Tracking Your Stoke

Racing a section on May 19th at Church

As you know Southern California has had quite a run of long period south swell over the last two weeks and there is no end in sight. The sun has been shining, we've had glassy afternoons and the water is 70°.

As you may recall, my annual goal is to surf 100 times a year and they say you can't manage what you don't measure. Well here's a tool to do that.

To aid in my tracking of this I am using a new app called the "Surf Journal" and so far I have found it to be a lot of J. Click here to download.

Here's a recent view from this last week of swell.

The app records the break location (you add them), wave quality, wave height, board used, friends, photos, notes, day, time and duration of your surf and maybe best of all records the tide and buoy data for your session. It also allows one to explore their sessions via any of these criteria. 

Back to my 100 surfs a year goal. To meet that goal, I am trying to hit about 8 surfs/month. Fortunately, with this last run of swell where I surfed 9 out of 10 days, I am close to being back on track despite a 6 week period on the IR due to a shoulder injury.

The three S's

Southern CA is enjoy a nice run of south swell, sunshine and warm water. The water temp in San Clemente reach 70° this week.  Fun waves to be had all over the place.  Here we feature T-street. The 3 essential ingredients were represented: Stoke, Swell & Strength - only thing lacking was some cobbs.

Air Temp: mid 70s
Water Temp: 70°! - trunks & a jacket
Waves: Head high sets
Session: 1 hour lunch time session
Equipment: Fish
Stoke: 8.5

As the above photo illustrates crowds were not an issue.

Duly noted. 

Schedule 4

Packing list or pull down menu for UCLA new EMR?

Something to aspire to

Imagine twin Maloguas and 2 generations of Maloguas learning about swell, stoke, and strength as well as seminars in quesadilla making and cooler management. It's gotta happen before Sam and Kilo only want to surf Pipe and Tavy.

Imagine the Seminary

A tropical Mexican pointbreak, ain't it just divine? Photo: Stoner

Rob Gilley

Of all the wacky ideas I’ve heard in my life, possibly the wackiest came from an unlikely source: George Downing. A friend told me that at one time George was trying to make a serious bid to have surfing declared an official religion. When I initially heard this, I thought it was one of the silliest things I had ever encountered.

Now I’ve changed my thinking. In fact, I’ve done a complete 180.

I owe much of my change of heart to Wikipedia. To define the term “religion”, the site used the following words and phrases: Worship. Prayer. Universal belief systems. Claims of spiritual transcendence. Specific narratives, symbols, traditions, and sacred histories. Something that gives meaning to life and drives behavior. Rituals, feasts, funerary services, music, and art. Mantras. Purposeful choices to live lives of poverty to be closer to it. Pilgrimages.

And then the lightning bolt struck me: Surfing is more religious than religion is.

So given this divine revelation, let’s take it another step. Let’s claim it. Let’s give this religion of surfing a name. I don’t know, something appropriate, maybe slightly irreverent or fun…like how about The Church of Yew? And then maybe we could have cool sayings like Yew Dukefari, in acknowledgement of our patron saint of Aloha.

I’m totally serious. In fact, I’m actually starting to feel a bit rapturous just thinking about all this. Well, that and the potential tax-exempt status.

Leonedin.com

Tonight, I used the good ol' Leonedin.com networking app - like LinkedIn but with a 1000000x times (at least) higher quality control & a raging filter that is par non.

Had a great meal with Oliver in London who, as you can see, sports a worthy fro.

A brother from another British mother.

A beacon in the night

While strolling home from a Plymouth pub and enjoying a strength on a dark & stormy night I came across this little reminder of home & cobbing.

Also worth noting that the surf here is going off. Sadly I could sample it due to my injured wing.

Bad Day for Samoan Loggers

Looks like there is more reasons to make weight. Maybe there will be gyms on the plane again?

Do you find strength in this post?

The photos of Tyler are typical, I'm interested in the vintage piece hung below them.

Maloguas in the snow

It's been a year of breakthroughs for one frigophobic Cobb who conquered his fear of cold water at the Yule and through the use of Patagonia down also dispelled his fear of snow. In what can only be described as epic snow conditions, two Maloguas, a whip and two micro-cobbs dominated Telluride.

Look at the stoke on that cobb despite frozen side burns.

Another upside of alpine cobbing - your beer actually gets colder the longer you drinking it while working out.

The cobbs on a brief foray into the action drinking so Rye-based cocktail in fancy glasses. 

Oh... and as I said, the conditions were epic and evidenced by this shot of the mini-cobb laying down a mean bottom turn.

Uh Oh

Return of Dr. Stokanstrength

If you haven't heard I'm trying to stage a bit of a comeback, well, don't call it a comeback!  I caught more waves at the Bu' today than I've caught on any one day since the early days of the millennium. For some reason the crowd was very light, the conditions were ricisimo and I had the right log for the job, you'll note in the left hand of the panorama shot. As is often lamented by the Puerto Rican Cobb, the only thing missing from this glorious session were some Maloguas to share it with. Nevertheless, I registered an 8/10 stoke and got to work on my tan to boot.


Air Temp low 50's
Water Temp Mid 50's
Waves 6th rib to SH
Session 1:45
Log: the Wolf

Staycation

After an epic week in Telluride, this Cobb has enjoyed Swell, Stoke & Strength for 8 consecutive days. 

Here's the math.

4 surf spots, 3 boards, 1 Cobb and a gang of J.

The only thing missing...the other Cobbs.

Respect, boss man

The only reason that I doubt that Pony was behind this is because there was no reference to "hug it". But damn, I really wish this was his ad. Respect.

Good on you

In the Spirit of Career Eyes

Here is one possible eye for one Cobb's career.   Is this actually a career eye?



Comments please.

From the Leo Burnett Where Are They Now file

While the man sometimes known to say, "Keep Cobbing and Good Things will Happen" is crowned "The Next Big Thing"(bravo cobber!), here's what's happening elsewhere in the ad universe...

rico's surfographic

Here's an infographic summarizing my surfing in 2012. My goal was to surf 100 times during the year so I give myself a B-. I am going to have to work a little harder at it in 2013. ~rico

Dream realized

After years of preparation, the first generational third world Latin American surf trip to Bocas del Toro. Sam & Kiko found swell & brought stoke. Strength took a back seat. And, yes - that is a left.

Santa Left Something Under the Tree

Some Jews celebrate Christmas with Chinese food and a movie.  Others prefer sliders and barrilitos.

But don't be fooled by the first photo, there was more "taking" than "giving" by the locals on this holiday.  Nonetheless, a few tidy gifts presented themselves.

So much for the spirit of Christmas in the line-up....

Strong

Very Strong

Little known fact Re: Obama's election

Outside of exerting our constitutional rights to vote for the President of the United States (at least those of us that don't live in a Commonwealth), it's a little know fact that a "dream team" of  COBS [sic] were instrumental in helping Barak Obama win his second term as President. You can read more here.

Self-portrait in Robe

In SB loving my vaporizer, listening to classic Grateful Dead ~69', strolling the grounds. Hopefully, a Hammonds session tomorrow. My natural is not in nearly the state of disrepair it appears in this photo.

PS-The Hammonds sessions were excellent as the swell had so much west in it, the word "classic" was being used liberally by people in the line up. A much less serious and soulful crowd then in North County. Meanwhile coming down the coast every single spot we passed was firing.

 This is a shot from late afternoon yesterday in front of the Biltmore.

Smokin Jay Cutler

For some reason these photos of Jay Cutler working out have gone viral. In any case he appears to work out vigorously. Pony if you hire this guy I expect a finder fee.

Yikes

Not quite sure what to make of this forecast for NW PR.

It's too soon to tell, but TS Sandy may send some death swell from an unusual direction.  How fitting for the Marea de los Muertos which always seems to deliver a punch around Halloween. The downside is that this swell direction, plus what are the highest tides of the year, will probably wreak  extreme havoc on our beaches.  This could be the kind of event that leaves a permanent scar.

Not the Same

Sans Cobbs, it's just not the same.  But there is still some J in surfing a new and somewhat secluded spot on what's been called "The Lost Coast."  This shot hardly describes the remarkable staircase leading down through cliffside scrub and jungle to a pocket beach surrounded by bluffs and featuring a righthander that vacilated between bowling waves, closeouts and loggable walls.

Respect

Hug It - Always Go Left

Just Hug It

Uh..oooh! Look out Esteban!

Well, it looks like the Maloguas picked the right week not to make a lightening strike to Mag Bay. Who only knows what is going on there right now as Steve and the Crew prepare for a direct hit from Cat 3 Miriam. Meanwhile SoCal is looking at an extended run of South Swell through next week as Miriam and a long period South come home to roost. 

Going Left!

Well well well, finally another goofey foot.

We still (b)log

A log alert was issued at Antonio's this morning.

This cobb enjoyed a solo session until...

 joining the owner of this other log for a few slides at the parking lot

Meanwhile, at the Dome...

there was nothing solo or soulful going on.

Doesn't Say Anything About Loggers or Maloguas

Eat Meat, Pull, Pray

Goldenwest Thursday

The water was 70, air was 80, the waves were awesome only problem....no Cobbs! Leon just so you know, it happens here too.

For your consideration

Abe and Noa's swim teacher was given this Malogua for his 16th birthday and it was 4 years old. He is now 35 and has been driving it ever since. The car's odometer stopped working 7 years ago at 250k. He's put in 2 transmissions and 3 engines himself , I think he may have done the paint as well.

New design concept for Patagonia

This relic from Madison Wisconsin circa 1970 was brought to my attention by this happy chappy. Along with other Malogua gear it might be nice to some of these made for the next Yule Log where we will be surfing cold winter waves.

Et tu Dante?