"Steve M.'s blashpheme of the thermos was the cane killer, Mr. Rico Mon. Now that it's been found I fear some
unusual weather phenom of 5 canes converging on the Va. coastline. RUN Steve M., RUN!!!"

SteveM replies:

Ya know, as much as I hate to admit it, there is either some truth to this statement, or, at minimum, one *heck* of a coincidence. At least in the area of tropical development (cuz we've had some decent surf even without them), there is an undisputable connection with the history of the thermos.

(For those who only like surf reports, scroll down to the asterisks)

At GP2K, when the thermos was passed on to me by M@rk in a veil of darkness and lack of ceremony, there was a noticeable drop in Atlantic tropical activity since that time.

Further dissin' of the thermos when Ben Rak and Keener turned their noses up at the prospect of the thermos further eroded the karma.

At GP2K1, when I basically dumped the thermos off for whoever wanted it, and it subsequently seemed to be lost and the target of much ridicule, the tropical drought continued and the darkness surrounding the thermos (as well as the smell) got worse.

I seriously thought the thermos was lost forever.

When I arrived at this year's GP2K2, one of the first things pointed out to me when I entered the house was the assembly of awards to be presented that evening.  As I looked at them, my eyes fell upon something.  There, in a place of honor and respect was the long-lost thermos.  The light was reflecting off of it, making it look like a beacon
of inspiration and a monument to the concept of the transformation of bad karma to good karma. This was evident almost immediately.

Since I arrived kinda late afternoon on Sunday, and was going back home that night, I had little chance for surf, so I wanted to make the most of it.....Within a few minutes of my arrival, I made a quick jaunt across the dunes to see what surf was to be had.  It was kinda dissapointing.  Knee-high, with rare waist-high-at-best sets, and pretty mushy.  It wasn't very promising, and almost considered not even going out.  I returned to the house. The thermos was brought to my attention.  Dee Dee gave me my lay (sp??), and all was getting better.  Still had doubts about whether to go out or not, especially since I didn't have a longboard with me, but then Kirk, who I had met and surfed with for a short time earlier in the week had asked me if I was going to go out.  That's all the persuading I needed....

We got to the beach, and the reconcilliation between me and the thermos that began when I saw it had apparently already started to work; The waves still weren't much bigger than when I checked them earlier, but the form had noticably improved. They were now packing enough that a few I caught I could ride high up on the face, ride down, then go back up on the well-formed wall (albeit only about a 1.5 ft wall) and hit/ride on the lip awhile, then kick out.  Definitely small, but fun rides, and considering I was only there for that afternoon...definitely worth going out for.  Kirk (as he later informed me) was getting very similar rides.  We both were enjoying the rides enough to stay out until it was pretty dark.  Kirk (as hey conveyed later on) thought the darkness was making it feel really "sharky."  That, along with the fact his glow-in-the-dark watch was glowing, made him the first to suggest we head back to shore.  I was a little reluctant because, for one, the optimum "sharky time" is at dusk according to the "experts," and we had already gone beyond dusk.  Secondly, the moon was fairly bright, and I still think of how I have wanted to surf at night more and more ever since I met Terry (?) in San Diego.  He said he does that regularly, almost exclusively, and that seems so awesome to me.

Despite the hesitancy to go back to shore, I finally concurred when I realized the moon wasn't bright enough to prevent that "Hmmm,-is-that-big-dark-thing-rising-on-the-horizon-a-wave,-or-is-it-just-an-illusion?  --Nah, -it's-just-an-illus.....<whooosh>.....Damn, guess-it-was-a-wave" type scenario.  Kirk and I both got to shore, picked up our gear, and the mosquitoes, in turn, picked *us* up and carried us back to the house.

Got back to the house and chowed down on Dee Dee's famous enchilada dish and some awesome fajitas made by Chris and Ferg (?) which had all already been seriously reduced in quantity by everyone else who had not gone out for the early evening session. After the food, the awards ceremony began.  Neal did a fine job of hosting the event, but when it came time for the thermos, they turned it over to me for the presentation.

Not wanting to take the chance that this thermos really *did* have some power assigned to it by the One who is in charge of those things, I decided I better make the reconciliation complete, and bring it full circle.  Instead of passing it off in a veil of darkness and without ceremony, I decided to take it to the other extreme.  For that reason, and for the reason I have a reputation of being quiet in person, but asciily verbose online, I decided to do my own version of "the spoken word" tagentiation to show I can *really* pile it on when I want to. The poor dudes from outside of AS had to suffer through a long history of the thermos, and an even longer explanation for my reasons for choosing the new recipient, *as well as* describing my thought processes synapting together while thinking of other candidates who ended up as runner-ups.  Now, you *too* can suffer the same fate (although, you, ofcourse, have the luxury of the
"delete" key):

Runner up-- Dee Dee.  Although not surfing 100% of the time, she definitely exudes the karma and stoke and love of life that I think qualifies her as what a surfer should be, 100% of the time. What she did while in New York last year, while not being related to surfing, shows some definite surf-like qualities.

Runner up-- Dan King.  Dan has done lots of traveling and surfing with other ASers, definitely something in the spirit of WSD.  Also, Dan was the one who put his foot down and said "*This* is when WSD will be in 2002"  He was instrumental in setting the date.  The date, however, coincided when I would be in San Diego, and he arranged the place for me to surf and meet with some other ASers.  I figured if I gave it to him, it would result in instant accusations of favoritism and fixing the vote.

I had decided on my recipient, but not without some added drama..... I went back into the house, confident of the new "winner," when Rod said, "we (there's that "behind closed doors in a smoke-filled room" *we* term again) decided Dan should be the winner."  He gave some valid points, and I was almost swayed back to choosing Dan. Just as I was about to concur, a memory burst into my mind just like a huge set wave breaking and barreling toward me in all its white-water glory.  The flashback was that of reading (and I may be paraphrasing here a little) that poem, "Do Not Go Gently into that Good Night," that has the line something like, "Rage, Rage against the blasphemous-(3?)."  I stopped myself. "NO!!!... My suggested time for GP was ignored; My wave prediction was pre-emptively predicted for me; the house "rules" were posted, and now this?!  No way.... I will not let "them" tell me who *I* am going to pick for WSD!!!"

So I didn't.

The winner of the 2002 WSD trophy is...........Ferg.

I couldn't even remember if Ferg submitted an actual WSD report, but he did chronicle his trip up the East Coast to the GP last year. His writing, as well as his description in person, conveyed that he had experienced what a real surf trip is all about, and what it should be like.  All the elements demonstrating the spirit of WSD were present:  The global frame-of-mind, the unpretentious stoke, the sense of adventure, the surf-whenever-possible, etc....All there.

So, Ferg now has the WSD Thermos (and yes, it still smells).

Even though the next WSD is, of course, the first Saturday following the fourth Thursday in Novemeber, I believe I decreed (since I am the acting "rules" person on AS in the absence of TT) that the thermos will not be awarded again until WSD in 2003, which, of course, is the first saturday following the fourth thursday in May as was voted on democratically earlier this year.

Anyway...Back to this year's award.  I definitely went out of my way to make amends for past transgressions on the thermos.  From no ceremony, to one that was overly verbose.  From the veil of darkness, to a well-lit awards ceremony.  From the recipient being a west coaster, and a "west-coaster-at-the-time", who thumbed their noses
at the award (another reason Dan had a strike against him), back to an East Coaster (East coasters may ridicule the smelly thing, but *at least* they take it when awarded).

With these extremes, I believe the scales have tipped in the other direction.  Again, maybe a coincidence, but after
the reconciliation was made, the tropical Atlantic lit up like the fireworks that Ferg provided at GP (another foreshadowing??)

Of course, the tropical activity occurred just before GP, was absent *at* GP, and *really* picked up after.....I don't
think that was due to the thermos, I think it was due to one last swipe at the blashemy of the "blasphemous-3"

<Throughout this dissertation, smiley faces should be inserted with smiley faces are applicable----please have
the ascii-interpretation-ability to know where they go>

Surf On.

Later,
Steve