There is this place, a special place, a man-made nexus in Southern California called The Wedge.
Locals know. Tourists rarely get there. A point where waves come in two directions and converge with outgoing flows to create large waves very close to shore.
Bodyboards are the safest, but surfer dudes can't pass up storm-induced sets. People have died here. For a summer, I lived on Balboa, the Wedge was within walking distance away. #Turbulance and #Convergence are natural and man-influenced phenomena. At the time, I didn't realize the significance; only today do I recognize the simile:
The dealer channel is in the middle of the maelstrom and has always surfed the Wedge. 55-degree saltwater, ears full of sand, and the possibility of ultimate elimination do not stop you.
You hit the sets every, single morning. Who is there with you? Does your body-board manufacturer tell you how to set up for a wave? Are your board shorts too tight or heaven forbid, too loose?
Do surf vendors tell surfers how to surf?
#copiers #managedprintservices #DCAMonopoly #ExpensiveScanning
When was last time you hit the wedge? I started going to the Wedge age 10, and started surf company age 12 making skimvjoards and handguns we had a large pool since I was 5. So I was No Fear at 10. But I think even as often as I went it wasnt till I was 16 when I knew her well enough to embrace her anger and nature. When I was 18 in 1983 or 84?, wr had a storm from hell. It took out the ends of Huntinton Pier, Santa Monica,Newport, Seal Beach, heck I don't th8nk any of them were un damaged, several lost building at end of pier.
ReplyDeleteThey had been showing the wedge for couple days, till I went to spectate, like the other >1,000, They were 20 to 30 deep standing at right up to the 6' wall the waves had cut out of the shorline.
I didn't bring my fins even, since I thouht from the TV that it would be choppy and to large to hody surf. But when I saw 2 or 3 other Wedge Crew playinf with my Babe, I had to go out. 30 to 40 foot face waves. Ir took 30-40 minutes to get out past breaks, whichvwas more than galf way down the Jetty. She tried to kick my arse, but I relished it. I did weird swim rotating from stomach to back face down, the life gaurd grabed his orange floaty and stood up. ROFL as if he could out swim Wedge Crew, not to mention it would have talen too long to get to where I was, anyone in trouble, would have been long gone long before he or a boat could get there.
I wasn't able to catch any they wrte to big, = which we kesrned just meant to fast once Mavericks and other Giant Hawaian Breaks a few years later when using Jet Skies to Tow Surfers made it finally something that we can conqour now.
I almost died 1997 to 2005 from pancreatitus and other problems. Bed ridden past 10 years, but now there is a new medical cure for shitty docs eho almost killed me and caused my health problems age 17, 18, 19, 21, almost died from pnemonia, each winter, from over perscription antibiotics tetracycline and acne drug accutane. F$%&ing Docs, only thing that saved me was my Dad wanted mebto be a Surgeon or more.
I am swimming tp regain all the muscle list from being bef ridden so long.
My Goal is to Body Surf the Wedge again, and free solo climv few spots in santa barbara, and ski with my old olympic skier friends in Utah plusva there is an extreeme snowboarder chick I have to out ski. She was 2nd in world for extreeme snow bunny in an alaskian meet.
I lijed youe comment about people losing swim trunks at wedge. I lost at least 5 sets of fins all of them I had 2" wide velcro leashes. Iv'e seen a lot of people lose their pants a couple lose tgeir life. I saved life of 1vat wedge, and 2 at 58th st newport. 1 huntinton at RJs.
Cant wait to show tge young guns whatvthis old man can do....
Dude! Great story, thank you very much for sharing. I haven't been there since 2005 or so, although I lived in SoCal until 2011. Up in Lake Gregory. I miss the waves, the weather and the people - but it's kinda shitty out there now.
DeleteCheers! Keep fighting the fight, get and stay healthy.
Greg