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Thursday, December 22, 2011

Dawn Patrol - Radiology Department, Dec 22

Rather than passionately paddling into waves too big for my liking, I was up before the sun and driving to Palo Alto to get an MRI on my ankle.  I spent a few days staring at my phone, waiting for my doctor to call and tell me if my ski season is over or not.  Luckily, I'm in the clear and it feels good.  The big question is whether bodyboarding is in my future or not. 

Sunday, December 18, 2011

Aaaaand my ski season might be over

Busted ankle.  MRI in the next few days.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Great Whale Cove, Dec 14

Dawn patrol again.  This time, Jimmy and I drove down to Kelly St. but it was too small, so we drove back up to Great Whale Cove.  I've never been there before, and it is a gorgeous secluded cove below a windy section of Route 1.  There is a convenient channel along a cliff band that eliminates the need for duck diving.  However, the waves are still scary like most places I've been to in California!  I ate it bad on a sizable drop and did some inverted tumbling that was actually not too unpleasant.  The waves are getting bigger this week, so I'll be backing off for a few days, but Tory and I might head out this weekend.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

GoPro!

Just got one - this should be fun!

Monday, December 5, 2011

Northstar, Dec 3

The conditions were fast with relatively little ice, thus making it prime for skiing fast.
Sometimes you just need to do pushups near the lift line.

Dawn Patrol, Dec 5

It was dark out, and I was surprisingly awake despite a weekend of skiing and general debauchery in Tahoe.  I drove in silence to Jimmy's house in the Sunset, and we jammed his board in my car.  The morning wave conditions were shroud in the mystery of darkness but some light shimmered off some peaks as we approached Half Moon Bay.  Eli was waiting in his car, and we inspected the waves from the bluff just as a nice clean set rolled through.

The cold penetrated through the 4mm neoprene before I even got in the water, and sent shivers down my spine as I paddled out.  The waves were not huge - in fact, they were smaller than my previous outing at Kelly Street.  However, they broke ferociously strong on the shallow bar, scaring my east coast weak-wave sensibilities.


A few big sets rolled by and Eli caught a few nice waves, and I kept on the sidelines waiting for my opportunity.  Instead, I missed paddling over a set wave and got pulled over the falls for a nice churning adventure in the dishwasher.  I was disoriented and shivering when I popped to the surface.  Damn the water was cold.

Time passed, and I still couldn't psyche myself into catching a wave, including one late abort on a nice wave I probably would have had a great ride on.  By 8:15, it was time to head in, and I caught a small right, which left me tumbling in the closeout.  We ran to the car, and that HOT shower at work helped offset the cold morning.