|
 |
EAST COAST SURFER MOVEMENT MAGAZINE
Brennen, Florida Florida has been hit by an outstanding four hurricanes in just a few short months.(Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne) Each storm packed massive destructive power that destroyed coastal shorelines, beaches, stores as well as peoples homes and lives. The damage created by these storms is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions. Although there has been a lot of destruction in Florida, a few good things did come from these storms. SURF,SURF, and more SURF!!! These hurricanes brought waves to the shores of Florida that have not been seen in a long time. Wave size ranged from 2 feet to over 25 feet in height. These waves attracted surfers from all over to come and enjoy the fun. Surfers I met came from Cali, North Carolina, R.I., Jersey and N.Y. The best part about this time was that you could be almost anywhere in Florida and expect decent waves to come your way. I spent most of my time in Fort Pierce on the East Coast and Siesta Key on the West Coast. When the surf was good I rode my 8'6" Al Merrick and some days I broke out my 10 foot slug to ride the aftermath of a killer swell. Most of the waves I caught were from waist to chest high. ( I will leave anything over ten feet to the pros. ) The currents were strong and pulled you all over the place, (almost got pulled out to sea ounce but caught a killer wave and made it to shore) and the storm surge in some places was so high that the cops would make you turn around 2 miles away from the beach. But if you put your time in and searched around you could find an entrance that was not guarded. To make a long story short the past two months have brought some excellent waves my way and a few rides and highs that Iwill never forget. Hope to see ya in the water!!!!!! Meredith, Narragansett,RI I"m proud to be an East Coast surfer. I Learned to surf when I was 10 in Soundbridge VA. The person who taught me how to surf was Brendan Petticrew, who was a excellent surfer and almost went pro. A few years later my family and I moved to Rhode Island. Where I bought my first board a 9' 2'' Rusty for $120.00. I met a few friends and started traveling for surf. We would go to NJ and Delware, but Jersey cats are the most moronic territorial pieces of S**t. F Jersey, the waves are good but the people suck and it smells! On the other hand Deleware is a pretty killer place. Anyway I turned 16 and could drive myself to the waves. So I started taking surf trips down to the Carolina's, VA, Deleware and FL. I would just follow the storms. To me, surfing is not a hobby. It's not a trend. It's not anything less than a surf experience. In RI, I love to surf Deep Hole. I do not wear Roxy, have a roof rack or hang out with locals at the town beach. I surf because I love it. Every time I go out it's always a new adventure. There's always a new trick to learn, spot to surf or storm to catch. Right now it's hurricane season and things are starting with a bang. It's funny so damn funny, 3 ft waves, a flat ocean to the horizon and there's 30 people in the water. They walk around trying to be cool (perves). Then when there really are waves there's 5 people in the water.HA! Let me tell what really pisses me off. I was watching tv and there was a show listing the new cool posh things in pop culture. Surfing is now one of those things. F#*k me I am livid. 1st they took rock and roll then punk and skating. Know it's surfing. Oh F%$k no! That's god damn f%ckin-dic-ulus. Ain't nothing left. Hey people maybe it will be cool to do more important things like voting! Forget about it. So anyway on that show thier emphasis was on the right trucker hat, shades and cutest bikini to wear. Gimme a break. I wear a rash guard and baggies in the water. Sorry, I have large TATAS that are not going to stay in a tiny bikini. all the posers need to get out of the water, give mommy and daddy their $1500.00 new board back, hats,cloths, shoes, and get back into the F%ckin audi and retreat back to NJ, NY or where ever you came from. We will see who stays come November. LATER!!!!!!!!! Chris C, Southwest Florida July in SWFLA. Hot, Humid and the surf is usually flat. Starting July 21st, a small tropical storm hit the gulf and the climate changed. Clouds moved in, the sun went away, and the surf rose! I started my 3 days of surfing in Naples. If you don't know where Naples is, it's a ritzy town a few hours south of Tampa. Every once in a while when the wind is right the Naples Pier gets waves and all the local surf yuppies break and tear it loose. The conditions their were not great. The waves were knee high and sloppy. After a few hours of surfing slop I called it a day and decided I would try another break the next day. I took a hint from a friend and travelled over to Sanibel. Sanibel is a small island off the coast of Fort Myers. It takes some time to travel to but it's usually worth the hassel. But once again when I arrived the conditions were not great. The waves were knee to waist high. I caught a few good rides but the current was strong and the waves were choppy and I tired fast (I'm not in the best shapes!) On the 23rd I set sail for Siesta Key. Siesta Key is a beach break just south of Sarasota. A friend told me the night before that the waves were over head. When I arrived at the Key about mid day there was no chp. Like the other places I surfed for the past 2 days, the waves were waist to chest and peeling as good as they could for a beach break. I surfed all day. Catching wave after wave. When the swells finally went down, I met a few new friends (hi tom and pete) and hung out and talked about teh 3 days of surf we just had. We really appreciated it. (It's not that often when SWFLA gets waves) and we can't wait for the next swell!!! Johnny P, Rhode Island Surfing in Rhode Island is sweet. The beaches are nice and the ocean is beautiful, for three months. Then, as any true local knows, you better get your suit on and muster up the cahones to dive head first into brain freezing water. Swells don't arrive on our shores enough, so no matter what the conditions you have to get on those waves. Air temps in the low twenties, water temps in the mid to upper thirties, brush your shoulder off son it's time to get some ice dodging done. Once you get out it's not that bad. When the wind blows hard offshore in the dead of winter, as a wave curls over and breaks, ice pellets shoot off the back like tiny blinding be-bes. You don't always have to dodge ice chunks, but I can't say I haven't. And only the true brave expand their repertoire of tricks during the winter. Falling off your board just isn't in the game plan. The company you find out there all have one simple bond, the stoke. The true love for what they are doing. The stoke is amazing, it can fuel you past any troubles Surfing in Rhode Island is no light in the loafers endless summer expedition. Wingnut and his crew don't make it up here, and we don't want those kooks. The "ya bros" and "sweet dudes" can stay home as well, we see enough of you in the bar making us look bad with the cheesy pick up lines and crappie made up stories of some surf expedition to rincon. This is the land of the scraper, filled with grit and fueled with stoke. Swells coming in boyes, get it done. Chris C, Southwest Florida I awake early thursday morning and check out the web cams. After what seemed to be weeks of almost no swell at all. The gods of surf and sun shined upon the southern tip of Florida. A low pressure system was coming in, off of the Gulf, raising waves to about 2-3 feet. Not the best in the world but a hell of alot of fun. For the next three hours I surfed my ass off. Absolutely enjoying the perfect weather and surf. I cross step, hang-five and even pearl a few times throughout the day. As I start to change into my work clothes I stop to thank the gods of surf and sun and to mother nature for shining upon us this very beautiful day in april. Ed C, Rhode Island Thumbs up to all you east coast surfers. Just had a decent session at Narragansett beach R.I. lots of knee to waist high waves. The waves were alot of fun on a long board. They were actually giving a nice right to left break which is unusual for gansset. Seems like 99% of the time it's all chop at that beach. On the other hand I had a fantastic session at 2nd beach in Newport a couple weeks ago. Fantastic waist to chest high peelers. I must have caught 20 great rices in 45 minutes. That was the most fun I'd had in months. I don't know about the rest of you New England surfers but it was a long cold winter without much wave activity. Well catch you all on the waves. P.S. Just a comment only a surfer would make "BRING ON THE HURRICANES!!!!!!"
|
Submit artwork too!
|
 |
