The call came the night before. “Get down here tomorrow…offshore…overhead…80 degrees….” said my buddy Steve who lives in San Francisco. It was a quick conversation and although I had a million things going on there was no way I was going to miss it.
It was going to be a classic Ocean Beach day. One of those days that you always here about siiting in your car with the heat blasting, looking out at a foggy mess of an ocean trying to talk yourself into paddling out. Forever this is what Ocean Beach meant to me. So many times I had made the 3 hour drive from Tahoe in the heat of the summer full of surf stoke as I fight my way threw the 100 degree heat with visions of perfect waves waiting for me. The closer you get to the beach, the more the anticipation builds. The moment of true is approaching fast but seemingly out of nowhere you run into a wall of fog, the temps go from 85 to 50 as you pull inot the parking lot.
There is no visible sign of life on the beach and just getting out of your car is scary. After a while you talk yourself into getting wet. This is Ocean Beach most of the time. People who call OB there home break are hard core. There is always surf, in fact it is often too big to surf. In the winter you watch the surf reports waiting for the surf to come down to a ridable size.
Four years ago I final caught one of the fabled OB days. I had been in Mexico for a month and had very low expectations when I came over the hill and saw a sea of perfectly formed feathering A frame peaks. It looked like Indo and it was three hours from my house.
I had seen the light. A couple of times a year OB holds some of the best surf on the planet. There are so many peaks and the swell is so consistent that every one gets waves. The comradery that is formed in the line up on those cold grey days shines threw on days like today. People are hooting and hollering for strangers as they stroke into a bomb.
This is one of the reasons I live in Tahoe. I went to Indo for the day and was back at home at 9:30 at night.
Thanks for the call Steve….I will return the favour this winter when Squaw is pumping.
There is always current at OB. You think you are in position for the lefts when a perfect right pops up.
The off shore winds kicked up as the swell built in the afternoon turning a good day into an epic one.
If you made the drop there was a good chance you were getting barreled.
Scotty is often my go to guy when I need a wing man for a surf or snow mission. He runs his own business and is super busy but he is not afraid to drop it all if nature calls.
It took one of these waves to make the drive worth while.
I would love to tell you how my last wave was one of these bombs but after a full day of surfing, OB felt my weakness and pounced on me. I got caught in a rip, eventualy made it back to the line up, missed my drop, took five on the head and washed up on the beach with hardly enough arm strenght to carry my board. Non the less the drive home that night was full of shock, awe and stoke. Coming over Donner and dropping into Truckee Scotty and started to wonder if it was all a dream or not.
Hey Jeremy,
Hit me up with an email - not sure how to track you down.
mark@mtnops.com
Awesome blog! The way you’re writing each blog post is intriguing. If you have any tips of writing the blogs or blogging in general, I’d love to hear it.
Reading and writing consistently is key the key to good writing.I have always kept a journal. Much of these blogs come from them. Steven King wrote a cool book on simple writing. I do not remember the name but you should be able to find it.
How would you compare riding a wave/barrel to riding sluff? Do they feel similar?
Its called On Writing. Kinda weird as I am randomly re-reading that at the moment. Oh and cool surf photos. Looks like a rad session.
Aww man awesome surf pictures! I just tried surfing for the first time this summer in Portugal and I have a new respect and love for the sport. Those waves you are riding would have CRUSHED me as I still have not gotten the whole dolphin trick down where you go under the wave when paddling out…
Those pics almost make me want summer back… fuck it though I saw snow yesterday and I’m stoked for this winter. *Nice blog btw
Riding white water and sluff is similar. A barrel is its on thing but the feeling is like riding one of the best runs of the year or crossing something off your hit list that you looked at forever.
Hey Jeremy this is the Dutch kid who did the interview in The Hague with you. We were quite busy and we wanted it to stay on the frontpage for a little while at least so we didn’t post it untill now. Not your typical interview and the sound is pretty noisy, but all that doesn’t matter cause it was great to meet you. Thanks for taking your time for us that night. I got two pictures from your blog, if it’s not cool I will take them down but I just wanted to illustrate the Turkey part a little.
Alright take care and thanks again, Lenn
Oh, here’s the link directly to the article: http://www.themustachio.com/index.php?item_id=2544
hey Jeremy,
Though I’m a Maine/NH surfer living in Vermont now,surfed a bunch out west and didn’t get that place good…quite frankly that place is pretty intimidating in the fall-spring. good on ya for getting it good.
did get santa cruz area spots real good and lots of the goods in Oregon and Wa. Great to be able to ride snow and surf in same day..just like out here.
One of good friends just took a job as Rossi snow rep for east coast so i’ll be ripping a rossi soon.
If your ever back east and wanna hit some lonely firing rock reefs and points let me know!
keep rippin’
You are such a KOOK!
What gives you the idea that you can surf? Get rid of those crutches you call bindings and show some talent.
Oh, wait, I have to think a little more about going for this drop over the low tide coral heads.