Surfing
For my thirteenth birthday my dad took me to the Unity surf-shop in Hermosa Beach. My first board was a 6' 9" single fin diamond tail. Single stringer, no color and a bit of a gun shape. I'm not sure what compelled me to pick out that board, but I have always had very distinct images of the boards I want at a particular time. My boards have been numerous but not ridiculous in quantity and I regret not hanging on to everyone of them. It was a little crazy getting a new surfboard before knowing how to surf, but I somehow knew this wasn't going to be a passing fad. Although there have been a number of short-lived obsessions in my life, surfing has been a constant. Along with my first board I got my first wetsuit. A Body Glove long john with separate beaver tail jacket. Really ridiculous by today's standards but I was certain I was stylin' and that I was now a real surfer, minus the ability to actually stand up on a board yet.
I have had boards with every fin set-up and every variety of tail design, rocker, vee, concave, channels, wings, etc. My favorite boards were those that I seemed to have progressed or enhanced my skill and style the most on. Sometimes this may have just been a by-product of how much I was surfing at the time. In chronological order my favorites; Phil Becker 6' 6" rounded pin twin-fin, James See 6' 10" diamond single fin, Larry Mabile 6' 6" Fish with an honorable mention going to my friend Anthony's G&S 7' single fin plate. I could not get him to sell me that board even though I probably rode it more than he did. My current boards are; 9'1" Wayne Rich/CT Nelson - Haven, 9' 0" Phil Becker - UFO (extra for guests and learners), 7' 4" Chris Ruddy - Mini Drifter, 7' Donald Takayama - Howard Special Mini and 6' 8" Chris Ruddy - Freedom Life Master (now officially gifted to my son).
I'm not sure the term local would apply, but I have been a weekend regular for the past 30 years at the south side of Scripps Pier. Except for the occasional aggressive meat-head that you'll find everywhere, the crew there is pretty chill with usually a good vibe flowing. I can be quite introverted which may come off as unfriendly to those who don't know me well. I'm really very mellow and in my humble opinion, a genuinely nice guy. In the water I can mentally shut down when something unfavorable happens or if someone has an attitude problem. It makes me feel good to see the familiar faces of my Scripps' buddies and share in some typical surf talk or hoots. I really love seeing one of them get a good wave or pull off a nice move. I get almost as much pleasure as if it were me, but let's be honest, not quite as much. Something that is a bit weird to comment on, is I think I surf fairly well but I truly don't know. I acknowledge that this may be a fabrication my brain insists upon. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I am anything special to the surfing world but I do wonder what the heck I surf like. As much as I shouldn't care, because I love surfing and have fun all the time, I do aspire to be good at it and hope that others think 'hey that guys not bad' … for an old dude. Even if it turns out that I'm a total dork on a board, I'll keep surfing as long as I am physically able to.
I have had boards with every fin set-up and every variety of tail design, rocker, vee, concave, channels, wings, etc. My favorite boards were those that I seemed to have progressed or enhanced my skill and style the most on. Sometimes this may have just been a by-product of how much I was surfing at the time. In chronological order my favorites; Phil Becker 6' 6" rounded pin twin-fin, James See 6' 10" diamond single fin, Larry Mabile 6' 6" Fish with an honorable mention going to my friend Anthony's G&S 7' single fin plate. I could not get him to sell me that board even though I probably rode it more than he did. My current boards are; 9'1" Wayne Rich/CT Nelson - Haven, 9' 0" Phil Becker - UFO (extra for guests and learners), 7' 4" Chris Ruddy - Mini Drifter, 7' Donald Takayama - Howard Special Mini and 6' 8" Chris Ruddy - Freedom Life Master (now officially gifted to my son).
I'm not sure the term local would apply, but I have been a weekend regular for the past 30 years at the south side of Scripps Pier. Except for the occasional aggressive meat-head that you'll find everywhere, the crew there is pretty chill with usually a good vibe flowing. I can be quite introverted which may come off as unfriendly to those who don't know me well. I'm really very mellow and in my humble opinion, a genuinely nice guy. In the water I can mentally shut down when something unfavorable happens or if someone has an attitude problem. It makes me feel good to see the familiar faces of my Scripps' buddies and share in some typical surf talk or hoots. I really love seeing one of them get a good wave or pull off a nice move. I get almost as much pleasure as if it were me, but let's be honest, not quite as much. Something that is a bit weird to comment on, is I think I surf fairly well but I truly don't know. I acknowledge that this may be a fabrication my brain insists upon. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I am anything special to the surfing world but I do wonder what the heck I surf like. As much as I shouldn't care, because I love surfing and have fun all the time, I do aspire to be good at it and hope that others think 'hey that guys not bad' … for an old dude. Even if it turns out that I'm a total dork on a board, I'll keep surfing as long as I am physically able to.