My Most Memorable Surf in Oz
I had one of those surreal surf sessions today. I’m not one to heavily romanticize surfing and get overly dramatic about it. I do completely realize how absolutely fun it is, how much I enjoy the shit out of being in the water, and understand the relevance and importance of being able to surf….
I’m just not much for recounting epic surf sessions, or the upwelling of feelings I get in the surf, or how a dolphin saved me from a shark (that didn’t actually happen.) But tonight, I had a fucking epic surf.
So, I’ll now recount the day, and my epic, 2foot, 15minute surf session.I don’t consider myself to be much of a story telling writer, but here we go anyways. This is how I recall today’s events.
Right after work, I went to a local surfshop, Maddogs, here in Byron Bay. They had some steamers on end of winter clearance sale, and I was in pretty serious need of something much warmer to wear in the water than my current 3rd season wettie.
Got a sick Ripcurl 3/2 wetsuit for $280… bargain bitches!!!
Headed up to my buddy’s work to have a chat and check the surf. He works at a hostel right on the beach here in byron, with several good breaks just out the back. Signals, The Wreck, and Boilers.
I had a chat and by this point the sun was starting set. I had a walk out back and see only 2 guys out on the break where normally there’s at least 15-20. It was absolutely perfect aussie 2foot… glass. Absolutely perfect, with only 2 dudes out… I started losing my mind.
Shit, I didn’t have any boards with me or a wettie…. But Wait!!! I did have that new wettie, and my buddy could lend me one of the backpacker foam board rentals!!
So I literally ran back up to hostel, about 150 meters. And I start doing the wettie dance as fast as possible. Fumbling like hell to get my feet through those new tight wettie leg holes, and still out of breath from the run up the beach.
Wettie on… success. Need a board pronto.
I holler for my buddy Mikey that I need a board right now… right now. There’s 20 minutes tops of light left.
He opens up the board lockers to the big ass mal’s they rent to the backpackers. I find a suitable, and woefully dinged up 8ft 6in mal.
I run my ass right out to the beach as fast as possible…. absolutely pumped.
Straight into the water. Paddling as fast as I possibly can to the break, probably 200 meters.
Not much light left at this point and I’m starting to catch my breath. The new wettie is hell-warm and oh so dry… radness.
And then, the epicness started. 4 waves. That’s it. I caught 4 perfect waves. Glass. Making a steeper fast drop, and then just completely style surfing it all the way to shore.
Crouches, down the line longboard pumps, hand dragging, hanging 5 (not getting the 10’s yet), and absolutely enjoying life. 4 perfect, completely surreal, awesome waves… on a funky 8ft 6in Mal with hardly enough wax, in a brand new wettie, with hardly enough light to see, here in Byron Bay Australia..
That was one of my most epic surfs…. ever. Something about it, the way everything coalesced into just a few minutes of too much fun and had one of those glimpses of bliss.
Romanticized surf session!
-cris
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