From rick@mesagroup.com Fri Feb 07 03:47:32 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: rick@mesagroup.com (Rick Ciaccio) Date: Fri, 07 Feb 1997 03:47:32 GMT Tim Maddux mentioned the "tombstone drop" we have all experienced at least once... where we took a terrible pounding and didn't know if we'd make it-- the one we will never forget. This would be a great thread to hear of these killer drops each of us has experienced... Rick Ciaccio ------------------------------------------ Wedge Preservation Society - www.wedge.org Mesa Internet Servers - www.mesagroup.com From themadottr@thegrid.net Fri Feb 07 06:09:25 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: XX Date: Thu, 06 Feb 1997 22:09:25 -0800 Rick Ciaccio wrote: > > Tim Maddux mentioned the "tombstone drop" we have all experienced at least > once... where we took a terrible pounding and didn't know if we'd make it-- the > one we will never forget. > > This would be a great thread to hear of these killer drops each of us has > experienced... > > Rick Ciaccio > ------------------------------------------ > Wedge Preservation Society - www.wedge.org > Mesa Internet Servers - www.mesagroup.com There would be some great stories alright, just let me tell mine last. If you do I guarantee it'll be a doozy! The Mad Otter From john_e_shumate@non-hp-sandiego-om2.om.hp.com Fri Feb 07 17:23:24 1997 To: Rick Ciaccio Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: John Shumate Date: Fri, 07 Feb 1997 09:23:24 -0800 Rick Ciaccio wrote: My most recent "tombstone drop" was at Swami's a few months ago. Huge day - dawn patrol ~6:00 AM - about ten surfers in the water. Riding my 9'6" Custom-shaped Encinitas Surfboard (hybrid design - 14" of rocker nose-to-tail, 2+1 fin system). Big 8-10 ft sets coming in. Riding the longboard, I was looking for that ***one*** to come through. You know, the one you can feel in your bones is out there - you just can't see it. Saw a ripple way out there - beyond the regular set. Everybody's paddling for the set, but no one see the big one way out there. 3 set-waves go by before the big one rears it's ugly head. I'm in perfect position - or so I thought... As I start to paddle, it starts to wall off. A big 12-footer at least. It picks me up and just as I'm about to stand up, - a huge bump hits the face (bouncing off the shore, I guess) - it sucks out and the face becomes a death drop. As I make the drop, I'm thinking to myself - "So - this is the road to Hell - straight down and nowhere to go. Thank god for my heavy rocker - without it, I would have had to waffle the tail (or worse - pearl the nose!). Smooth, flowing drop and as I look out - ten surfers forty feet in front of me. Two choices: 1) Thread my way through them ('cause running over them just pisses them off - especially when you aim for 'em ;-) ) and have a long paddle back out. or 2) Jump off now into the 8-ft wall of whitewater and hope my leash doesn't break. I chose the second and was instantly swallowed up, chewed up, wrung-out, hung-up, and eventually spit out. Luckily, my leash was still intact - 1 foot longer now, but still intact. When that puppy broke and crashed next to me, the whitewater bounced up at least two feet higher than my head. Everybody survived and paddled back out. While we were waiting for the next set, said" Man - you looked small on the wave!" I told them "I felt small on that wave, too!" Biggest drop ever: August 1973 or 74 (can't remember which year) 24-ft face (hurricane swell) Birdrock - goin right 6'2" Bahne Total coverage (and then some - back about 10ft) Everytime a wave broke, the water shook for at least 50 ft around it...you could see the ripples... AND the thunder of the crashing waves just added to the pucker factor... Waves made the San Diego Tribune Front Page: 3 surfers one above the next Waves took out the Hut on the end of the OB Pier Same waves shown in Surfer Mag as "World Surfing Contest Aftermath" Shows a wave breaking 10 ft OVER the top of the hut on the end of the pier From themadottr@thegrid.net Fri Feb 07 21:19:58 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: XX Date: Fri, 07 Feb 1997 13:19:58 -0800 John Shumate wrote: > > Rick Ciaccio wrote: > > > My most recent "tombstone drop" was at Swami's a few months ago. Huge > day - dawn patrol ~6:00 AM - about ten surfers in the water. Riding my > 9'6" Custom-shaped Encinitas Surfboard (hybrid design - 14" of rocker > nose-to-tail, 2+1 fin system). > > Big 8-10 ft sets coming in. Riding the longboard, I was looking for > that ***one*** to come through. You know, the one you can feel in your > bones is out there - you just can't see it. > > Saw a ripple way out there - beyond the regular set. Everybody's > paddling for the set, but no one see the big one way out there. 3 > set-waves go by before the big one rears it's ugly head. > > I'm in perfect position - or so I thought... As I start to paddle, it > starts to wall off. A big 12-footer at least. It picks me up and just > as I'm about to stand up, - a huge bump hits the face (bouncing off the > shore, I guess) - it sucks out and the face becomes a death drop. > > As I make the drop, I'm thinking to myself - "So - this is the road to > Hell - straight down and nowhere to go. Thank god for my heavy rocker - > without it, I would have had to waffle the tail (or worse - pearl the > nose!). Smooth, flowing drop and as I look out - ten surfers forty feet > in front of me. Two choices: > > 1) Thread my way through them ('cause running over them just pisses them > off - especially when you aim for 'em ;-) ) and have a long paddle > back out. > > or > > 2) Jump off now into the 8-ft wall of whitewater and hope my leash > doesn't break. > > I chose the second and was instantly swallowed up, chewed up, wrung-out, > hung-up, and eventually spit out. Luckily, my leash was still intact - > 1 foot longer now, but still intact. > > When that puppy broke and crashed next to me, the whitewater bounced up > at least two feet higher than my head. > > Everybody survived and paddled back out. While we were waiting for the > next set, said" Man - you looked small on the wave!" I told them "I > felt small on that wave, too!" > > Biggest drop ever: August 1973 or 74 (can't remember which year) > 24-ft face (hurricane swell) > Birdrock - goin right > 6'2" Bahne > Total coverage (and then some - back about 10ft) > Everytime a wave broke, the water shook for at least > 50 ft around it...you could see the ripples... > AND the thunder of the crashing waves just added to > the pucker factor... > > Waves made the San Diego Tribune Front Page: > 3 surfers one above the next > Waves took out the Hut on the end of the OB Pier > Same waves shown in Surfer Mag as "World Surfing > Contest Aftermath" Shows a wave breaking 10 ft OVER > the top of the hut on the end of the pier The gates to storytelling hell have opened, the air takes on a quality not unlike that above a Chicago feed lot in July. Dubious eyes narrow to slits while focusing on the back of your retinas, searching out truth. The poker game has opened with a bid...are there any takers willing to up the ante? Is there someone out there that can take us to the next level? Has anyone taken a drop on the moon? The Mad Otter From pasigal@aol.com Sat Feb 08 08:35:15 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: pasigal@aol.com (Pasigal) Date: 8 Feb 1997 08:35:15 GMT Well, for drama I can't touch Mr. Shumate or the Mad Otter's promised Armageddon story, but here's mine. 8 foot beachbreak at Spanish Bay, Christmas Day 1995. Kind of a mini Puerto Escondido (not that I've ever surfed Puerto, but I've SEEN PICTURES). The waves would break outside then seriously wall up and explode on the shallow cobblestones inside. Most waves were rights, but every now and then a fat left came through. Did I mention it was cold? The air was about 50 and the water not much warmer. I was a bit chilled and stiff. So I took off on what was probably a 12- foot face (it grows in the retelling), made the drop but just didn't feel right. I eschewed the traditional bottom turn and instead just angled for the bowl. I hit some chop (Don't all wipeout stories blame it on the chop?) and started falling backward into the face. I fell straight back and looked right into the pit behind me. I didn't penetrate very far, and I could feel myself being sucked into the vortex. I started going up, then over, then down very very fast. IT was a complete circle. I hit the bottom, hard, and it felt like I was being stomped on by an elephant. The hold-down sucked. It wasn't like I saw God or little dancing stars, but it was bad. I headed in and tried to maintain some sense of dignity. I remember that I didn't surf much for a week or so after that. Peter From tweedt@aol.com Sat Feb 08 18:23:40 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: tweedt@aol.com Date: 8 Feb 1997 18:23:40 GMT In article <32FB9C7E.7051@thegrid.net>, XX writes: [snipped] >The gates to storytelling hell have opened, the air takes on a quality >not unlike that above a Chicago feed lot in July. Dubious eyes narrow >to slits while focusing on the back of your retinas, searching out >truth. The poker game has opened with a bid...are there any takers >willing to up the ante? Is there someone out there that can take us to >the next level? Has anyone taken a drop on the moon? Nobody- not even in their worst, exagerrated, nightmarish, lying dreams is going to be able to write even 10,000 words that would top that one photo of Jay Moriarty at Maverick's! You know, the one that made the cover of the mags last winter- where he's just flypapered to the lip on a 25' face? That picture defined "tombstone drop" for me. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Tweed La Jolla, CA e-mail: tweedt@ucsd.edu or tweedt@aol.com "Don't let your mouth write no check that your tail can't cash." -- Bo Diddley -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From kdalle@slip.net Sun Feb 09 17:55:13 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: kdalle@slip.net Date: Sun, 09 Feb 1997 17:55:13 +0000 tweedt@aol.com wrote: > Nobody- not even in their worst, exagerrated, nightmarish, lying dreams is > going to be able to write even 10,000 words that would top that one photo > of Jay Moriarty at Maverick's! You know, the one that made the cover of > the mags last winter- where he's just flypapered to the lip on a 25' face? > That picture defined "tombstone drop" for me. I have that on a video. The first time I viewed it I had to play it over 3 or 4 times to believe it. That had to hurt. jeff From tbmaddux@alumnae.caltech.edu Mon Feb 10 06:50:59 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: tbmaddux@alumnae.caltech.edu (Timothy B. Maddux) Date: 10 Feb 1997 06:50:59 GMT In article <19970208182300.NAA26961@ladder01.news.aol.com>, wrote: >Nobody- not even in their worst, exagerrated, nightmarish, lying dreams is >going to be able to write even 10,000 words that would top that one photo >of Jay Moriarty at Maverick's! You know, the one that made the cover of >the mags last winter- where he's just flypapered to the lip on a 25' face? > That picture defined "tombstone drop" for me. Except perhaps that recent sequence in Surfing, their anniversary issue, of Mark Foo's last wave. Both the words by Nick Carroll and the photos topped it for me, especially the last shot showing Mark's fingers just barely reaching out of the white curtain... One week at Mav's in 1994, burned into the brains of surfers everywhere, starting w/ Jay's triumphs at the age of 16 and ending in tragedy. -- .-``'. Timothy B. Maddux, Ocean Engineering Lab, UCSB .` .`~ http://www.engineering.ucsb.edu/~tbmaddux/ _.-' '._ "From the essence of pure stoke springs all creation." From tsatterthwaite@herman-stewart.com Mon Feb 10 17:52:08 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: "Ted S." Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 12:52:08 -0500 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------4D7A3F963CC Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Timothy B. Maddux wrote: > > In article <19970208182300.NAA26961@ladder01.news.aol.com>, > wrote: > >Nobody- not even in their worst, exagerrated, nightmarish, lying dreams is > >going to be able to write even 10,000 words that would top that one photo > >of Jay Moriarty at Maverick's! You know, the one that made the cover of > >the mags last winter- where he's just flypapered to the lip on a 25' face? > > That picture defined "tombstone drop" for me. > > Except perhaps that recent sequence in Surfing, their anniversary > issue, of Mark Foo's last wave. Both the words by Nick Carroll and > the photos topped it for me, especially the last shot showing Mark's > fingers just barely reaching out of the white curtain... > > One week at Mav's in 1994, burned into the brains of surfers everywhere, > starting w/ Jay's triumphs at the age of 16 and ending in tragedy. > > -- > .-``'. Timothy B. 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From tweedt@aol.com Mon Feb 10 18:11:49 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: tweedt@aol.com Date: 10 Feb 1997 18:11:49 GMT In article <5dmggj$o67@gap.cco.caltech.edu>, tbmaddux@alumnae.caltech.edu (Timothy B. Maddux) writes: [snipped my quote] >Except perhaps that recent sequence in Surfing, their anniversary >issue, of Mark Foo's last wave. Both the words by Nick Carroll and >the photos topped it for me, especially the last shot showing Mark's >fingers just barely reaching out of the white curtain... Yeah, I saw that too, but that wave was not as big or as gnarly as Jay's, certainly nowhere near as challenging as Mark had easily handled in the past, but there's no denying it had a much more tragic result. I'm still convinced that something more happened to Mark on that wipeout than what can be documented- a leash tangle, blow to the head, bounce off the bottom- something! I don't think that over-the-falls drop alone would have taken him out. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tom Tweed La Jolla, CA e-mail: tweedt@ucsd.edu or tweedt@aol.com "Don't let your mouth write no check that your tail can't cash." -- Bo Diddley -------------------------------------------------------------------------- From ajax@zapcom.net Tue Feb 11 02:03:42 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: Robert Ireland Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1997 18:03:42 -0800 Timothy B. Maddux wrote: > > Except perhaps that recent sequence in Surfing, their anniversary > issue, of Mark Foo's last wave. Both the words by Nick Carroll and > the photos topped it for me, especially the last shot showing Mark's > fingers just barely reaching out of the white curtain... > That was perhaps the saddest thing I've ever seen in the surf magazines. Nothing has etched itself into my mind like that shot. I hate to say it, but that really was the JFK assassination of surfing. Where were you in Mark Foo died? > One week at Mav's in 1994, burned into the brains of surfers everywhere, > starting w/ Jay's triumphs at the age of 16 and ending in tragedy. > A few days before "Big Monday" were huge on the North Coast. Mysto spots that probably have never been surfed before were just amazing, 20 feet and super clean. It looked similar to the North Shore. Did I say North Coast... I uh... meant, oregon. Yeah, that's it. DaRat.... don't listen to me babbling. From tbmaddux@alumnae.caltech.edu Tue Feb 11 21:38:58 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: tbmaddux@alumnae.caltech.edu (Timothy B. Maddux) Date: 11 Feb 1997 21:38:58 GMT In article <32FFD37E.4E20@zapcom.net>, Robert Ireland wrote: >Where were you when Mark Foo died? I was at home for the holidays, in the backyard, sanding out a ding repair. It was early evening. My dad saw it on the T.V. and called me in to watch it. They had some stock footage running of Half Moon Bay. I read about Donny Solomon the next year in my hometown's local paper. -- .-``'. Timothy B. Maddux, Ocean Engineering Lab, UCSB .` .`~ http://www.engineering.ucsb.edu/~tbmaddux/ _.-' '._ "From the essence of pure stoke springs all creation." From freddyv@geocities.com Sat Feb 08 02:05:00 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: Fred Date: Fri, 07 Feb 1997 18:05:00 -0800 Rick Ciaccio wrote: > This would be a great thread to hear of these killer drops each of us has > experienced... When I first started bodyboarding, I remember the first Overhead+ wave I ever rode... it was a straight close out and it scared the shit out of me, but I went anyways, and I can distinctly remember that drop... it seemed to take forever. I then remember being shot about 50 feet out in front of the wave, and kicking my feet hoping to get to shore before it caught up with me! ( 8-0 ) But I was moving so fast that my fins were just bouncing off the water... Fred TubeTime! has a new home... http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/2303/ The pup has a new address: fred@wave.net From jnek@pop.erols.com Sat Feb 08 19:23:48 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: pparker Date: 8 Feb 1997 19:23:48 GMT Winter 78, Waimea. Shorebreak unrideable. Didn't want to "waste" the trip from Wahiawa, so decided to try the point with da big boyz-first time ever. Paddling out, was over awed by the sheer power of the swell wrapping around the point. Almost got psyched out. Scared spitless, but I'm one of those guys who once I make a decision, I don't back away from it. Got to the lineup, took off on the first wave that came along, before I lost my nerve. Relatively small (THANK GOD!) (Actually, I probably only shoulder hopped it), but still had more than enough juice for me. Actually made a bottom turn, then pretty much just held on for dear life, and rode white water in to the beach. Walked up the beach to where my non-surfing friends were watching, they all proclaimed me out of my friggin mind, and I agreed. Lifeguard strolled over and informed me if I went into the water again I would be arrested. No sweat, brah. I had my thrill for the day. On the ride home I began to imagine what would have happened if I had not made the drop. I got the shakes so bad I couldn't drive. I got over it, but never had the opportunity to try Big Waimea ever again. Ever since then, all big surf I've been in (Portugal, France, Italy, California, Israel, Morocco) has had to measure against that wave. None has, so far. Probably never will. That wave seems to get bigger each time I think about it. From tsulaiti@slonet.org Sun Feb 09 18:11:39 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: Tauras Date: Sun, 09 Feb 1997 10:11:39 -0800 Fred wrote: > > Rick Ciaccio wrote: > > This would be a great thread to hear of these killer drops each of us has > > experienced... > > When I first started bodyboarding, I remember the first Overhead+ wave I > ever rode... it was a straight close out and it scared the shit out of > me, but I went anyways, and I can distinctly remember that drop... it > seemed to take forever. I then remember being shot about 50 feet out in > front of the wave, and kicking my feet hoping to get to shore before it > caught up with me! ( 8-0 ) But I was moving so fast that my fins were > just bouncing off the water... > > Fred > TubeTime! has a new home... > http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/2303/ > The pup has a new address: fred@wave.net My biggest bodyboarding drop, spot shall remain anonymous... If you need to know email me. This was orginally posted in alt.surfing.bodyboard a few months back... Bout 5 years ago when I was still charging anything that swelled I had the chance to go out on a 8-10 ft day at one of our local prime point/reef breaks. It was early morning and the suns golden rays were casting a haunting glow on the wave faces. Just two of us out hanging in the channel and clipping off some shoulders. I said, hell with it I'm going for the peak so I paddled into the slot and waited for a set. I didn't have to wait long, I took the third wave, it seemed to be the biggests and paddled like hell to catch it, well I made it, the drop down the wave was over 20' and the golden light was so bright I though my cornias were cooking. The jacking breaking wave seemed to concentrate the light to the point of blinding me... FEAR set in swiftly as the wave started to break. I took a high line on the face not wanting to get anywhere close to the rocks poppong out beneath me. I was flying off the smallest bumps cause by the offshores, blind and yelling at the top of my lungs. I passed my partner as I sped into the channel and the wave let off. I turned around and hell, the next wave allready broke and there was over 12 ft of wash coming at me. Dive to the bottom, damn I need a longer leash as the energy rolled me over 6 times on a count of 15 mississippis. Floating up with the bubbles I broke through the surface took a another gulp and then back down for another 12 count and 4 rolls. Up again then another wave.. again... finally the set ended and I got my bearings, I was sucked back up towards the reef, the next wave would of put me in the rocks! I hussled out of the death zone, back to the channel to see my friend grinning and saying "you have a good time on the peak?" That was the last time I droped in on a 10' wave. The image of flying down the golden wave face permanently burned into my brains ROM. FEAR makes you survive as well as feel alive! I know limit my drops to <10', seem to be getting old ;) -- Tauras Sulaitis Current Project: Toobs Inc. USTA Design Inc. surftime@callamer.com tauras@lietuva.com http://www.callamer.com/~surftime/ West Coast Sty http://www.slonet.org/~tsulaiti/ East Coast Sty http://www.minds-online.com/sty/ ***Warning*** Personal Site with opinions! From jason.lowder@sd.monash.edu.au Tue Feb 11 04:25:02 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: Jason Lowder Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 15:25:02 +1100 Tauras wrote: > > > This would be a great thread to hear of these killer drops each of us has > > > experienced... Ok... I survived this one (about 2 years back) though pure reflex and got in it by pure stupidity. I paddled out early morning to my all time fave break and went to the area I normally surf. I was suprised when no-one was there and the tide was low. I didn't check how things were set up cause I knew that a sandbar was always near a certain set of rocks. I was wrapped when I found that there were a few huge sets rolling thru (I got pounded on the way out)... got to my possie and crashed. I took off on the first wave of the next set and found that the low tide combined with big waves exposed a set of rocks that were never there. The sandbar was gone and under it was rocks and I was being pitched right into them! I ditched my board and tried to dive down and into the wave and bottomed out. I grabbed the rocks and held on (I'd been rockclimbing for 6 months at this stage, so I just jamed my hands and a crack and hung on). Luckily this kept me from being sucked back up and over the falls onto rocks. After that I poped my head back up and swore and then copped my board straight in the head as it recoiled after being sucked along in the wave. The moral of the story, 1) Look at the break jerk! 2) Never surf alone! I can't believe I was that dumb! Jase From coskona@aloha.net Mon Feb 10 07:00:28 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: roger coggburn Date: Sun, 09 Feb 1997 21:00:28 -1000 my worst drop was when i was just about to catch a huge set ( 5 feet is big for me =-) andthe back wave collided with the set flying me up on my way down i caught a glimpse at the massive barrel before my board hit the water and my nose hit the board . then the wave sucked me over the falls thats all From nirva@ix.netcom Thu Feb 13 01:00:40 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: nirva Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 17:00:40 -0800 I don't jnow if this was my most intense drop but it was certainly the most costly. I was surfing this marginal day at horshoes in La Jolla, this bowly, sucking left that gets pretty intense at low tide. Anyway, I had been surfing for about an hour and not catching much for the quickness and precise nature of reef breaks have always thrown me off a bit and become aggrevated. I said to myself "Screw It. I'm going for the next peak." and promptly set up dirrectly over the reef. When a set came through, a five or six footer started to suck out my way and I started kicking for it. I guess I wasn't quiet far in enough and before I new it I was perched on the lip, looking strait into a churning compression zone. As I tried to make my escape off the back, got just to the center of the forming barrel and began to fall through. As I air dropped through this five foot barrel, the sofening velcro on my leash released and my board went bye-bye. After making my way to the surface, I never saw that board again. Spent the rest of the day combing the beach and the marine street shore break to see if it came ashore. Guess posiden got it. Oh well. From bmlefort@aol.com Fri Feb 14 18:36:47 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: bmlefort@aol.com Date: 14 Feb 1997 18:36:47 GMT Heh, you guys at least have real BREAKS to ride when the big stuff comes in! Mine was day before Hurricane Hugo (88? somewhere in there). Sets breaking 8-12'. 3 hours, 8 rides. 6 just good down the line drops, but 2 of them were the biggest drops I've made. In Jax, Fla, we didn't have points and such, just a beach that makes the waves break. Soo, me and a few buddies were at this particular spot, and we all had drops from hell. All waves came in as swells, and then, in the zone, which was some 20 yards wide, they peaked up VERY quickly and broke very soon thereafer. So I took (2) 12' pitching drops that day (As in, I didn't slide down the wave, I fell off of it, and caught the bottoms) They were scary, but were VERY fun. That one day is the single best day of surfing I've had. I LOVE adreneline rushes :) From dew@znet.com Sat Feb 08 04:50:10 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: "Bonzer" Date: 8 Feb 1997 04:50:10 GMT Rick Ciaccio wrote in article <5de8u2$et8@nicaragua.earthlink.net>... > Tim Maddux mentioned the "tombstone drop" we have > all experienced at least once... where we took a terrible > pounding and didn't know if we'd make it-- the one we > will never forget. I don't even remember the year. But any who were there would remember the wave. No particular one, save the one they rode that day. Black's. Big and getting bigger. Fall, west south west swell. Stacked up. Scratching to get over the set waves on my 7'4" mini gun. Water relatively warm and sunny. Mostly a day of springs, short johns, and vests. A few cold blooded souls like myself in trunks. A warm clear day at Black's is something special. When the water sparkles just so. When you can see so deep, if there was a bottom, you would be sure to see it. When the rip walking out has just the right tug, almost strong enough to pull your feet out from under you. And the bottom has those tell tale holes and dips. Bigger and getting huge. My best day . . . and my worst. All because of the "tombstone drop". I had to repeat it because it sounds so cool. It was one of those rare days when you can smell the surf a mile from the beach. Not that I ever got that far from it that day. But the air was filled with the mist of water molecules, air saturated with the spent efforts of a south Pacific storm trying to march upon the land. Exhausted and frustrated, beating against the towering bluffs of materialism and snobbery, they would not go quietly. No, they were determined to take all down with them who ventured near. Like some lost terrorist without a cause. It is not often that the walk down the trail is not accompanied by heightened impulse. But this was a day like no other before, nor since. On the edge out from the glider port, the crowds cheered at the wondrous sight below. Or were they checking the surf? No matter. What was left unsaid was felt by all. This was not a day for the circumspect or the timid. But one reserved for the strong, experienced, yes, even the foolish. The beach was littered with the hopes and dreams of the artists of the dark room. Hoping this day in the sun would be theirs. Etched in time on the pages of periodicals. They found their place in the sand among the debris of broken boards, leashes, and bodies. This was a day to remember. My best day . . . and my worst. The initial paddle out at medium tide was a lesson in humility. I am not, and have never been a strong paddler. But I am steady. And have been known to paddle 45 minutes plus in some very challenging conditions (kudos to the guys who surf Noriega's). And am fair at reading the rips. This was a challenge plus. After a solid half hour or more, I took the easy train back to the beach. I had to rest. Something wasn't clicking, and I struggled so with the paddle, maybe it was best that I just observe this day. But after a short respite, I was determined to overcome the pounding shore break. Many couldn't, but I had to try again. I had been surfing here for about a year, a couple to three times a week, and felt this was my home. I was not to be denied. Pride will not prevail at Black's when the ocean comes alive and surges upon the sand. Even the most Epicurean among us would pause to take note on this day. It was not a day of heroics, chances, and radical lines. It was more a day of measured drops and careful trims. No hesitation, but caution. It could be seen in the eyes. When the biggest sets rolled through, it was like dairy cattle to the milk barn. Everyone, in unison and without hesitation moving to a place of familiarity and comfort. Except for the token few who had not seen, or were unaware, or were too late. Ignobly washed upon the shore, joining the other heaving air sucking souls that preceded them. Then . . . you know what it's like, everyone paddling into one, but very few actually taking off. I was younger then. In better shape. Quicker on my feet. Not quite as experienced. I caught only three waves that day, but they were the waves of a lifetime. It felt like many more. And I could articulate forever about each of them as they are etched indelibly upon my psyche ( and on someone's video tape), but now is not the time. The "tombstone drop" is the subject at hand. That is where I will go. It was definitely the bigger of the waves rolling through that day. Probably not the biggest, but it was close. For any who have surfed a big south at Black's, you know the feeling when you see those huge lumps roil up out of the canyon. Gathering strength and size as they meet the shallower bottom. This wave was a perfect peak. My position was perfect. I had three under my belt already and I was amped. This was a set wave with my name on it. If only I knew. The take off felt as smooth as butter on a hot pan. I am not sure how it could have started off any better than that. It was going to be another epic left with opportunity for another backside standup barrel. As I sprung to my feet, I knew immediately something was wrong, at least my body did. It was that sick feeling in your stomach when your flesh knows it's history but it hasn't quite registered in your brain yet. That weird twilight zone of denial. Your brain says "you can pull it off" and your body says "preserve self, preserve self". I still don't know quite what went wrong, maybe my leash got caught under my foot . . . maybe I was too slow on the spring up . . . maybe it was bigger than I anticipated and jacked quicker . . . and, yeah, maybe I just blew it! Anyway, I remember dropping through the roof of a substantial barrel. I mean substantial. I hit the face of the wave in the barrel before I came off my board and was sucked back over the falls. As I went over, my board was slammed into my back and a fin imbedded itself momentarily in my right butt cheek. Right through my trunks. Then I was driven to the sand on the bottom, beyond the reach of light. I relaxed a moment to let the turbulence pass and headed back for the surface following my leash. I don't know how far I was from the surface, but the next wave drove my board back down and a center fin slammed the top of my head and I was driven back onto the bottom (I know it was the center fin, because later, I pulled some of my hair off it, and it was too long for butt hair). By this time, I am feeling a little sketchy, and know I am bleeding. One more time to the surface and I feel as though I am breaking through when I take in a breath of air that turns out to be foam. I can't get through it and am hit again by a wave. Down to the bottom I go. I had never really had the feeling before that this was it. But I had it now. I have no idea how long I was under, but in those situations, seconds seems like a life time. I honestly wondered if I would make it up at all. I am not inclined to panic, being fairly pragmatic as I am, and tried to relaxed. But I had my doubts about survival. I rolled along under water for a time and suddenly popped out. Air. Sweet air. I was bleeding, exhausted, and hurt, but I sucked in air with a relish I never realized possible. And, I was quite away back in to the beach, so I went with the flow and eventually joined the heaving masses on the sand. Then I got stitched up. It was my best day . . . and my worst. I think of that day often. Mostly of the three waves I rode. I haven't thought about that death drop for along time. In fact, I had forgotten all about it until I read Rick's suggestion. I prefer to remember the best of my surfing. It's safe, fun, comfortable. The best waves, trips, weather, boards and so on. But there is something sobering about reflecting on the worst. The troubled times of surfing. The "tombstone drop" if you will. Not just to say "I survived" it. Not to impress self or others. But to see life for the reality it is. The fragility it is . . . And to appreciate it for both. Bonzer -- From jfmill@capecod.net Sun Feb 09 03:41:03 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: jfmill@capecod.net Date: Sat, 08 Feb 1997 21:41:03 -0600 In article <5de8u2$et8@nicaragua.earthlink.net>, rick@mesagroup.com (Rick Ciaccio) wrote: > > Tim Maddux mentioned the "tombstone drop" we have all experienced at least > once... where we took a terrible pounding and didn't know if we'd make it-- the > one we will never forget. > It was a June day in '74. Wellfleet was foggy and the tide was in. Really in, so that even though it was overhead it was breaking no more than ten feet off the beach, walling up no more than fifty feet or so further out. The beach was steep and the backwash was really kicking the faces to vertical. I had just gotten off work around noon and headed for the beach, after hearing 'it's great, ya gotta go '. And after hearing that, well, I had to get into the water, get a few drops at least before getting through the back. Wait for the tide to go out? Naah. The first couple were fun, took off and just about free fell, set my rail and zapped back out, quite a rush. The third drop, though...that was something. Caught it, elevator ride down, and about two thirds of the way to the bottom I met Mister Backwash coming out. Suddenly there is this sensation of floating on air, weightless. I looked up and it was getting dark. Wasn't just the fog, nope, the lip was coming over. I figured that I was going to make one helluva splash followed by about ten tons of the Atlantic. Then I looked down. Sand. Uh oh. If you've ever seen jai alai you'll remember there is this little ball that gets flung straight at a wall at high speed and it bounces off to the next player. I didn't bounce. I will say that I'll always have a certain sympathy for tent pegs, as I really know how it feels to be pounded into the earth by something very heavy. So there I was, sitting in three inches of water, wetsuit filled with enough sand for a pretty respectable castle. I was watching my board washing past me, deck up, and it occured to me that my fin had gotten snapped. A half inch of Lexan is supposed to be bullet proof. Quite a landing. As I watched the board float down the beach I turned. All I remember clearly is looking at that wave and saying "oh no" in a very small voice. After doing my imitation of flotsam for a bit I finally crawled up the beach, found my board and recovered enough of my wits to ask if anyone had an allen wrench to take out the mangled remains of the fin. Lana said she had not only a wrench but a spare fin. A little later some photographer shows up, looking to do promo shots for a youth camp chain, pictures of some young beach types enjoying a picnic. If we didn't mind signing a photo release we could get some free food. I signed 'R.M. Nixon' and proceeded to devour. The tide went out and it was great. Though I never got all the sand out- Doc -------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====----------------------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet From ken@iways.com Tue Feb 11 18:19:09 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: ken@iways.com (Kenneth Powell) Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 18:19:09 GMT Worst? Weird, bizarre, stupid... I've had a lot of drops go badly but whatever the "worst" is, well I'm still trying to duck it. Here's one of my fav's though...: Late in the season (Sept.) NE surfing. Spent most of August chasing after nothing, so much so that now I'm sick, chest infection. I'm still surfing, minor fever and antibiotics. (Just a little delirious). Because there is finally surf. Hurricane season, which took its time, is in gear. 4-5ft surf, using the fun board because we really aren't working with a whole lot of surf and kind of just caning around for a couple of hours surfing through a mid to low tide. The storm is suppose to be hours, heck, days away. But, sure enough, it starts getting bigger. You know the deal, where a bunch of waves are your normal type surf, sort of beachbreaky predictable then a set moves through with like a life of its own, thick, solid. You go to duck dive and your cheap lazy move doesn't make it and you realize the ground rules are changing. Then it's happening and we are all pretty happy we are on it really before anyone. I don't change boards, well, because I don't want to miss the fun. Even if I can't breathe and I'm spitting up green. It's low tide now. And the surf has gone to the 6-8ft range. Quickly. I'm picking off rights at will and me and the mates are all hooting each other into anything because it kind of a fun size. (Not a fun shape size.) I glance into the lineup and see one with my number on it that looks like a left. Hooting starts and it jacks up as I set in for the drop. Except that right about the top of the wave I realize the hoots were more like a "it's huge and you are on the inside, good luck if you make it" kind of hoot. (Slo mo. Very handy thing the brain does here. Wants you to remember..) I look kind of just as I'm getting to my feet. First I realize really why no one of has taken lefts. There is no where to go. Second, I look at the brown wall of sand that is being churned up toward me as I plummet downward. There's no water. I go straight down, nose to nowhere with an 8 ft. wave collapsing on top of me. It's a massacre. Loud, punishing, I'm throttled and I can't breathe. Through the washing machine I pop up (front end of the storm, long interval) surprise - nothing broke. I'm standing in three feet of water in the long haze kind of delighted. Until I look behind me at half my board. My guys yelling at me about a set destined for my head. Time picks up pace. Driven right through my board. Nose spiked in the sand. The second half delamed completely. Yeccho of feeling climbing to the beach dragging along a piece of board. Just as the wife and daughter have come down to watch. Nice drop. -- ken@iways.com (Kenneth Powell) From xstream1@iwl.net Fri Feb 14 03:45:51 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: xstream1@iwl.net Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1997 03:45:51 GMT My "tombstone drop" was exactly that. I went with a group of fishermen to a tournament in Xtapa. We were staying in a nice hotel on the beach in Zhihuatenajo. My wife hates the water ,"There's all sorts of fishes and things out there, yuck!" But the water was clear and the waves were coming in sets. I reassurred her everything was safe and she should walk out into the waist deep water and watch me catch a few 4 footers. So, I paddle out and she wades out to her waist to watch (first time in 5 years, last time in 10!). She is bobbing up and down in the waves and I am happy as a clam. Up until this point every set was right on time. Then it seemed to die down. I was wondering were the waves went and got caught up in watching the wife enjoy the water. Out of nowhere (it seemed to me) came the mother of all waves. I was totally unprepared for her as she descended upon me. Fear set in as I thought about my wife in the water, for I had gauranteed her safety. I turned and yelled to her as I paddled my ass off. Too late, I was lifted at such speed that my board hit me smack in the face, I grabbed hold for dear life as I flipped over the falls. One complete somersualt in the air then seperated from my stick and smashed into the bottom. I hit the sandy (thank God!) bottom with my forehead and I stuck. The force of the wave sent my legs over the back of my head, knocking all of the wind out of me. I have had many more wipeouts than I care to remember, most of them left me a little dazed, but smiling. This time was not funny. I was out of air, having back spasms, my skinless forehead hurt, and I was far from shore. The next wave rolled me over like a rag doll and tossed me into shallow water. I could not stand up. I was on my hands and knees trying to breathe, my face only inches from the water. I thought ,"great I made it in this far and I'm going to drown in two inches of water." Next thing I know, my wife is trying to drag me to shore ( this must have been a sight, me 6' 200lbs., her 5'4" 105lbs! ) I was glad she was okay as she helped me to the beach. She pointed out to me that I was not the only one caught by surprise as we observed several people being dragged to shore. She then informed me that she had been rolled to shore, only to emerge topless, much to the enjoyment of the locals. Now we could laugh. My wife still hates the water, I still surf. Ricky Cheatwood xstream1@iwl.net From scook@sdd.hp.com Mon Feb 10 22:12:29 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: scook@sdd.hp.com (Steve Cook) Date: 10 Feb 1997 14:12:29 -0800 In article <32FEC786.67DB@aloha.net> roger coggburn writes: >my worst drop was when i was just about to catch a huge set ( 5 feet is >big for me =-) andthe back wave collided with the set flying me up on >my way down i caught a glimpse at the massive barrel before my board hit >the water >and my nose hit the board . then the wave sucked me over the falls >thats all Ok, I'll bite. Johnny the Shu said "where's yours?" so I said I've only been riding the long board for a couple of years. I don't have a tombstone drop story. But then I read roger's post and thought, OK I'll belly up to the bar. So here's my worst drop. As I said, I've only been standing up for a year or two. But I'd spent many years in the water on the body board so I'm not a neophyte either. Anyway, a little over a year ago at Cardiff reef, a friend and I paddled out on an overhead day. I was riding a 9'0" longboard and was just starting to get the hang of catching small waves. My friend talked me into challenging some bigger waves on this Sunday morning. I hadn't started wearing contacts yet in the water. I don't think sight is as critical when you body board. What I mean by that is *timing* isn't as critical. On a body board, I was able to make late drops or use the duckfeet to catch up and get in. On this day, I found out sight, and more importantly, timing is a tad bit important for stand up surfing. So here comes a peak (actually a blurry dark wall) so I turn and paddle. I don't look back over my shoulder which was a major mistake because I was way late. The wave sucked me up face and spit me back down toward the pit. In shocked amazement I thought "That's interesting. The nose of my board is going under water!" I never even attempted to stand. I rode the board prone straight into the pit. Then the nose stuck, the wave caught up, and I was pitched still hugging the board onto my back in what must have looked like a cartoonish stunt. When I finally came up, there were smiling, outright laughing faces all around me. After the shock wore off, I had to laugh too. If I could have watched it, I'm sure it was one of most spectacular kooks of all time. Anyway, I never go out without the contacts now. So far, I haven't repeated that particular Tombstone Drop. -Steve From john_e_shumate@non-hp-sandiego-om2.om.hp.com Tue Feb 11 14:44:10 1997 To: Steve Cook Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: John Shumate Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 06:44:10 -0800 Steve Cook wrote: > > > -Steve Welcome to the newsgroup, Steve. Good story - I'd have paid good money just to see you pull that one - just so I could RAZE you at work... ;-) John E. the Shu From zpjames@unl.ac.uk Wed Feb 12 11:00:42 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: zpjames@unl.ac.uk Date: 12 Feb 1997 11:00:42 GMT [Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst?] Well my most memorable was on my first surf-trip overseas, not only that it was my first session and set the pattern for the rest of the trip! We were straight off the aeroplane and off to La Santa. The Machine (or slab or whatever the left hander is called that's not the point or the Village), was sucking up at double overhead. There was a really strong offshore and masses of water moving about. It was the most evil looking setup I have seen to date. Only one guy had dared to paddleout (and we later found out that he was reputed to be the best surfer on the island), and 15-20 locals prefered to watch. I'd never surfed in overhead conditions, I couldn't turn left. I'd never seen a reef before (let alone one breaking over sharp volcanic rocks). My horrors started with the jump-off (another first). I walked to the front of the slab, the whole sea was heaving up and down five or six feet. A set came in and almost washed me off the front. My heart was in my mouth and I'd not even left dry land! Eventually I found the jump off point and jumped. My emotions were racing, but my body new what to do and it calmly negotiated a dry hair paddle out. So there I was, in the lineup and pretty freaked out. A bigger set came and the race was on for the outside. There was no way that I wanted to get caught. Somehow I made it through and sat back down on my board wondering what to do. Well my mind was soon made up for me. I must have been too far inside as, whilst still sitting on my board, I was sucked over with the lip and into the turmoil of Davy Jones locker. Suddenly I being spun and the whole ocean went came. I was still underwater but now in a tranquil, turquiose, sunny world, where my fears, having been realised where replaced by such a feeling of peace. The next set came, and with it the turmoil. It dawned on me that I was being washed in, and that I needed to look after myself. James London Surf Club http://www.unl.ac.uk/surfing/lsc.html From freddyv@geocities.com Tue Feb 11 23:00:33 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: Fred Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 15:00:33 -0800 >... So here comes a peak (actually a blurry > dark wall) so I turn and paddle. I don't look back over my shoulder > which was a major mistake because I was way late. The wave sucked me up face > and spit me back down toward the pit. In shocked amazement I thought > "That's interesting. The nose of my board is going under water!" I never > even attempted to stand. I rode the board prone straight into the pit. Then > the nose stuck, the wave caught up, and I was pitched still hugging the > board onto my back in what must have looked like a cartoonish stunt. > > When I finally came up, there were smiling, outright laughing faces all > around me. After the shock wore off, I had to laugh too. If I could have > watched it, I'm sure it was one of most spectacular kooks of all time. Anyway, > I never go out without the contacts now. So far, I haven't repeated that > particular Tombstone Drop. Good story! I'm presently learning to longboard, so i am sure I'll have a similar one very soon. Having just converted to contacts(THEY'RE GREAT!) I can't really see how they would have helped...just admit it, you kooked! :-) Fred http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/Shores/2303/ From rick@mesagroup.com Wed Feb 12 00:57:16 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: rick@mesagroup.com (Rick Ciaccio) Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 00:57:16 GMT Ok, I need to take a break from work so I'll add one of my many absurdly kookish experiences to the list-- Summer 1984 at the Wedge... I spent the morning taking pics of the bodysurfers and lounging with my new girlfriend. I was showing the place to her for the first time and since I was always talking about bodysurfing the Wedge I thought I'd drop a few waves and show off a little. I say "keep an eye on me" and head out into the double overhead pound. I swim out and here comes the first set wave-- poor shape but a big peak so I get excited and go for position. The thing gets steeper and steeper as I scratch to get over the lip. I suddenly realized I was too late as I looked down at the guys ducking this monster. Knowing Cari was watching and not wanting to look like a pussy I gave one final pump as the lip threw-- it was nothin' but air as I looked down at the sucked-out sand bottom. I stuck my arms straight out and WHOOMPH ! KAAAAA-BOOM !!! I pounded the sand bottom hard and felt my left arm pop out of socket. The explosion was so violent I saw stars and lost my sense of direction as my nose and forehead went numb. Amazingly I had the wherewithall to grab my forearm and pull which popped it back in. I knew I had hit face-first and hoped my looks weren't messed up. I surfaced and was relieved to have gotten blown up on shore but was too disoriented to fight the backwash and was sucked back out into the soup. I was kicking like mad with my "dead" arm tucked in and trying to swim in a near panic.I didn't want to look like a fool and call for help. The next 3-4 waves pounded the livin' shit out of me and I thought I would drown. Suddenly it stopped. Gasping, I gave it everything I had and one-armed it far enough in to get out of the backwash. Exhausted, I dropped to my knees trembling like a traumatized animal, arm and face killing me. I rested then jagged up the sand... Cari was busy chatting with her friend and never even saw what happened. :-) I proceeded to exclaim "did you see the size of that wave!" "What!!! You missed it!?" ;-) Whew! Thank God for small favors. BTW, the strawberry face healed, but the arm still hurts today. Rick Ciaccio ------------------------------------------ Wedge Preservation Society - www.wedge.org Mesa Internet Servers - www.mesagroup.com From jnek@pop.erols.com Wed Feb 12 22:43:59 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing,alt.surfing.bodyboard Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: pparker Date: 12 Feb 1997 22:43:59 GMT Okay, here's a real kooker for ya..One summer day, when it seemed like all of Oahu was flat, I took a ride down to Waikiki from where I lived in Haleiwa. By the time I got down to the beach, a rainstorm had picked up some energy and was blowing onshore pretty hard. It was ugly, but there was at least some rideable slop. So, I unstrapped the Boogie Board from the motorcycle, pulled the fins out of the backpack, and made my way out to the reef. The wind had really picked up, and the slop had gotten sloppier. I rode a few smallish waves, and while it hadn't done much for my wave addiction, it at least took the edge off. I was the only sponger in the line up, and only a couple other folks were out. Conditions were that bad. Well, I took off on a smallish 3 footer, and the nose of my sponge hooked some of that nasty chop. I pearled, and hit the reef, face first, pretty hard. It kinda stunned me-really unexpected-but didnt' hurt much. But when I surfaced, one of the guys paddling out said I looked pretty bad, and I took his word for it. I was REALLY EMBARRASSED as I walked up the beach past all those tourists, blood dripping down my forehead, and onto my face and chest. I'd been bodysurfing and sponging all my life, and never had this happen. Hell, I was a regular at Pipe and Backdoor, fer cryin out loud! One old couple from Podunk, Nebraska (I could tell my the lack of suntan and the day-glo matching swimsuits) just couldn't take their eyes off me and all the blood, so I told 'em "shark attack. Big sucker" and left them standing wide-eyed and slack jawed. My boss and my girlfriend were equally pissed. The boss, cuz I had to miss a day of work, the girlfriend cuz I made my ugly mug even ugly. From 102476.2613@compuserve.com Tue Feb 11 20:51:19 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: 102476.2613@compuserve.com Date: Tue, 11 Feb 1997 14:51:19 -0600 In article <5de8u2$et8@nicaragua.earthlink.net>, rick@mesagroup.com (Rick Ciaccio) wrote: > > Tim Maddux mentioned the "tombstone drop" we have all experienced at least > once... where we took a terrible pounding and didn't know if we'd make it-- the > one we will never forget. > > This would be a great thread to hear of these killer drops each of us has > experienced... Funny how we (at least me!) spend so much time trying to avoid 'kooking out' and here we are sharing classic moments of kookdem... He is a golden oldie blast from the past for me: Fall of 1979, my first year at Humboldt State University. I had been surfing for about 4 years at the time, mostly the Ventura area, mostly in small to moderate conditions. I had worked hard all summer to afford a new wetsuit and board, a 6'6" Campbell Brothers 'Bonzer' (note: if I wanted to have a cool nick name like 'Bonzer' on this group, naming myself after my first board, I would have to be called "Rotten Apple-Rick" after the 7'2" Rick which was my first board and which had seen its day by the time I got it). The first substantial surf that I took my new Bonzer out in was at Agate Beach North of the HSU campus. A sucking reef break, pushing double overhead+ this day...Not as giant as it gets but, by far the biggest and gnarliest conditions for me to date. There is a nice rip off of the side of the peak which made for an easy paddle out and a false sense of security. Out in the line up a set approaches, I stroke into position and feel the power!! More power than I have ever felt, rising up below me. I jump to my feet and begin to angle down the line like I had a million times at So. Cal. point breaks. But alas, this was no point break. My attempt at 'angling' had hung me in the lip (rather than dropping straight down the face for a blistering bottom turn) resulting in me getting pitched with the lip and out into thin area. I am airborne, spread eagle, trying to find a 'safe' place to land when WHACK!!! my new Bonzer spanks my ass like a fraternity initiation, right before the worst trip through the washing machine I have ever had. The result was a bruised butt, a 3" gash in the rail of my new stick, and one of those lessons ya learn the hard way. Funny how years later, my latest group of surf buddies refer to a good pounding as being spanked!!! Ron -------------------==== Posted via Deja News ====----------------------- http://www.dejanews.com/ Search, Read, Post to Usenet From keensurf@no.spam.cts.com Thu Feb 13 22:22:25 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: Re: Tombstone Drop... Whats your worst? From: keensurf@no.spam.cts.com (Thomas Keener) Date: Thu, 13 Feb 1997 22:22:25 GMT rick@mesagroup.com (Rick Ciaccio) wrote: >Tim Maddux mentioned the "tombstone drop" we have all experienced at least >once... where we took a terrible pounding and didn't know if we'd make it-- the >one we will never forget. This wasn't a real drop, nor did I get hurt bad, but it was one of the scariest moments I've had in the water. A 6-8' day. Not giant but certainly respectable. A lot of fun waves. I'd had a bunch of good rides. I took off on another and rode it just like the others. On the inside it started to barrel, and I went for it. It closed out and I started the heavy duty rinse cycle. But then I found myself on my back, head towards shore, bouncing on the flat reef. (Thank god for rubber.) It was only a few seconds but I kept thinking, please God, no rocks sticking up! Then I felt my body flip up, legs up, head down. I put my arms out and fanned them, trying to get righted and swim to the surface. My elbows hit the _underside_ of the reef! I was in a hole, there was still a lot of surge, and I was sure the next push of water would break my back. Miraculously, the wave passed, things went quiet, and I popped out of the hole. The crew gave the hole a name, Keener's Cave. I've checked it out at minus tide (bone dry) and I'd just as soon not see it again. | | \ / ______ | _________ | | | |--- | -----| | <_ _ |__> | | O | ~~~~~~~~~ -- TomK keensurf@cts.com From ccushman@polymail.calpoly.edu Wed Feb 12 20:37:09 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: tombstone drop From: Charles Whitacre Cushman 3 Date: Wed, 12 Feb 1997 12:37:09 -0800 i really don't have that many tombstne drops. because i have been only surfing 2.5 years i usually wimp out, i do have plenty of other kinds of wipe outs to make up for it. my worst tombstone drop was on a head high day. i took off late and i realized that i was stuck in the lip and was never going to make the drop, so i did the manly thing and jumped backwardstrying to sacrifice my board so that my body could be behind the lip. usually this works but not this time. instead i jumped to verticle, just getting air while my board was sent sent down below me. i then landed on my the deck of the board whish was on the flats. finally the wave pushed me around for a while just to show that i cared. the board was already delaminated so i did not really see any problems in it until that afternoon wheni went out for another sesh. i checked out the rails and the fiberglass ahd 3 inch rips on either side going around the rails. charlie From david@crumblingempire.com Thu Feb 13 17:45:19 1997 Newsgroups: alt.surfing Subject: re: tombstone drop From: david@crumblingempire.com (david ryan) Date: 13 Feb 1997 17:45:19 GMT when you're an inland hodad and don't get to surf everyday, you're always weak, always noodle armed, always caught inside, always late on the drop. i've gone over the falls to many times to remember which one was the worst. but i do rember the hardest i ever got hit by anything, at the beach or otherwise, (broke my head once, but it knocked my out too, so i don't remember how hard that was.) the hardest i ever got drilled at wind n sea was my first day out there. i was about 8 years old and my dad decided it was time for me to learn how easy it was to paddle out at a reef break with a good channel. my dad gave me a 7' ron mc cloud swallow tail ( do any of you know ron, he married jody the muffin lady and one of few women who surfed wind n sea when we lived there?) i was scared to death, nasty shore break pounding the sand in front of the pump house. but, when my dad said go, i went, flinging myself into the water between sets, paddling like hell. sure enough, with in a couple dozen yards, we were outside the shore break, hair still dry. waves were rolling in at wind n sea, just up the beach, but my father and i sat in the channel, high and dry and safe from harm. we paddled around a bit more, and then headed in. in retrospect, the change in my father's tone makes perfect sense. the barking marine that had ordered me into the water, my fears be damned, was now quieter, more measured, more concerned. he explained to me that timing going in was just as important as going out. we hovered just outside the shore break, waiting for a lull in the action. as i think back on it now, my father was a lot more worried at this point than i was. my easy escape from the beach had fooled me into a false sense of security, while he on the other hand was undoubtably aware that one big bad wave would quickly turn my "learning and growth" experience into a life changing trauma. finally, our break came, and again we paddled like hell. i remember my father's praise (i realize in retrospect this praise was heavily laced with relief,) as we hopped off our boards in the knee deep water and picked them up. i remember my father's smile as he looked back at me from a little futher up the beach as i wrestled the mc cloud up to my chest. and i remember his proud smile turning to a grimace as his arm came up and his finger pointed seaward. of course, i turned to look at what he was pointing at, still hugging the board to my chest. KABOOM!!!!!! i barely remember seeing it. i never even had a chance to be scared. the next thing i knew, my board and i were washing around in the sand at my father's feet and i was giggling with the silly buzz that a getting smacked by a big wave still gives me. according to my father, i turned around just in time to have the thickest, meatiest part of the bigger waves catch me flush in the chest. if i hadn't been clutching the board so tight, i would have had the wind knocked out of me for sure, if i had had time to hide behind it, i probably would have got my nose broken and lost a couple of teeth. but instead, like a rifle held tight against the shoulder, me and the board blew back as one, no damage done to either. i was washed so far up the beach there was no danger from another wave, i was again high and dry and safe. my dad told me if i could take that, there was nothing the line up could dish out i couldn't handle. i almost drowned at marine street, i've gone over the falls on big days at zipolite, i've been dragged hundreds of yard going end over end over end in my kayak by oregon coast mackers, but sure enough, i have never been hit that hard again. love and peace,