ENTRY 2
OK! So that first post was kind of an intro, my original plan was to write a bit every day and then post it all up. But that was before I knew I’d be here for over 6 weeks…
Although this is definately not what I had planned, I don’t regret it. Sure, I’m not gunna spend as much time in Baja and Mexico, but I’ve had a great time! And it has all been a part of the experience! I mean for one, I’m now gunna have an even better time, as the truck I’ve built is amazing! Another is I got to surf mental mavericks! And I’ve met some amazing people! It was how long I needed. Now I’m ready to go!
So! I didn’t write every day, as that would have been extremely boring and mundane. It would probably have looked a little like this:
“today I woke up and made porridge with apples, bananas and rains. Then I did some work on the truck. Then I ate food and skyped Chloe. Then I did more work on the truck. Then I watched Lost and went to bed.”
That was pretty much my routine most days. There were a lot of things slowing me down though. For example, when I arrived it rained for about 3 weeks, seriously limiting the amount of work I could do on the truck. During that time I mostly surfed and shopped for things I needed for the trip. But that was one of the main factors in the delay.
I haven’t been able to surf as much as I would like. I have been so busy that time has just slipped away. I have had a few great surfs though. There was this one super session I had with Taylor and his mates. We were driving around trying to look for waves, when we stumbled upon this sick bank. Literally like the sickest left, which was just throwing little barrels like a point break! We surfed by on our own for 3 hours! Super fun!
There was also a really shit surf, which featured pumping, double overhead Ocean Beach with no one in. I paddled out with Taylor and his mate (I should mention at this point that Taylor is Catherine’s son). The first wave I took of on pitched me straight over the falls and I got absolutely drilled. Finally managing to get back out, I swung for another wave, and got pitched AGAIN! Only this time when I came up, my board was snapped clean in two. Devastating.
None however, will be as memorable as my surfs out at Mavericks. Mavericks is one of the waves, along with the likes of Teahupoo and Cyclops to name a few, which I have been in awe of my entire life. Watching videos and looking at pictures of these waves took up a lot of my child hood. When I got down to the car park before my first surf, the anticipation and excitement was through the roof! I was lucky enough that that first surf was super chilled, not to many out, not that massive, super nice local crew who were all really helpful. It was perfect really. A great introduction.
I needed it as well for the next surfs! After that first surf I had 2 more sessions out there before it got really big. So I was feeling fairly confident when the charts were predicting big waves. The first big day (which was dubbed big Wednesday by a few) was only surfable for a few hours just after fist light. By the time I got out, the southerly wind had already begun to pick up. When the wind blows from the south at Mavericks, you get a lot of chop coming across the bay. You can be dropping in and a 3ft wave will come UP the face! Then you really are screwed. Anyway, that was probably my best surf out at Mavericks. Because of the wind, not many people paddled out. I managed to pick of 2 sick ones. On the last one I got taken out by one of those 3ft chops which wasn’t much fun. I ended up getting 2 set waves on the head. The wind had picked up by then so I called it a day. I was also feeling a bit battered.
Then there was the big day. There has been a fair amount of hype over that Saturday. It was bloody awesome being out there, I’m sure its something I’ll never forget. I actually got like 7 waves, which was more than most out there I think. But most were party waves, and not the bigger set waves. but it was great fun being out there, watching the titans doing their thing.
I went down to Santa Cruz a few weeks ago as well. We have some very old family friends who live in Hawaii. Savana, who is the eldest daughter, is at uni up in Oregon. She was down in Santa Cruz hanging with her boy friend, so I drove down for the day and we had a great time! skating and surfing in the sun! It was Epic!
I have also spent Thanks Giving, Christmas and New years here! Richard, Catherine and the whole family have been very welcoming and lovely.They have taken me on tours of the city, we have gone to parties, they have hooked me up with tons of people who have been giving me advice on how to survive in Baja (very handy). They even got me some presents at christmas! Im going to be sad leaving the farm and the caravan which has been my home. But I’m also really looking forward to the next stage, and I can’t wait to get out on to highway 1 in my truck! So frothing! Really excited to meet up with an old friend, Max Pechonis, who is living over in florida. Meeting up with him for a few days down in LA, hopefully we will get waves!
I’m not sure when I will next get wifi, but I’m going to be writing as I go from now on! So as soon as I do ill have another post up! I hope I haven’t bored anyone to death yet, but with any luck I’ll have some cool shit to write about in the near future! lets get ready to rumble!
Photo captions from top to bottom:
1) The Saturday. Me and Dane Gudauskas sharing a party wave.
2) Big Wednesday
3) Big wednesday
4,5) Getting taken out by the chop on Wednesday
6) The Saturday, you cant just about make out the nose of my board in the top left hand corner of this one. This was one of the bigger waves I caught.
7) One of the smaller days.
8) Camper Completed.
9) Roof rack and sand ladders.
10) Test driver
11,12,13) San Francisco, steep hills, golden gate park and down town.
14) My breakfast every day, doesnt look good but it bloody was.
15) One of Richards amazing home made dishes. steak and kidny pie and a salmon pie. I sure am going to miss that.
16) Odeometer reading at the start of the trip- 4,739 miles on the clock, lets see what I can get it up to.
