Lots of great events on the horizon! As the water gets a little colder, surfers seem to find ways to accentuate their surf lives with some warmer, dryer charitible surf related events like a benefit for the IndoJax sponsored Ocean Cure tuesday the 27th (tonight) at Mellow Mushroom, the WBLA Surf Swaptopia on Nov. 14th (because your stuff wants to get back in the ocean!), the grand ol' Hope From Helen is back on December 4th, and don't forget the WBLA Oyster Roast on Dec. 5th!
And if you care about any of these great organizations, remember, if your company does United Way drives, you can designate your giving to any 501 (c) 3 non-profit! I know I will!
So maybe you won't recognize your surf bud in the lineup with all that neoprene and the numbness of your face precludes being able to talk anyway...but these great events keep a warm surfing spirit of community alive until spring!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ev1-1PI2fU
The link above has a great video to go with this Local Sessions article that was published...
Indo Jax Reaches Out
A small group is gathered on dry sand with a pier visible in either direction on Wrightsville Beach. The scene has become familiar, a group surf lesson complete with energetic instructors in the surfer version of a uniform, a small hoard of excited kids ready to move from the “dry” part of the lesson into the actual “let’s go get wet and surf” part, and of course the anxious parents lingering off to the side with cameras.
The surf is small, even for a beginner’s lesson, but the crowds of the day are mostly gone and there is plenty of room to teach and learn. The soft top boards of various sizes and bright colors are doled out and the surf instructors are paired up with a student. These kids were young, maybe one teen, but on average more like 8 to 10 year old mix of boys and girls. Soon the lesson got to the good part and its classic beginner surfing at its best; a few good nose dives, some that make it to one knee before the wipe out, feet slipping of the rails, and a few scary moments…you’ve been there and done that yourself, right? And then it comes, within a few minutes of the first board hitting the water, it happens….the little kid with the dark hair and tan is UP! and riding a wave. Something is a little different now and not as familiar as everyone erupts in cheers and hoots from the shore and in the water, and then it happens over and over as each kid finds their balance and catches a ride, those first magical rides of a surfer on a wave. There were lots of smiles on stoked kids and parents alike. It’s impossible to forget the pride on one father face as he hugged is son. After all, that kid rocked his lesson, but this certainly went much deeper.
What is different here from an otherwise very normal surf lesson is that each of the kids learning to surf that day is visually impaired and some have other medical conditions as well. These things can hardly be called disabilities after watching their success. Maybe it took a little special help for a few of them, but each of these children came to shore that day…a surfer.
Jack Viorel and his partners Kevin Murphy and Chris Lacoe of Indo Jax Surf School have incorporated outreach surf camps as part of who they are as a company. These free outreach surf events are focused on medically fragile children, but they are also active in other programs like Life Rolls on, and the Wounded Warrior project. During this 2009 season from March through September, Indo Jax will be hosting or participating in at least a dozen events; camps with a focus on kids with Autism, Diabetes, HIV, visual impairments, and also surf camps for Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club are among the events. Viorel added that the success of their charity surf camps is a direct result of the instructors. “We have instructors that are dedicated to the success of our students… our instructors are extremely skilled in the water and great at working with medically fragile and at risk kids. These camps would not be possible without their dedication and caring for others.”
As sun dropped behind the beach houses that day, the warm glow of the evening seemed to call the surfers and instructors back to shore. There was a family reunion of sorts going, not just daughter or son to parents, but rather this whole big new family that had been forged over those few hours. It wasn’t the time or place to crash that party with an interview, but Local Sessions did catch up with Indo Jax founder and owner Jack Viorel for a little more insight.
Local Sessions: Tell us about the first outreach event you did, how did that happen?
Jack Viorel: When we started Indo Jax we wanted to do charity surf camps as a core part of the business. We believe the ocean and surfing can uplift the human spirit and change people's outlook on life. We set out to prove it. Our first outreach surf camp was with CARE, Coastal Aids Resource Effort. A local organization working with children and young adults infected or affected by HIV. It was a powerful event and set everything we've done since in motion.
LS: How did these other outreach programs come to life? Was it planned, or did they seek you out?
JV: At first, since no one knew who we were, we offered charity surf camps to groups we thought could benefit. Our goal is that groups come to us to schedule camps. That is beginning to happen. For instance the Boys and Girls Club, Wounded Warrior Project, and a couple others came to us this year and we scheduled it as a result of their request. We still had to schedule most ourselves.
LS: It would seem that the outreach programs are a reflection of just who you and your company is at the core, and not just part of the business, am I reading that right?
JV: Our motto is "we are nothing if we don't give back” and we really mean it. We made a conscious decision to live or die as a company by giving back. Many people, including friends, have criticized our business sense and told us we can't do it this way. We simply decided to do it this way regardless. Some of these camps have been so personally moving that at this point it doesn't really matter to us if the business is successful; we know we have done what's right in the larger scheme of things.
LS: What has been the response to your outreach programs? and the other organization "Ocean Cure"?
JV: The response to these camps has been overwhelming. I think we all agree at Indo Jax that the result is exactly what we thought. People with limitations, be it socio-economic, physical, or mental, are uplifted when they try something out of their comfort zone and have success. In addition the ocean really does have healing properties. We have lots of people with serious limitations that are now pursuing surfing as a hobby or a way to keep their spirits positive. Often it's the parents that are pumped, because we broke down their limiting beliefs about their own children. I really think these camps change the lives of the participants and their families. Ocean Cure is the nonprofit wing of Indo Jax. These surf camps are expensive to run and so we have begun taking donations through Ocean Cure.
LS: I know my opinion of this, but do you think you all have changed lives?
JV: I know it has changed lives, those of our students and all of ours, no doubt.
LS: Any outreach event that stands out? or individual students?
JV: Charles and Lamont, two brothers from CARE. They took our first charity camp and learned to surf in no time at all. They got hooked and so we arranged to get them surfboards and now we surf with them whenever we get the chance to get them down to the beach. We have become friends and they have volunteered for some of our other outreach programs. They are a great example of the barriers broken by these surf camps and the uplifting capabilities of the ocean and learning to surf can have on a person.
LS: So, is this going to be a long term thing? Do you think you can sustain this program going forward?
JV: The charity is here to stay with or without the donations. It is who we are as a company. We bit off a lot this year, but are determined to accomplish what we set out to do. We set a goal of at least 10 charity events for this year and at the moment have 12 planned for this season. So far, all have been successful and none have failed. We can sustain the program the way it is now but we would like to make the program better. We have been asked to start long term projects with some organizations and we will definitely need financial support to get those programs off the ground.
LS: Can you give me the basics of Indojax and what you all do /provide as a company?
JV: Indo Jax is a surf and kiteboard school. We do surf camps and private surf lessons as well as private and small group kiteboard classes. Our instructors are top notch, many are certified teachers and very skilled at what they do.
A big thanks to Indo Jax for letting us peek into their world. If you want to know more about any of this, check out their website at http://indojaxsurfschool.com/ .
The link above has a great video to go with this Local Sessions article that was published...
Indo Jax Reaches Out
A small group is gathered on dry sand with a pier visible in either direction on Wrightsville Beach. The scene has become familiar, a group surf lesson complete with energetic instructors in the surfer version of a uniform, a small hoard of excited kids ready to move from the “dry” part of the lesson into the actual “let’s go get wet and surf” part, and of course the anxious parents lingering off to the side with cameras.
The surf is small, even for a beginner’s lesson, but the crowds of the day are mostly gone and there is plenty of room to teach and learn. The soft top boards of various sizes and bright colors are doled out and the surf instructors are paired up with a student. These kids were young, maybe one teen, but on average more like 8 to 10 year old mix of boys and girls. Soon the lesson got to the good part and its classic beginner surfing at its best; a few good nose dives, some that make it to one knee before the wipe out, feet slipping of the rails, and a few scary moments…you’ve been there and done that yourself, right? And then it comes, within a few minutes of the first board hitting the water, it happens….the little kid with the dark hair and tan is UP! and riding a wave. Something is a little different now and not as familiar as everyone erupts in cheers and hoots from the shore and in the water, and then it happens over and over as each kid finds their balance and catches a ride, those first magical rides of a surfer on a wave. There were lots of smiles on stoked kids and parents alike. It’s impossible to forget the pride on one father face as he hugged is son. After all, that kid rocked his lesson, but this certainly went much deeper.
What is different here from an otherwise very normal surf lesson is that each of the kids learning to surf that day is visually impaired and some have other medical conditions as well. These things can hardly be called disabilities after watching their success. Maybe it took a little special help for a few of them, but each of these children came to shore that day…a surfer.
Jack Viorel and his partners Kevin Murphy and Chris Lacoe of Indo Jax Surf School have incorporated outreach surf camps as part of who they are as a company. These free outreach surf events are focused on medically fragile children, but they are also active in other programs like Life Rolls on, and the Wounded Warrior project. During this 2009 season from March through September, Indo Jax will be hosting or participating in at least a dozen events; camps with a focus on kids with Autism, Diabetes, HIV, visual impairments, and also surf camps for Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club are among the events. Viorel added that the success of their charity surf camps is a direct result of the instructors. “We have instructors that are dedicated to the success of our students… our instructors are extremely skilled in the water and great at working with medically fragile and at risk kids. These camps would not be possible without their dedication and caring for others.”
As sun dropped behind the beach houses that day, the warm glow of the evening seemed to call the surfers and instructors back to shore. There was a family reunion of sorts going, not just daughter or son to parents, but rather this whole big new family that had been forged over those few hours. It wasn’t the time or place to crash that party with an interview, but Local Sessions did catch up with Indo Jax founder and owner Jack Viorel for a little more insight.
Local Sessions: Tell us about the first outreach event you did, how did that happen?
Jack Viorel: When we started Indo Jax we wanted to do charity surf camps as a core part of the business. We believe the ocean and surfing can uplift the human spirit and change people's outlook on life. We set out to prove it. Our first outreach surf camp was with CARE, Coastal Aids Resource Effort. A local organization working with children and young adults infected or affected by HIV. It was a powerful event and set everything we've done since in motion.
LS: How did these other outreach programs come to life? Was it planned, or did they seek you out?
JV: At first, since no one knew who we were, we offered charity surf camps to groups we thought could benefit. Our goal is that groups come to us to schedule camps. That is beginning to happen. For instance the Boys and Girls Club, Wounded Warrior Project, and a couple others came to us this year and we scheduled it as a result of their request. We still had to schedule most ourselves.
LS: It would seem that the outreach programs are a reflection of just who you and your company is at the core, and not just part of the business, am I reading that right?
JV: Our motto is "we are nothing if we don't give back” and we really mean it. We made a conscious decision to live or die as a company by giving back. Many people, including friends, have criticized our business sense and told us we can't do it this way. We simply decided to do it this way regardless. Some of these camps have been so personally moving that at this point it doesn't really matter to us if the business is successful; we know we have done what's right in the larger scheme of things.
LS: What has been the response to your outreach programs? and the other organization "Ocean Cure"?
JV: The response to these camps has been overwhelming. I think we all agree at Indo Jax that the result is exactly what we thought. People with limitations, be it socio-economic, physical, or mental, are uplifted when they try something out of their comfort zone and have success. In addition the ocean really does have healing properties. We have lots of people with serious limitations that are now pursuing surfing as a hobby or a way to keep their spirits positive. Often it's the parents that are pumped, because we broke down their limiting beliefs about their own children. I really think these camps change the lives of the participants and their families. Ocean Cure is the nonprofit wing of Indo Jax. These surf camps are expensive to run and so we have begun taking donations through Ocean Cure.
LS: I know my opinion of this, but do you think you all have changed lives?
JV: I know it has changed lives, those of our students and all of ours, no doubt.
LS: Any outreach event that stands out? or individual students?
JV: Charles and Lamont, two brothers from CARE. They took our first charity camp and learned to surf in no time at all. They got hooked and so we arranged to get them surfboards and now we surf with them whenever we get the chance to get them down to the beach. We have become friends and they have volunteered for some of our other outreach programs. They are a great example of the barriers broken by these surf camps and the uplifting capabilities of the ocean and learning to surf can have on a person.
LS: So, is this going to be a long term thing? Do you think you can sustain this program going forward?
JV: The charity is here to stay with or without the donations. It is who we are as a company. We bit off a lot this year, but are determined to accomplish what we set out to do. We set a goal of at least 10 charity events for this year and at the moment have 12 planned for this season. So far, all have been successful and none have failed. We can sustain the program the way it is now but we would like to make the program better. We have been asked to start long term projects with some organizations and we will definitely need financial support to get those programs off the ground.
LS: Can you give me the basics of Indojax and what you all do /provide as a company?
JV: Indo Jax is a surf and kiteboard school. We do surf camps and private surf lessons as well as private and small group kiteboard classes. Our instructors are top notch, many are certified teachers and very skilled at what they do.
A big thanks to Indo Jax for letting us peek into their world. If you want to know more about any of this, check out their website at http://indojaxsurfschool.com/ .
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Indojax outreach
Yesterday evening I cruised over to the Blockade Runner to check out a
special surfcamp outrech program put on by Indojax Surf Camp. It was very
low key and like any surf lesson you see the expected pearling, shaky pop
ups and kooky stances. This group was no different really; energetic kids,
excited but worried parents, and stoke invoking instructors... In fact a
few a few of those kids did much better tha my first surfing attempts. But
there was something different about this surf class. These kids were all
visually impaired and some had other impairments too. Indojax rocks in my
book. During this season they are doing a out a dozen outreach programs at
no cost. These guys give their time, equipment and stoke freely to these
outreach events. I am still tryoing to decide who had the biggest
smiles....the kids, their parents, the indojax guys....or me.
... Message sent via Blackberry...
Laurence C. Bergman
Information Technology Director
City of Wilmington
PO Box 1810
Wilmington, NC 28402-1810
Phone: 910-343-3909
Fax: 910-341-4624
Email: larry.bergman@wilmingtonnc.gov.
special surfcamp outrech program put on by Indojax Surf Camp. It was very
low key and like any surf lesson you see the expected pearling, shaky pop
ups and kooky stances. This group was no different really; energetic kids,
excited but worried parents, and stoke invoking instructors... In fact a
few a few of those kids did much better tha my first surfing attempts. But
there was something different about this surf class. These kids were all
visually impaired and some had other impairments too. Indojax rocks in my
book. During this season they are doing a out a dozen outreach programs at
no cost. These guys give their time, equipment and stoke freely to these
outreach events. I am still tryoing to decide who had the biggest
smiles....the kids, their parents, the indojax guys....or me.
... Message sent via Blackberry...
Laurence C. Bergman
Information Technology Director
City of Wilmington
PO Box 1810
Wilmington, NC 28402-1810
Phone: 910-343-3909
Fax: 910-341-4624
Email: larry.bergman@wilmingtonnc.gov.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Of wax and distant waves
Of Wax and Distant Waves
There is a partially used bar of wax in my car. The cooler weather has kept it from ending up as pool of muck in my drink holder although with the current state of my surf heap, it wouldn’t matter much if it did melt. I find myself sticking the tacky white chunk to my nose and breathing in deep. Hours later I will still be able to feel the wax on my fingers and smell the familiar tropical scent that can put me on a top of a board on a pretty left no matter where I happen to be at that moment.
Speaking of which, for the second time in just a few short weeks I find myself on the road and far away from good surf. A good friend said not to worry, that if the waves were good they would comfort me by saying that it was flat. Thanks, really, I mean it… unfortunately they can’t email me with this little white lie because it turns out to be chest high and clean and they are all too busy collecting memories for their “you should have been here yesterday” stories. From 250 miles inland I watched the reports and updates all day, all week, the surf was shaping up nicely and of course there I was , the closest body of water- a muddy brown lake.
The next trip away was to honor the passing of my grandfather. Interestingly, he didn’t swim. He told me about an incident that had put fear into him as a young boy. I think it was probably the only thing he was afraid of actually. When I was much younger he would join us at the beach and he would walk up and down the ocean’s edge and had an uncanny ability to spot sharks teeth. It was pointed by another good friend that ancient Germanic tribes attributed the ocean as the place our souls come from and return to, so this meshed well with my thoughts of my strong German decent Grandfather. He was good with his hands… fixing things, doing woodwork, tending gardens; Utilitarian and creative all at once. I am just now seeing similar elements in myself with a new appreciation. Maybe I can reign in some of his spirit as I shape a new board. Anyway, if you are having a particularly good day of big, shapely swell…. You are welcome, because I must be out of town.
As simple as wax is, it’s much too under appreciated. Knowing how frustrating it is to need it and not have it, I recall scraping some off my board with a shell to let a fellow surfer get that little bit of grip to get through the day. And who hasn’t tossed a little nub of wax to another in need, all in the name of good surf karma. The variations on technique for applying wax are interesting too. I just have to learn to do that sunburst spiral thing before its time to put on the summer wax. There are a ridiculous number of surf wax brands once you do a little research. There is a surf wax collection online that just boggled my mind. I was taught to use lots of wax and put it all over and I still do this. Putting new wax on a clean board is something I really enjoy, and actually stripping it off is pretty satisfying to me. I run my hand up and down the smooth deck looking for cracks and bumps and remember that this is how that board originally looked. This summer a family friend met us at the beach and brought an old beater thruster from the 80’s…it was all original...including the wax. It was so old and dirty I wondered if it was some secret pine tar recipe. Surf wax is also a convenient excuse to walk into a surf shop. I have bought wax in every shop I know of in the area as the drawer in my utility room demonstrates. Sex Wax, the old standard is still probably my preference as long as it’s the white pineapple variety, but I use others too including one with little color coded flecks so you can tell if it’s warm or cold water wax- pure genius. Drop by your favorite shop, grab some wax for your stick, and maybe an extra bar for your desk at work or school or and you will never be too far from those distant waves.
See you in the water.
Drop me a line at writteninwax@gmail.com with comments, complaints, cool surfing pics, salsa recipes or for no reason at all.
There is a partially used bar of wax in my car. The cooler weather has kept it from ending up as pool of muck in my drink holder although with the current state of my surf heap, it wouldn’t matter much if it did melt. I find myself sticking the tacky white chunk to my nose and breathing in deep. Hours later I will still be able to feel the wax on my fingers and smell the familiar tropical scent that can put me on a top of a board on a pretty left no matter where I happen to be at that moment.
Speaking of which, for the second time in just a few short weeks I find myself on the road and far away from good surf. A good friend said not to worry, that if the waves were good they would comfort me by saying that it was flat. Thanks, really, I mean it… unfortunately they can’t email me with this little white lie because it turns out to be chest high and clean and they are all too busy collecting memories for their “you should have been here yesterday” stories. From 250 miles inland I watched the reports and updates all day, all week, the surf was shaping up nicely and of course there I was , the closest body of water- a muddy brown lake.
The next trip away was to honor the passing of my grandfather. Interestingly, he didn’t swim. He told me about an incident that had put fear into him as a young boy. I think it was probably the only thing he was afraid of actually. When I was much younger he would join us at the beach and he would walk up and down the ocean’s edge and had an uncanny ability to spot sharks teeth. It was pointed by another good friend that ancient Germanic tribes attributed the ocean as the place our souls come from and return to, so this meshed well with my thoughts of my strong German decent Grandfather. He was good with his hands… fixing things, doing woodwork, tending gardens; Utilitarian and creative all at once. I am just now seeing similar elements in myself with a new appreciation. Maybe I can reign in some of his spirit as I shape a new board. Anyway, if you are having a particularly good day of big, shapely swell…. You are welcome, because I must be out of town.
As simple as wax is, it’s much too under appreciated. Knowing how frustrating it is to need it and not have it, I recall scraping some off my board with a shell to let a fellow surfer get that little bit of grip to get through the day. And who hasn’t tossed a little nub of wax to another in need, all in the name of good surf karma. The variations on technique for applying wax are interesting too. I just have to learn to do that sunburst spiral thing before its time to put on the summer wax. There are a ridiculous number of surf wax brands once you do a little research. There is a surf wax collection online that just boggled my mind. I was taught to use lots of wax and put it all over and I still do this. Putting new wax on a clean board is something I really enjoy, and actually stripping it off is pretty satisfying to me. I run my hand up and down the smooth deck looking for cracks and bumps and remember that this is how that board originally looked. This summer a family friend met us at the beach and brought an old beater thruster from the 80’s…it was all original...including the wax. It was so old and dirty I wondered if it was some secret pine tar recipe. Surf wax is also a convenient excuse to walk into a surf shop. I have bought wax in every shop I know of in the area as the drawer in my utility room demonstrates. Sex Wax, the old standard is still probably my preference as long as it’s the white pineapple variety, but I use others too including one with little color coded flecks so you can tell if it’s warm or cold water wax- pure genius. Drop by your favorite shop, grab some wax for your stick, and maybe an extra bar for your desk at work or school or and you will never be too far from those distant waves.
See you in the water.
Drop me a line at writteninwax@gmail.com with comments, complaints, cool surfing pics, salsa recipes or for no reason at all.
A few of the recent Written In Wax articles
The new Local Sessions is out, so get to your favorite surfshop in town and grab a copy. If you can't wait to check out the latest Written In Wax column I copied it, and some of the recent issues pieces too.
Surf Now, Apocalypse later. That’s what the beachside graffiti read somewhere in California. This issue arrives on the heels of recession, pandemic, and worse…a rather lame winter and spring of waves. Sure, there have been a few magic days, and with the right stick you can just about always catch a little ride but those long cold months with short days require more commitment. The solution? Summer. You don’t have to wait ‘til June 21…it begins when the wetsuits start getting shed, boards get stripped and freshly waxed (you do take that old wax off don’t you?), and you stop feeling so lonely at your favorite surf spot.
Some of the best days of the year have nothing to do with the size of waves, but rather the freedom of paddling out in just board shorts for the first time that season and feeing the still cool water with the assurance that the sun will quickly warm you. The “right coast” way of surf life is about changes and cycles, it’s about the promise of waves brought by autumn storms and winter swells and the assurance that summer will come and let us feel the ocean without neoprene prisons surrounding us. Think about this…have you ever had a surf dream where you are wearing a wetsuit?
And…some of the most memorable days may not even be about the waves you surf at all, but the waves that a little grom will catch for the first time at surf camp, or that an autistic child will find some peace in at the Surfers Healing event, or that wave that gets a competitor a heat winning score in one of the various competitions we have in the back yards all along our Local Sessions coastline.
But…yes, some of your favorite days of summer will be about waves, your waves and those of friends around you. It will be about those days were you can sit on the beach with friends or family and jump up and run in for a few waves and then easily coast in and build a sandcastle with the kids. The days are long and its once again possible to get in a dawn patrol surf before work or school, and then catch another session after dinner. If we love surfing, then this is a little of the “why” we love summer in the South.
Some will curse the tourist that push their umbrellas 4 inches into the sand only to have it blow away and spear your favorite board (yes this is fact not fiction), and others will moan about the surf zones and regulations (which you should obey and educate others about if you plan on keeping these rights), and maybe those human obstacles that are in the surf keep you from a great ride now and again. The contrast is part of what makes changes in the seasons something to look forward to; who knows, maybe in a few months you will be wishing for an empty lineup and 48 degree water.
Write your comments and questions on a twenty dollar bill and send it to Local Sessions...or just email me at writteninwax@gmail.com …see you in the water.
Not So Regular
I am not overly conscious about myself, but I am pretty sure that I don’t have a goofy haircut and my wife is good at keeping me dressed so I am not too goofy looking, or at least not when she is around. So why is it that just because some of us surf or skate with a right foot forward we are destined to be called a “goofy foot”? I can vaguely remember someone telling me I was goofy as I was learning to surf, but that it didn’t really matter. Of course they, a regular foot, had no Disneyland stigma attached to their stance. I have since learned that left handers tend to be goofy and right handers tend to be regular, but it’s not always the case. I am actually right handed and goofy footed which must make me even rarer.
Of course I am in good company and you may have heard of these before…Tom Carroll, Joel Tudor, Gerry Lopez, Rob Machado to name a few. I thought my son was going to join me in this elite status, but I am afraid he is going to stand regular like his momma. I guess everyone can’t be blessed with a right foot forward stance. In fact, of the 70 or so male surfers listed in the Fantasy Surfer statistics, only about 25 percent are Goofy footed, and only one of the 19 Women riders, 5%, is a right foot front stance. This has no real value in knowing or having shared with you, but if other sports aficionados can spit out useless trivia about how many footballs an NFL home team has to provide the referee (24), or who reached 1000 strike outs first (Babe Ruth), then you can stun them with your prowess on the footedness percentages of professional surfers. There is a fair amount of research on handedness, but finding surf related handedness and footedness research is pretty slim pickens. I am guessing that surfers would rather…well…be surfing than researching.
As the story goes, the 1937 Disney cartoon, Hawaiian Holiday (you can find it on YouTube) depicts, among other things, Goofy surfing right foot forward on a blunt tailed, finless, no rocker plank and it has stuck ever since. I suppose I have grown fond of the term. Regular sounds so…regular. A “goofy foot” t-shirt would be kind of cool, but “regular”? Yes, your parents must be so proud that you are regular. Of course plenty of regulars seem to be adamant that their stance is dominant and more prevalent for a reason. I found a great story about the late legendary surfer/shaper Dale Velzy and his great dismay as he learned that is young son was goofy foot. This is a family magazine, so I will have to leave that particular quote out…just use your imagination.
As I have progressed and become more confident of my abilities on a surfboard, the name for how I stand isn’t really that big of a concern…although, now that I think of it, maybe when that person called me goofy when I was surfing that it had nothing to do with my stance…
See you in the water.
Writteninwax@gmail.com is your direct email link to send comments, suggestions, or to enlighten me with more useless trivia.
Surf Now, Apocalypse later. That’s what the beachside graffiti read somewhere in California. This issue arrives on the heels of recession, pandemic, and worse…a rather lame winter and spring of waves. Sure, there have been a few magic days, and with the right stick you can just about always catch a little ride but those long cold months with short days require more commitment. The solution? Summer. You don’t have to wait ‘til June 21…it begins when the wetsuits start getting shed, boards get stripped and freshly waxed (you do take that old wax off don’t you?), and you stop feeling so lonely at your favorite surf spot.
Some of the best days of the year have nothing to do with the size of waves, but rather the freedom of paddling out in just board shorts for the first time that season and feeing the still cool water with the assurance that the sun will quickly warm you. The “right coast” way of surf life is about changes and cycles, it’s about the promise of waves brought by autumn storms and winter swells and the assurance that summer will come and let us feel the ocean without neoprene prisons surrounding us. Think about this…have you ever had a surf dream where you are wearing a wetsuit?
And…some of the most memorable days may not even be about the waves you surf at all, but the waves that a little grom will catch for the first time at surf camp, or that an autistic child will find some peace in at the Surfers Healing event, or that wave that gets a competitor a heat winning score in one of the various competitions we have in the back yards all along our Local Sessions coastline.
But…yes, some of your favorite days of summer will be about waves, your waves and those of friends around you. It will be about those days were you can sit on the beach with friends or family and jump up and run in for a few waves and then easily coast in and build a sandcastle with the kids. The days are long and its once again possible to get in a dawn patrol surf before work or school, and then catch another session after dinner. If we love surfing, then this is a little of the “why” we love summer in the South.
Some will curse the tourist that push their umbrellas 4 inches into the sand only to have it blow away and spear your favorite board (yes this is fact not fiction), and others will moan about the surf zones and regulations (which you should obey and educate others about if you plan on keeping these rights), and maybe those human obstacles that are in the surf keep you from a great ride now and again. The contrast is part of what makes changes in the seasons something to look forward to; who knows, maybe in a few months you will be wishing for an empty lineup and 48 degree water.
Write your comments and questions on a twenty dollar bill and send it to Local Sessions...or just email me at writteninwax@gmail.com …see you in the water.
Not So Regular
I am not overly conscious about myself, but I am pretty sure that I don’t have a goofy haircut and my wife is good at keeping me dressed so I am not too goofy looking, or at least not when she is around. So why is it that just because some of us surf or skate with a right foot forward we are destined to be called a “goofy foot”? I can vaguely remember someone telling me I was goofy as I was learning to surf, but that it didn’t really matter. Of course they, a regular foot, had no Disneyland stigma attached to their stance. I have since learned that left handers tend to be goofy and right handers tend to be regular, but it’s not always the case. I am actually right handed and goofy footed which must make me even rarer.
Of course I am in good company and you may have heard of these before…Tom Carroll, Joel Tudor, Gerry Lopez, Rob Machado to name a few. I thought my son was going to join me in this elite status, but I am afraid he is going to stand regular like his momma. I guess everyone can’t be blessed with a right foot forward stance. In fact, of the 70 or so male surfers listed in the Fantasy Surfer statistics, only about 25 percent are Goofy footed, and only one of the 19 Women riders, 5%, is a right foot front stance. This has no real value in knowing or having shared with you, but if other sports aficionados can spit out useless trivia about how many footballs an NFL home team has to provide the referee (24), or who reached 1000 strike outs first (Babe Ruth), then you can stun them with your prowess on the footedness percentages of professional surfers. There is a fair amount of research on handedness, but finding surf related handedness and footedness research is pretty slim pickens. I am guessing that surfers would rather…well…be surfing than researching.
As the story goes, the 1937 Disney cartoon, Hawaiian Holiday (you can find it on YouTube) depicts, among other things, Goofy surfing right foot forward on a blunt tailed, finless, no rocker plank and it has stuck ever since. I suppose I have grown fond of the term. Regular sounds so…regular. A “goofy foot” t-shirt would be kind of cool, but “regular”? Yes, your parents must be so proud that you are regular. Of course plenty of regulars seem to be adamant that their stance is dominant and more prevalent for a reason. I found a great story about the late legendary surfer/shaper Dale Velzy and his great dismay as he learned that is young son was goofy foot. This is a family magazine, so I will have to leave that particular quote out…just use your imagination.
As I have progressed and become more confident of my abilities on a surfboard, the name for how I stand isn’t really that big of a concern…although, now that I think of it, maybe when that person called me goofy when I was surfing that it had nothing to do with my stance…
See you in the water.
Writteninwax@gmail.com is your direct email link to send comments, suggestions, or to enlighten me with more useless trivia.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Mexican Surfari
I arrived back from Mexico early on a Sunday morning, the hot water of the shower at 3 AM felt very foreign after a week without, as I felt the dust of Mexico wash away. I could feel the soreness in my shoulders and back, and feel the various surfing inflicted rashes, pains and scrapes of a week of surfing 3 and 4 times a day. Playa La Saladita is is a warm water, looooong, left point break in the state of Guerrero in Mexico. I easily had the best rides of my life on that wave, long rides where I could relax and enjoy the surroundings and experience it all. If that wasn't enough, I had a chance to meet with and surf near my favorite author Allan Weisbecker who is camped out just yards from this magic spot. The group also spent a fair amount of time at a small local school volunteering and becoming more a part of the community, and hopefully showing the people of La Saladita and Los Llanos that the surfers coming to their world are more than ghosts passing through.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
If you have not caught the latest Local Sessions Magazine, here is the latest published "Written in Wax"
Close to the Soul
I added a sticker to the beloved “surfmobile” with the stylized silhouette of a noserider that says “Stay Close to the Soul”. I don’t really need a sticker to remind me of this, but it seemed fitting to add it there next to the Fuel TV decal and right above the Local Sessions sticker. This is a small, outward expression of what surfing is to me though it is essentially impossible to relay the feeling to someone who doesn’t surf. Certainly friends and loved ones can sense my excitement and hear my “stoke” as I talk about one of my best days on the water. It’s no wonder so many people have taken up surfing because we are the best marketing tool that any industry could hope to have…millions of devotees spread across the globe who can hardly contain themselves as a good swell comes to their favorite break, or that talks about their latest session with a sparkle in their eye. This club without a roster shows up to the beach toting foam and fiberglass works of art under tan, muscular arms and shoulders so it’s hard not to notice and aspire to this subculture. The surfing world runs on this engine that we help fuel and as much as some may complain, it’s what pushes the new generations of surfing technology. Just like the sticker on my jeep, I think deep down the surfing world wants everyone to know how amazing and perfect a ride on a wave can be, and like any good secret, it’s hard to keep.
Still, when you strip this away, when you subtract out those who will try and fail, or those that never get that addictive thrill, and that do not connect to the ocean, you are left with those who have a soul of surfing. They might compete and even get sponsored, just ride with friends, or look for the solitude of an empty dawn patrol spot, but the soul is there in any of them. A few years back when I finally figured out the “act” of surfing, the “soul” of surfing quickly washed over me like the clear, turquoise blue ocean of a summer afternoon. My favorite new quote says… “the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea” (Isak Dinesen). Though this surfing soul was born in the “ride”, I think this quote sums up why it stays strong in me. I didn’t really know I had an ailment, until surfing and the ocean healed me. For every specific ride or memorable session I have just as many memories of things like seeing a school of fish under me as I rode down the line, or seeing a dolphin up close in the wild, or feeling the curative effects of the ocean on my stuffy nose or lingering hangover. You have to work for this, and you might get hurt. However, if you are good to surfing, it will be good to you.
There are other facets of my surfing soul. While the surfing bug was biting hard, anytime I wasn’t in the water, I was reading about surfing, hanging out on WBLivesurf.com or Swaylocks.com, or in the garage giving life to old boards. I read a few of Kem Nunn’s books and then stumbled onto Allan Weisbecker. I now count Weisbecker as a friend and who has recently been very ill. He wrote among other things “In Search for Captain Zero”, the first book of his I found and read. The story isn’t all about surfing, but the soul of surfing is present throughout. It’s worth your time. A lot of the most interesting people with whom I have connected to over the past year or so are as a result of surfing or Local Sessions which of course fuels this soul and stoke. This human element of soul surfing comes to me when I meet someone in the lineup, or as I learn the name of a mystery surfer from that foggy morning session, and from the fellow surfer at the Midas shop who keeps the “heep” running. Of course I can’t forget the family that puts this great magazine together. If Chris and Patsy aren’t close to the soul, then I don’t know who is. A lot of what surfing is to me is very personal, but I have learned that staying “close to the soul” has a broad, inclusive meaning.
See you in the water.
Got a comment or idea? Let me know at Writteninwax@gmail.com
Close to the Soul
I added a sticker to the beloved “surfmobile” with the stylized silhouette of a noserider that says “Stay Close to the Soul”. I don’t really need a sticker to remind me of this, but it seemed fitting to add it there next to the Fuel TV decal and right above the Local Sessions sticker. This is a small, outward expression of what surfing is to me though it is essentially impossible to relay the feeling to someone who doesn’t surf. Certainly friends and loved ones can sense my excitement and hear my “stoke” as I talk about one of my best days on the water. It’s no wonder so many people have taken up surfing because we are the best marketing tool that any industry could hope to have…millions of devotees spread across the globe who can hardly contain themselves as a good swell comes to their favorite break, or that talks about their latest session with a sparkle in their eye. This club without a roster shows up to the beach toting foam and fiberglass works of art under tan, muscular arms and shoulders so it’s hard not to notice and aspire to this subculture. The surfing world runs on this engine that we help fuel and as much as some may complain, it’s what pushes the new generations of surfing technology. Just like the sticker on my jeep, I think deep down the surfing world wants everyone to know how amazing and perfect a ride on a wave can be, and like any good secret, it’s hard to keep.
Still, when you strip this away, when you subtract out those who will try and fail, or those that never get that addictive thrill, and that do not connect to the ocean, you are left with those who have a soul of surfing. They might compete and even get sponsored, just ride with friends, or look for the solitude of an empty dawn patrol spot, but the soul is there in any of them. A few years back when I finally figured out the “act” of surfing, the “soul” of surfing quickly washed over me like the clear, turquoise blue ocean of a summer afternoon. My favorite new quote says… “the cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea” (Isak Dinesen). Though this surfing soul was born in the “ride”, I think this quote sums up why it stays strong in me. I didn’t really know I had an ailment, until surfing and the ocean healed me. For every specific ride or memorable session I have just as many memories of things like seeing a school of fish under me as I rode down the line, or seeing a dolphin up close in the wild, or feeling the curative effects of the ocean on my stuffy nose or lingering hangover. You have to work for this, and you might get hurt. However, if you are good to surfing, it will be good to you.
There are other facets of my surfing soul. While the surfing bug was biting hard, anytime I wasn’t in the water, I was reading about surfing, hanging out on WBLivesurf.com or Swaylocks.com, or in the garage giving life to old boards. I read a few of Kem Nunn’s books and then stumbled onto Allan Weisbecker. I now count Weisbecker as a friend and who has recently been very ill. He wrote among other things “In Search for Captain Zero”, the first book of his I found and read. The story isn’t all about surfing, but the soul of surfing is present throughout. It’s worth your time. A lot of the most interesting people with whom I have connected to over the past year or so are as a result of surfing or Local Sessions which of course fuels this soul and stoke. This human element of soul surfing comes to me when I meet someone in the lineup, or as I learn the name of a mystery surfer from that foggy morning session, and from the fellow surfer at the Midas shop who keeps the “heep” running. Of course I can’t forget the family that puts this great magazine together. If Chris and Patsy aren’t close to the soul, then I don’t know who is. A lot of what surfing is to me is very personal, but I have learned that staying “close to the soul” has a broad, inclusive meaning.
See you in the water.
Got a comment or idea? Let me know at Writteninwax@gmail.com
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