Westbound Boarder

This past weekend, my brother and I headed to South Santa Monica for my first day of surfing this season!  I know, I really have no excuse to have not made it out earlier, but I know I’ll be hitting the waves every weekend from here on out.  Check out my brother’s rash guard below … you like?

This past weekend, the Mavericks Surf Competition at Half-Moon Bay (NorCal) took an unexpected turn when what some media outlets are calling a “rogue wave” (although they were not technically rogue waves, as rogues typically occur offshore) came and wiped out spectators.  More than 12 people were injured in the accident, according to CNN, and 3 people were hospitalized with broken bones.  From CNN:

They were “sneaker waves,” waves near the shore that are unexpectedly and significantly larger than others occurring at the time, said Larry Smith, a National Weather Service meteorologist based in Monterey, California…

Saturday’s sneaker waves were the result of several factors, including a storm in the Gulf of Alaska, Smith said. The storm, many hundreds of miles north of Princeton-by-the-Sea, was kicking up high waves — 18 to 22 feet — well off California’s shore.

Don’t believe me?  Check out the video for yourself!  It sucks that three people were hospitalized; otherwise, it is kind of funny (and ironic?) if you think about it.  Perhaps fate played a part here, and wanted to give everyone a chance to take part in the comp. 

Weather forecast?  Freezing.  Swell?  EPIC!!! The Mavericks Surf Contest, presented by Sony Ericsson, will be going on throughout the day today near Half Moon Bay, CA, and in case you can’t catch the action live … no worries!  Ustream (one of my clients) will be streaming the event live all day long.  The stream is below!  The first heat will begin around 8:00a.m. PT, with the finals anticipated to conclude at 2:45p.m. PT.  You can also check out live event updates via their Facebook Fan page.

Online video chat by Ustream

Back in late July, one of the largest surfing events of the year flooded the beaches of Huntington Beach - The Hurley US Open of Surfing.  In case you weren’t around to check out the event live in SoCal, FUEL TV’s bringing it to your living room this week, with a highlight reel of the best moments of the week.  It will air this Thursday (yes geniuses, that’s tonight) at 8:00pm and 11:00pm ET (5:00pm and 8:00pm PT) on FUEL TV.

And in case you’re not quite sure what the Hurley US Open of Surfing even is, well, it was a nine-day event where some of the best surfers in the world came together to compete for the $100,000 first place prize purse… and it was awesome.  The comp. included big names such as Kelly Slater (ever heard of him?), Andy Irons, Mick Fanning, and CJ Hobgood, and up-in-comers Brett Simpson, Adriano de Souza, and Michel Bourez, to name a few.  Music and a fashion show also played a key role in event turnout, which will also be highlighted on the show.

If you can’t catch the event tonight (and don’t have DVR or TiVo), here’s a full schedule of when it will air on FUEL:

“Best Of The Hurley US Open of Surfing 2009” Air Dates:

• Thursday, 11/12/2009                                    8:00 PM ET/5:00 PM PT in SurfSpot
• Thursday, 11/12/2009                                    11:00 PM ET/8:00 PM PT
• Saturday, 11/14/2009                                     10:00 AM ET/7:00 AM PT
• Sunday, 11/15/2009                                       11:30 AM ET/8:30 AM PT
• Sunday, 11/29/2009                                       10:00 AM ET/7:00 AM PT
• Monday, 11/30/2009                                     8:00 AM ET/5:00 AM PT

Our favorite articles of the week; check ‘em out!

• Flippin’ Chicks Take Over Glamor Mag: A few weeks ago, Gretchen Bleiler, Kelly Clark, Hannah Teter, and Lindsey Jacobellis participated in a photo shoot for Glamor’s Feb. issue.  Check out the photo gallery.
• Shark Attack: This past week near Santa Cruz, CA, pro surfer Eric Geiselman was attacked by a shark.  He came out of the situation unharmed (less a destroyed board) but definitely a good reminder to always be on the lookout while surfing.  Please don’t let it deter you, though, as these types of instances are very few and far between!  Read the full article on FUEL.TV.
• Inside the Transworld Headquarters: A fellow female blogger, Shayboarder, recently toured the Transworld Headquarters, which is pretty close to my neck of the woods in SoCal.  Check out her awesome recap!
• Pamela Anderson Learns To Snowboard? Ha, a must read.

Now that October has past and November is finally here, winter is just around the corner.  But that doesn’t mean you have to trade in the sand for a pile of snow; winter can be one of the best seasons to surf!  But only if you prepare.  Preparing for the cooler temperatures starts with your wax, and ends with your attire:

Winterizing Your Board

Typically if you surf in the summer in warmer climates (no, no, this does not pertain to Oregon ) you will use a warmer wax.  However, if you use the same wax you use in the winter as you do in the summer, your wax will become slippery, causing you to loose your footing while standing up.  So when prepping your board for cooler water temperatures, choose a cooler (or winter) wax.  One good way to pick a wax is to find out the temperature of the water you’ll be surfing in ahead of time (try Surfline) and find a wax that is suitable for that particular temperature.

Winterizing Your Bod

OK, so, we all know winter is, well, cold, so the best trick to winterizing your bod is buying a nice winter wet suit.  Try to stick with something at a level 3 or above, and if you get really cold I’d highly recommend booties and a hoodie.

So now that your board and bod are officially winterized, you’re set!  Now get out there and start (or continue) surfing!

In putting together this beginning surf series (check out our tips for beginning surfers) we’d be remiss if we didn’t touch upon etiquette.  Surfing’s a great sport, but with thousands of surfers in the water at any given time, all banking on that “perfect wave,” there are a few “unwritten rules” surfers should abide by while hitting the tube:

• If you’re up and riding, you have the right of way (and if you’re not - get out of the way!  When the rider slams into you, you’re the only one to blame).
• Don’t drop in on another surfer; meaning, if you go to catch a wave and someone else around you has already claimed it, leave it to them and wait for the next one.  I promise, there will be more.
• When surfing in a group, never walk behind someone.  A wave could crash at any moment, potentially knocking that person straight into you.
• Choose your location wisely - if you’re a beginner looking to surf in a hot zone, well, don’t.  Leave the big waves to the more advanced riders and come back when you can match up.
• Respect the locals.  After all, who wants to be that “lame American who snaked my turf?”  Not I.

During my recent lesson with Bill Sharp at the Huntington Beach Surf School, Bill mentioned that good etiquette isn’t as well-respected here in the US as it is in South Africa, where he grew up surfing.  In South Africa, all surfers know and abide by the rules, creating a safe, proactive surfing environment with a good vibe.  But in America it can sometimes be a free-for-all.  I bet it would be pretty interesting to compare the two…

For more information on surf etiquette a a detailed rules guide, check out the Surfers Code of Ethics, developed by the Surfrider Foundation.  And if you take one thing away from this post, and one thing only, remember this - “Give Respect to Gain Respect,” as said by the Foundation itself.

Before I started surfing on a regular basis, I naively asked myself, “long board versus short board; what’s the difference?”  Obviously I knew they were different, but I didn’t know why.  There is, in fact, a world of difference, and in this post I’ll attempt to explain why.

As the name suggests, longboards are much longer than shortboards, often 8 feet in length or more, and are typically a bit wider.  The average longboard stands about 3 feet above its rider.  Given the greater surface area a longboard possesses, it tends to be a better board for beginners, with most beginning shortboard hopefuls gradually working their way down to a shortboard, inch by inch.  Long boards are more stable and easier to pop up on, and also easier to catch waves (especially smaller ones), which is why they are ideal for beginners.

Longboards were the first type of board created back in the 1500’s, and therefore they became and still remain a staple of surfing culture.  However, many surfers nowadays don’t actually ride longboards the way they are truly supposed to be ridden. - in fact, it is fairly rare that you see a person riding a longboard in true longboard style.  Most of the time you’ll see riders riding a longboard as if it were a shortboard, carving in and out of the wave.  Because longboards are easier to stand on and control, traditional longboard style involves intricate footwork, with the rider essentially walking around on the board.  One of the most famous and hard-to-master longboard tricks is called “hanging ten,” where the rider walks to the very front edge of the board and stands with his/her toes just over the edge.  Other longboard tricks include nose-riding and hanging 5.

Shortboards, on the other hand, are the modern rendition of the longboard.  They are much shorter in length - usually 5 to 7 feet or so - and though they are harder to get up on (they don’t catch the wave as easily so you have to paddle harder to get up) they are easier to maneuver.  Therefore, instead of just riding straight and playing around with fancy footwork, you can carve throughout the wave, making it more fun and active.

As I mentioned above, if you’re just starting out, I’d recommend going with a longboard and gradually working your way down to a shortboard (that is, if you even want to ride a shortboard at all).  My first time surfing several years ago was on a shortboard, and I was so discouraged that I didn’t surf again until just last year.  Once I tried longboarding, I was set.  A foamtop longboard is a great beginning board for first-year surfers, because they are even more buoyant than your typical surfboard, and they’re also a lot cheaper so they give you the opportunity to try the sport with less of a monetary investment.

Yes, yes, we know with several ski resorts beginning to open up nationwide, its easy to forget about that so-forgotten water sport surfing.  But fall and winter are actually prime time out in the surf!  The swells are bigger, the wind’s a bit more aggressive, and there are less people out, so as long as you can handle the colder water, late fall is a great time to hit the beach.  So grab a good wet suit and board, and hit the waves this fall, especially if you can’t make it up to the local mountains in the next month or two.

Last week, I took my very first surf lesson from Bill Sharp at the Huntington Beach Surf School (read about it here!) and thought it would be a great opportunity to follow up with some beginning surf tips.  Surfing’s tough work, and if you want to get good at it you have to keep at it and constantly assess what you could be doing to improve your skill.  Here are a few tips to consider when first starting out:

• When waking/paddling out to sea, set your board down and walk it out on top of the water as opposed to carrying it or paddling until absolutely necessary.  This will save a lot of wasted energy and arm strength!
• Never carry the board in front of you when you’re walking out (ie, never hold your board between your body and the incoming wave.)  This could cause the wave to crash against the surface area of your board, bringing you down with it.
• Do not paddle with both arms, as this will cause you to speed up and slow down at an inconsistent rate.  Instead, paddle using the crawl stroke, with one arm then the other.
• One arm is usually stronger than the other, so when you paddle be aware of that and adjust accordingly.
• Catch the wave at a completely perpendicular angle (not 45 degrees, etc.)
• When you stand on your board, be sure to find your center of gravity.  Draw an imaginary line cutting your board in half horizontally, then again vertically; that is ideally where your center of gravity should be.
• While standing and riding the wave, bend your knees (as opposed to standing up straight and locking them) - this will ensure maximum balance.

Be sure to keep reading Westbound Boarder for some more Surfing 101 tips down the road!

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