GuidoPalooza Home | GP2K2 Home | GP2K2 Stories and Pics | Join our Yahoo! Groups GuidoPalooza eMailing List, Files and Photos Archive
On The Outer Banks With Friends[4]
[a kuk critiques her attempts to get back to surfing] 
by DeeDee 

[You haven't heard a surf report in my GP2002 reports so far. That's because in all honesty, I didn't get out in the waves until the fourth (and last) day of it. I have a few feeble excuses for that, which I'll weave into this report. But, I'm only writing of my own experiences, most everyone else was on it and surfed every chance they got. Here are links to some great surf reports written by other folks who were there:  Kirk 'Weekday' Mantay, Neal Carver, and Steve M..

But the one day I did surf there this year, was the best go out I've had in a long time. I'm so glad it was, because it was all dedicated to a very special person. That report will be in the next part. This part is a big critique of my surfing status this year, in general. I may not have surfed much at this year's GP, but I learned a lot that will help me, just by being there. If the surfing descriptions in this post sound like they were written by a surfing kuk, its because they were. Here goes...]



Monday morning, by all accounts, had the best surfing conditions of the entire palooza this year. Kirk & Neal wrote about it at the links above... KC, Dan, Mike and others wrote of it in other posts. Night owl DD didn't get up early enough and managed to miss it. I should've known better... after all, the wave curse of the thermos had been lifted 
just the night before, when Steve passed it on to Ferg in a most thoughtful and befitting ceremony. Folks, I was so glad to hear that you scored such great waves. Dee Dee shoulda been on it, too...but, noooo. Instead, she awoke at 9AM and took her own sweet time over at Natural Arts Surfboards, picking out a longboard to rent. 

But what I most regret about this year's event, is that I didn't get out there Sunday morning to surf with Ferg and Kim. It was the morning I was doing GP prep work instead of putting my surfing first. By not staying at the house with everyone else, I ended up missing these kind of spontaneous moments. Even being the rookie I am, it is so clear to me that Ferg is an excellent surfer: he's a natural at it, it's like he was born knowing how to surf. To have been out there watching him teach his lady to surf, would've been a very special time & so much fun. I know I'd have learned a lot to help improve my surfing, too. Ferg & Kim, my apologies for not getting out there in the surf with you, but it was so much fun to hear you both talk about your time out there together. I hope so much to get another chance to surf with both again sometime!

All in all, I give myself low marks for surfing participation at this year's event. Last year I was out there every single day of it & often, twice a day. Everytime anyone went in search of surf, I either joined them, or caught up with them a little later. I used my bodyboard, but didn't have fins (Foon most kindly lent me a pair, and within minutes, I had broken one of them). It was very windy most days and I spent most of my time paddling. But, I had a wonderful time just paddling and being in the choppy waves. Plus that, it was such a good feeling of camaraderie, being out there with everyone.

As most at alt.surfing already know, I'm one of those people who used to surf years ago and in recent years have been trying to get at least a little adept at it, again. I had always longboarded, never tried using a shortboard (yet). But, I decided to try to bodyboard first, before buying a surfboard again. My main concern has been that if I use a surfboard to learn again, there's a very good chance it could fly up and hit someone when I wiped out. I know for certain that I'll 
be doing lots more wiping out than waveriding, for awhile yet.

Trouble is, I've not yet gotten the true hang of bodyboarding, mostly because I'm not used to wearing fins. I bought a pair this year, and have been trying to get used to using them in the small waves at Gloucester...but, when I wear them, I trip all over myself just trying to get out to the waves. I actually have much more fun, not wearing them. My plan is to take a couple of lessons at Hampton Beach this month, with someone who can help me get used to catching waves with fins on. I'd like very much to really learn how to bodyboard. 

At the same time, I'm starting to look at buying a longboard. I've got my eye out for a secondhand one. Or, I might get one custom made by the shaper at the shop nearest my town. These are all just thoughts. I'm going to go read through some of the google archives for AS/ASL posts about longboards, before I decide. I'm going to get a longboard,
rather than a short one because first of all, you've all seen how big I am: until I get smaller, I definitely need that much flotation. Plus that, I need to get back to just plain having the balance to ride a board standing up, before I even think of anything else: I can do that best on a longboard. Besides, I love longboards and feel most at home on them.

I've been renting longboards sometimes at a surfshop up in Hampton Beach. It's a great place to re-learn, because it's a very long shoreline...so I can usually find a place to surf without getting in other folks' way. [One day I was out there trying to be a good, conscientious kuk and staying at spots that were not near the other surfers. But for some reason, at every place I chose, the waves got better & within 20 minutes, all the other surfers ended up paddling over to where I was. So I moved on to another section of the ocean. This happened three times that day. Goes to show that sometimes, I jest can't win fer losin'. But, I do try my best to steer clear of these better surfers, when I'm out there].

I'm going to take a few longboard lessons there this Fall, mostly as a way to have someone out there with me. When I go out with friends, I don't want to ask for help, because I know that the waves are only good sometimes up here and I don't want to take away from their chance to get on as much of it as possible. I'm lucky to have a neighborhood surf shop less than an hour away from me, where I can go pay for a few lessons.

But at the same time, I still want to paddle out with friends (without getting in the way of anyone's surfing) just because I love watching them surf and it's so much fun being out there with them.  This brings me back to what I've loved about this A.S EC palooza. It's about being out there and surfing with friends...it's a chance for a kuk like me to be out there with some very skilled and generous surfers. Even though I tried my best not to, I am sure I got in the way of a few of them when they were on waves this time and last time... but, they always smiled and said it was totally ok. For me, it has been a true joy and honor to both be in the waves with them and to watch them surf. Thanks so much, to every one of you.

I ended up renting a 9'2" Bruce Jones epoxy board this year at the Outer Banks, and I really loved it. This is the first board I've rented since I started trying to learn again, that I haven't felt super clumsy on [I just felt a little clumsy on it]. For some reason, it was easier for me to be on & catch waves with. It was also not as wide, and was lighter and easier to carry under my arm. 

When folks headed out for late afternoon surfing in Avon, I made sure to join them this time...that is, I almost did. It was pretty windy. The ideal surf conditions of the morning were no longer, but at least there were some waves. It looked a bit more heavy duty than I could handle...especially the part about paddling to get outside. I'd gotten used to paddling out at the Lighthouse and Frisco pier last year. But for some reason, Avon looked a little wilder to me. I started trying to paddle out a few times, but finally realized that my gut feeling was that I truly couldn't handle it. I was kind of bummed at myself for wimping out that day.

But even so, it was such a pleasure to watch everyone else surfing. Kim, Lucy and I sat there for awhile together, taking it all in. That was a lot of fun. We got to watch Ferg glide on this really long wave that he rode all the way in. I got to watch KC, Mike, Kirk, Neal, Pat & Robb all charging the waves, too. Thanks all, it was such a delight to watch you folks surf! Dan, I really blew it by not being there on Monday morning to watch you surf before you left (and by not getting out there to surf with you)! Myron & Steve, I wish I'd made sure to get out there and surf with you both, also! 

After most folks had already gone in, Rod 'Ringleader' Rodgers was still out there going for it. I set my focus on watching him. Last year, I had mostly been in the waves with him (though not near him... because I was mostly busy paddling against the wind), so I hadn't taken the time to just sit back and enjoy watching him surf. I'm so glad that I took that time, this year. Rod fully powers it on the waves, over and over again. He has been surfing for years and it shows... he's very skilled at it and dedicated to it. My brothers & their friends used to paipo a lot in the '70's. Many folks made their own  wooden ones. Then there was a stretch of years when I seldom saw paipo boards out in the waves. It's a real treat to watch Rod, who is so at home riding paipo.

But even more than that, Rod also helped me with my surfing this year. He taught me a lot & I appreciate the time he took to do it, very much. That's what most of my next GP report is about... and the beauty of it all, is that he did this during a paddle out we both did, along with KC and Lana, for a very dear person.

[Rod I'm writing this part after your birthday, I still want to say: Happy 50th, R2!!!!!! I hope you had a beautiful one... and that the finest of birthday waves were there for you. Foon, Happy Birthday to you on this day, the very day of your birthday! I hope so much to get the next part posted today for you, because it's dedicated to you and your family. I probably won't finish it tonight...but I'll be working on it and thinking very much of you and your family, the entire time
that I'm writing it. It will be posted to A.S very soon]

DeeDee

Posted to alt.surfing
Date: Sun, 06 Oct 2002 22:38:54 GMT


Back to the GuidoPalooza Page

Back  to the GP2K2 Page

Back to Rod's Home Page

All contents of this site ©1999-2020 GuidoPalooza.
All images within this section copyright of
respective credited contributor.
The GuidoPalooza
web site is hosted and maintained by rodNDtube.com 
eMail me at: Rod Rodgers

Last updated on 10/11/02