In to the alley you walk, your heart pounding and your head pounding as you know once you have decided to take the walk with the board you are going to go. Now, in most places in the world this does not happen, however, on the Northshore when there is a High Surf Advisory in place you start to realise your position in the food chain.
After a long five year absence from my favourite place in the world I came back and quickly discovered that all those seasons I have been out here helped me mentally but not physically. My first welcome to hawaii occured at Rocky Rights with a hold up in the lip which led to my board parting company from my feet, which in turn led to a free fall and an over the falls experience. Nice ! It happend so quick, I thought that I had made it, called people off the wave and went. Oh dear, how big was it well I would have called it 8 ft, the local boyz were calling it 3 - 4 ft.
Five years is too long to stay away from real surfing, the adrenaline rush that you get from this place is amazing. On New years day 2007, I counted 20 people out at Pipe and one person at Rocky point lefts! Who said the North Shore is crowded. Thus far I have surfed with less people in the line up than I would do out at Crab Island which in the scheme of things would not register as a wave here on the North Shore.
The surf has been as big as 30 foot faces (15ft Hawaiian), I went out the bay on a 10'6 Brewer. It was not a good experience as there were 30-40 guys out there, no wonder Eddie would tow.
Anyway. going out sunset now, I hate wiping out at sunset, so I hope it goes well. Will blog more in the next week or so, or when I am home and am dreaming of surf again. Oh yes, would like to thank Rich and Sharlyn Foo at Northshore Backpackers for looking after my boards the last five years, I was especially happy to get my 7'6 Crab Island deep six channel bottom surfboard shaped by Pete Phillips special back. The Brewer would have cost me approx $600-800 to replace so it really helped me out as the North Shore has now doubled in price and that is another story.
For more info on the North shore surfing scene checkout the following links below. (I will add more stories, pictures and links over next few weeks.)
