stretching and surveying the peaceful scene before trotting off up the path that leads back to my car. On the way, I pass the other surfer. He's barefoot, and picking his way painfully over railroad gravel. I nod in passing and he speaks for the first time. "I need to get some booties for this part..."