Every time a big swell is on its way, I begin to plan on where to go and try to get all my work done.
Even though I have organized my life to be free, sometimes I feel guilty leaving my wife and son for the pursuit of surfing big waves. This past week was one of those times.
The swell was coming and I needed to be at the right place at the right time, but I was not sure where to go. It was already Saturday afternoon and I was determined not to miss another great swell.
I usually head South to Blacks or Mexico, because I know my way around, but the swell would not arrive there until a full day later and it would be a lot smaller. It was going to be hitting up north in the morning and the weather was going to be beautiful, sunny skies, 70 degree temps, and off shore winds.
What to do?
A couple years ago I met new friends surfing in Puerto Escondido, Ian and Haley. They live in NorCal, they love big waves, and most of all they love Mavericks. They are normal guys like me, not pros and not burned-out old surfers with bad attitudes, but guys with their shit together, who CHARGE. I decided to reach out and send Ian a message, asking him what was up and where was he was surfing the swell.
Haley and Ian, Ocean Beach
He sent a short reply: “START DRIVING NOW!”
Ian lives in Ocean Beach, San Francisco, and it is an 7 hour drive for me.
Believe it or not I do not connect with too many people, I often do everything alone. My wife is awesome; she pushes me to reach out to friends and not do so many things on my own. She encouraged me to go and helped me to get ready. While she was packing water and food for me, I was busy loading up the essentials on the roof of my van:
My 5’10” Ron House twin-fin fish, just in case all the models were wrong and it was flat!
and most importantly, my Patagonia wetsuit. (I never got cold thanks to that suit)
I was loaded up and on the road an hour after getting Ian’s message.
It was about 10 p.m. when I arrived in San Francisco, after driving straight through, I pulled up to Ian’s oceanfront home with him waving from the window. I had not seen him in two years, but he is like me, he loves to surf.
Ian and Haley take Charge! Mavericks
The plan was to meet Haley at Mavericks before dawn. They were having the Maverick’s Invitational big wave contest with all the pros and the circus; we wanted to be there before they started, so we could get some waves.
We awoke at 4:30, got on the road and were in the parking lot 5:15. The police were already shutting down the streets, I guess they were expecting a big crowd.
We suited up in the dark and began the long paddle out. The air was still and quiet, with a zillion stars in the sky, and due to the long period swell the ocean was unusually calm. I could barely see my friends as they guided me around the huge rocks, I was so focused on just getting there and getting out, I never really thought about what it would be like to be in the lineup of one the scariest waves in the world in total blackness. I wish I could properly describe how cool that experience was but it is impossible.
I must say once there it was down right spiritual, it was a moment when all the effort pays off.
I was in my element. We gazed at the stars with giant swells rolling beneath us, waiting for the dawn so we could surf. As soon as the tiniest bit of light filled the air the waves exploded into view. My friends paddled right into the lineup and began to ride the giant waves. I was in heaven, three guys surfing alone at one of the biggest best breaks in the world.
I caught one huge left and achieved two of my goals for the year:
Surf Mavericks; and
Spend more time with friends.
A half hour later noise and diesel fumes destroyed the calm, an army of jet skis first, and then a flotilla of boats converging on the reef, then two giant coast guard ships, and news helicopters.
The Circus! Mavericks
Our Mavs session was instantly over, forty guys crawled into the line up and the circus began. so we sat in the channel and watched our pro surfer friends ride waves.
Something was missing, contests have become everything surfing is not. We paddled in to refuel and go surf Ocean Beach, we knew it was firing. In fact it was the best it had been in years. But, Ian was down after hurting his arm on his last wave at Mavs. I surfed by myself in front of his house all afternoon.
It was huge and empty, just me and the sea, a far contrast from the circus we left. Hands down the best surf session I ever had on my paddle board. I was at the perfect place at the perfect time, We watched the sunset while drinking beer from the sand dunes. Our bodies were buzzing from the days waves totally stoked and exhausted.
The next morning the swell was smaller but more groomed and still great. Ian feed me coffee and motivated me to charge into the sea once more. Haley met us in the water. Great rides were had by all and another epic session went into the history books.
This is what surfing and life is all about, being with the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Make the effort, reach out, and create new adventures.
Thanks guys for an fantastic 48 hours.
Life is Good Drew
PS: Thanks to Bruce Topps of NorCal Surf Photos for the shots of me surfing Ocean Beach!
On our Surf, SUP and Paint Tour across America, I was really looking forward to seeing the Great Lakes for the first time. Here’s a rundown of our first couple days.
Pictured Rocks Cave on Lake Superior
LAKE SUPERIOR SURFING:
I had heard stories and seen videos of dedicated surfers outside of Deluth, Michigan, riding waves on the Lake, and I wanted to see it for myself. There’s even a Lake Superior Surf Club!
Lake Superior is the biggest, deepest and coldest of the Great Lakes and it was our first stop.
We started at Stony Point, a surf spot that is rumored to get good waves. It’s about thirty miles North of Deluth. We drove down a gravel road in a heavily wooded area to reach it.
I was hoping for waves, but Stony Point was flat. However, it was picturesque and clear as the Caribbean, perfect for the paddleboard.
The water was unusually warm, almost 70 degrees. Maria and the kids had a blast climbing on the rocks and exploring the coastline. We just got Dylan a pair of Keen water sandals which came in handy as the bottom of the lake here was all rocks.
I took out the Rivera inflatable; it was on top of the van and quick to grab. The inflatable is my recon board – I can just easily throw it in the water to check things out! (more…)
I had heard a lot about the Salmon River from some of the crew that I paddled the Colorado River with last year.
So about a week into our three month Surf, SUP and Paint Tour, I planned a day to SUP the Salmon River.
Maria and the kids and I had been exploring Idaho for about four days before we got to Riggins, a town that calls itself “the Whitewater Capital of Idaho”.
Right next to Riggins is Lucile, where we set up camp for a few days. Lucile is a one street town where there’s no cell service but plenty of deer, bears and elk. Our friend John is building a house there along the Salmon River and said we could camp on his property, though he was out of town traveling as well.
I had everything I needed to standup paddle the river except for one thing: a life jacket. On the drive to Lucile I was telling Maria that we needed to find a place to buy one. Then, a few minutes later, on a desolate road nestled between 10,000 foot peaks, I saw something lying in the middle of the road. It was a brand new lifejacket! I turned the van around and picked it up. Now, I had what I needed to SUP the Salmon:
A lifejacket and WRSI Whitewater helmet (‘cause if you fall and hit your head on the rocks, the party is over)
Ocean & Earth’s “world’s strongest” Leash (if you lose your board on the river, it keeps going!)
Patagonia 2 mil full suit (realized later that I didn’t really need this – the water wasn’t as cold as I thought and I didn’t fall as much either)
Keen Gorge boots (this allowed me to jump off the board onto rocks without destroying my feet – this was the most important piece of safety equipment in my opinion)
Go Pro camera (make sure you know how to use it – I put it on the wrong setting and it didn’t get any pictures!)
Good attitude and a cool wife to take photos as you SUP on by!
I put into the river at Shorts Bar. It’s a killer sandy beach where we spent the day trying out our new paddleboards in the river. There’s a nice little eddy there that the kids could paddle around in.
Maria tracked me from the road in the Dream Machine and took pictures from the bank. There are great lookouts at each rapid, so it was easy for her to pull over and get some photos as she watched me surf the rapids.
This time of year the river is running low and the rapids are minor, but enough to give you a good thrill. The Riviera Inflatable Standup Paddle board was perfect for this river, since the water was low and there were a lot of sharp rocks that other boards would be damaged by.
The biggest rapid is called Time Zone – it’s right before the bridge at the far north end of Riggins. Time Zone is a long, snaking rapid with a ledge running down the right side. The current zig zags back and forth, all the way down to the bridge. I stuck that rapid, swinging left to avoid the ledge. I was pretty stoked – it’s been a year since I’ve run a rapid.
After Time Zone, there were about a dozen smaller rapids with a lot of space in between to rest.
This is big country out here!
Along the way I saw big horned sheep, deer and beautiful landscapes. It was really peaceful being on the river alone.
It took me two hours to go 11 miles. I ended at the boat ramp on John’s property in Lucile. Dylan ran down and handed me a beer when I got out!
I wanted to do it again, but it was getting dark and the kids were hungry. We were headed to Montana at 5 a.m. the next morning. I’ll have to come back another time, but in the spring when the water is higher and the rapids are gnarlier!
I think any surfer or standup paddle enthusiast could do this run safely during the summer at this water level. Spring would be more challenging. If you were spending a few days up there, you could do the run a couple times a day and then drive further up river and do a longer run, where there are bigger rapids and killer standing waves. I can’t wait to come back!
We are going on another Brophy family adventure in the Dream Machine!
Three Four Five Months, 26 28 states and two countries. (We started this trip as a 3-month trek, but it grew to 5 months!)
A Surf, SUP and Paint tour across the U.S. and a short stint into Canada.
We leave left the first week of July 2012, head north through Utah, then East across the northern states, into Canada, then New England and then South along the East Coast of America.
July 9, 2012Backcountry.com Headquarters in Park City, Utah. Drew will give a painting workshop, showing how you can customize your DIY Aerial 7 Headphones.
August 2012 Myrtle Beach South Carolina. Drew will paint a sixty foot mural on the side of Lulu’s Cafe.
September 8, 2012STANDUP PADDLE RACES in Myrtle Beach on September 8th – details to follow.
October 2012FURMAN UNIVERSITY, GREENVILLE SC: Drew and Maria will be giving a Business of Art Lecture and a 4 day Painting Workshop.
November 10-11, 2012: ART MUNDO, Fort Pierce, FL: Drew will be giving a two-day Paint Pen Techniques Workshop from 3-6 p.m. each day.
In between stops to be announced. We have lakes and rivers to paddle, waves to surf and trails to hike.
MEDIA – Some of the adventure will be featured on:
97.5 The Zone – Bob Grove’s Radio Show called “The Outdoors”, and
Live Surfboard Painting at LAKE POWELL PADDLEBOARDS August 16th!
Every time a big swell is on its way, I begin to plan on where to go and try to get all my work done.
We are going on another Brophy family adventure in the Dream Machine!