NeoNpalooza (post hangover-long)
craig
2/17 LaGuardia Travel Hell
------------------
I was in Manhattan on another E-exchange project. Two days
before I spent the night at a New York City flophouse near Penn
Station, listening to a couple yell and scream. I had been
kicked out of my hotel (lack of room availability) and each
time the toilet in the next room flushed, the pipes would
rattle. This was quite a step down from the New York Hilton and
Towers, where I'd stayed the previous night. No sleep, period.
.........No matter, I'd be surfing soon!................
The next morning I walked by the New York Stock Exchange,
bodyboard strapped to my back, and ready to cab to LaGuardia.
$35 later, at LaGuardia, I noticed my flight was "delayed".
Then it was cancelled. Six hours later I was boarding my flight
for Chicago. I arrived at three AM, very very tired. I posted
to alt.surfing that things weren't looking good for my
trip....to California.
2/18 Dorothy, This Sure Looks like Kansas............
-------------------
Now in Chicago, I was to leave for San Diego and meet up with
Dave from Milwaukee. I packed up my longboard and drove for
O'Hare. Dark clouds and big hail fell all over Chicago.
Tornadoes killed a person not far from where I live. Hundreds
of flights were cancelled and thousands of people were
stranded......including Dave and I. So there we were, with my
big longboard strapped to the roof of the jeep in parking lot
B, pea-green, low hanging tornadoe-spawning clouds circled
American Airlines Terminal 3. Indeed, we were stuck.
We waited in line for hours. Because of my membership in the
frequent fliers club, we got to wait in the first class line,
but even that took several hours. Our next opportunity would be
to fly tomorrow evening...and that would be to LAX. I have
enough frequent flier miles to go to the moon, but that sure
didn't help get us an earlier flight......but,
...........No matter, I'd be surfing soon!....................
2/19 Lake Michigan Session, NOT! Manhattan Beach, YES!
-------------------
We finally got off the ground at about 4:00PM. Landing at LAX
after a grueling 2 1/2 day cross-country trip, very jet-lagged,
Dave and I were pleased to see that the California sun hadn't
yet set into the fog and smog. Manhattan Beach is only about a
mile from LAX, and while not the best South Bay surf
destination, we needed surf....... NOW! We probably looked
desparate, but I swear we threw on our wetsuits, grabbed our
boards and literally RAN to the water! I wasn't sure I'd
even locked up the car. No time to unpack my longboard, I just
grabbed my bodyboard.....
We were rewarded with somewhat mushy, but shoulder high sets at
Manhattan Beach. Incredibly, I took a very nice outside wave
down the face, just as the sun dipped behind Point Dume. As I
rode the wave in, I looked down the beach to El Segundo and
towards Marina del Rey. It struck me at that very moment that I
regret ever moving away from California.
We headed down the 405 to our hotel in Encinitas.
2/20 NeoN-Palooza and Opportunity Lost
------------------
We got up hoping for a little California sunshine, but got some
June California grey, instead. Remembering that NeoN had said
to get some food at Ralph's on El Camino, we drove up to San
Clemente and packed up the truck with NY sirloins for 15. I
bought 90 beers, corn on the cob....on faith! Just think of it,
we were meeting up with all of these folks from
alt.surfing......We'd exchanged a few e-mails and we weren't
even sure we'd find the right break! It was a little nuts, I'd
come 3200 miles for this, but I've done crazier things.
But we found "Z-BeachBus", and I knew we were in the right
place. I met Sndbchguy, John, and NeoN. Later I met Tim
Maddux, Steve Lange, Tom Keener, Crag, Mike, and Big Kook
Tugboat_Annie, Sausagenoose, and more alt.surfers than I even
remember, so much good vibe, good food, and....my cheap beer.
Happy Birthday, NeoN!
In the meantime, the head high south swell continued and we had
been chosen to join in at THE classic Longboarding spot of the
world, "Old Manz" at San Onofre. The first time I paddled out,
I stayed out only a short time, just trying to get a feel for
the insides. About thirty cheap beers later, I paddled out
again...but at that point I just got pounded, washed off my
board....not only could I not surf, I couldn't even walk. But
try losing 1/3 of your own body weight, having little sleep for
three days and then drinking cheap beer on an empty
stomach.....but no excuse, period. I passed out, head first, in
the sand.
Herein is the great disappointment for me. I could just as well
have sat at the local Old Style Tavern on Kedzie Avenue in
Chicago and gotten a big headache for a lot less money, but
instead I squandered an opportunity to surf ALL DAY at the
world's premier longboarding spot.....with a lot of online
friends.
And thanks for finding the jeep keys, NeoN and Sndbchguy! I hope
we actually surf together soon!
2/21 Tamarack, Warm Waters and Surf Opportunity Recovered!
--------------------------------
About 4 AM the people in the next room dropped bottles from
their second floor open window to the trash can below. The cheap
beer had taken its toll......massive headache, sweat.....These
were our waning hours in California, so at six AM we packed it
up and drove north for some dawn patrol. We headed north toward
Tamaracks and then a little south to Warm Waters at the power
plant. The south swell was still pumping! That place is
strange, as you paddle, every once in a while you catch some
of the warm water on your feet and hands.
Any loss of confidence in my surfing capability was recovered
during my session. Funny, but a few big waves can really cure a
cheap beer hangover! The south swell seemed to by dying as the
tide got higher at that spot. I also noticed that we washed
quicky into the outwash from the power plant. I caught a nice
wave at that point, probably close to chest high, and I rode it
all the way in....and stepped off of my board right onto the
beach! It was my favorite wave of the trip! (I felt like telling
the chauffeur to close the car door!!!) After that I got a bad
pounding, my board flew into the air some six feet I'm told,
I managed not to get hit. But the wave was a little too big to
longboard, I think.
I called Ludes on my wireless phone. We met up for lunch at a
beautiful little place called the Beachside Cafe' near "Pipes",
another place I've surfed in my previous life. It was good to
see him again. We had met up for the New Jersey palooza on
Christmas Eve with m@rk and "Team Guido". It was fun to see him
in a very different venue!
Now back to Chicago, memories (mostly) intact, and new friends
met. Thanks, everyone, I think Dave and I will never forget the
trip.
I'll likely be back in about three weeks! :}}}}}
(I want to move back to SoCal, btw)
craig
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B_K
> NeoN-Palooza: Surfing Opportunity Lost, then Found!
>
> just as the sun dipped behind Point Dume. As I
> rode the wave in, I looked down the beach to El Segundo and
> towards Marina del Rey. It struck me at that very moment that I
> regret ever moving away from California.
Was your sniffer working? I surfed that place for years.
Well having just come from back east ...
> About thirty cheap beers later,
>
You told me that was 'good' beer.
> I could just as well
> have sat at the local Old Style Tavern on Kedzie Avenue in
> Chicago and gotten a big headache for a lot less money.
Would that tavern be located about 3400 S.?
Some people shouldn't drink :0(
Some should drink more :o)