May
1st, 2005
I'm
choosing the color Gray (as a background color) this Sunday because
it's been overcast for so long. Rainy and gray for so long I almost forget
what the sun feels like. Oh I'm not complaining, no sir, not even close. Well,
maybe a little. I do know that the misty rain is perfect conditions for the
demon Mosquito, who is undoubtedly breeding as I write this. By the millions.
No the Ga-Zillions! Waiting in the marshes and in the standing pools of water
near our homes and beaches. Waiting to attack us all. Indiscriminating to
both humans and pets. And there's nothing we can do about it, except fight
them with chemical agents. There's a future millionaire out there and that
person is the one who comes up with the ultimate Mosquito killing product
that will not harm people, pets, or our environment. So all you brainacs get
working on it. I'd like to see it happen sometime in my lifetime.
So my friends...how sweet was Thursday? Are you kidding me? Was that
not the surprise swell of the week? Whoa. The day started off with a small
ground swell showing, but nothing to really get excited about. The wind was
sort of weird, as was the swell direction. Then things started changing by
midmorning. The sets started growing. The wind switched. You could feel it.
The buzz was out and about. From here in New Hammy and Maine, to Massachusetts
and Vermont. By early afternoon it was GOING OFF! The
usual gathering places were full of familiar faces. Everyone was in a good
mood. Or so it seemed.
Isn't it funny how good waves makes everyone happy and friendly. Or at least,
when you're standing next to your vehicles waiting to go out. Things can change
dramatically once you paddle out. I know how I feel and act in the parking
lot when the surf is going off. All smiles and good natured ribbing with my
friends. I also know how things can go south once I'm out in the line-up.
It's usually because someone is speaking at very high decibels about getting
ripped off on a set wave. Kind of takes the wind out of your sails.
The key
to keeping the session fun is to quickly move on and try and make light of
the situation. If it's a novice surfer who has made the infraction, I'll try
to paddle over and point out the error and explain how to avoid it next time.
If it's someone who knows better, well, that person has to fix things on their
own. Saying the magic words "I'm sorry" is a start. The thing about
surfing related hassles on a day when the surf is good is, you better get
things in order quickly, because the ocean doesn't give a rats ass who was
right or wrong. She's gonna keep sending waves at you, whether you're ready
or not. So it's best for everyone out there, if you get the issue resolved
in a timely matter.
Just remember this. We all surf better when we're smiling.
May
Day May Day! I took a break from writing this column to go and get a quick
surf in. It was 4:00PM and Max wanted to surf the Wall with
his friends. The surf looked fun. Waist to chest high and clean as a whistle.
Was it crowded? Well let me tell you folks, it was OPENING DAY at 10th
Street! There were longboarders, shortboarders, boogieborders, old dudes,
young dudes, ladies and girls. And all with varying degrees of talent. There
were lots of fender benders and near misses. In short, it's the start of the
season. Ahhh it was good to be back in the mayhem.
If you
got good surf pics send em off to me directly.
Just make sure they're NOT huge files. In fact if you have any questions about
the size, email me first and I'll write back. Start shooting crackie!!
Ralph Pic Of The Week
Yesterday
1983. Paul Hamblet Setting
Up for the Spring Launch
As long as I can remember, Paul Hamblet had one of the best surfing styles
of anyone I've ever seen surf. I don't just mean locally, I'm talking globally.
Paul could get his tall lanky frame into some of the tightest holes as good
as anyone around. He could hit the lip and carve a turn with the best of them.
Paul was one of those surfers who always made the waves look better than what
they were. You know what I mean? That's a testament of any good surfer. Paul
still surfs today. He can still get barelled and he can still carve a turn.
He knows the game well enough to to get his share of waves. He is a New Hampshire
Pioneer and he deserves our respect whenever he's in the water.
Photo
courtesy of Ralph Fatello
Yesterday
1985. Steve " Mags"
Magliano in between turns at the Wall
Mags is one of those surfers who has surfed here in NH as long as anyone I
know but has never lived here. I'd call him a local.
He may not live here but he's surfed every spot for many years. He's moving
to Australia with his surfing wife Julia and little girl Tess.
We wish him and his family the best of luck. Lord knows he'll be getting his
share of waves. Good on you mate! Remember Stevie there's always room in the
line-up for you when you come back to visit.
Photo
by Ralph Fatello
Last night the Celtics tied up the series. That's exciting for B'ball
fans. The Sox fans have to deal with Aces Wells and Schilling
being out for some time. Oh Derek Lowe and Pedro Martinez where
art thou? Local New England Boxer John Ruiz is hurting this morning
from the realization that his Heavy Weight Championship belt being
wrapped around someone else's waist this morning.
And... are you ready for this? Doug Flutie is a New England Patriot
again...whoa! What a strange and wacky sports world it is.
The kids were off school last week in New Hampshire. But the line-ups
were surprisingly tolerable. I'm guessing most of the kids headed out of town
for vacation. The Hartnetts went to Costa Rica and had a blast!
I know Jesse Gould headed out west with his dad Jay and they
scored some great waves at Trestles. Except they had to share them
with a few hundred others. Others like the Grondin kids headed to North
Carloina where they got some fun waves. My kid got to surf all week long.
He complained about surfing alone a few of the days...can you believe that?
I was saying to a fellow surfer the other day as we were dodging these Big
Bombs..."The surf is going to go away right at the time when we really
need it the most...Summer". I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the
Hurricane Season matches the winter we just had. Wouldn't that be something?
All that Big Wave Winter training would really pay off as we shed more rubber
and become more limber. The last time we had a solid year of good to excellent
surf was...? You know, I don't remember. Anyone out there recall? From January
1st to January 1st. A full year of good surf? I know the last REAL
good summer was 1995. Now that was a summer to rival all summers.
This has nothing to do with anything involving surfing. But, how about those
3 Massachusetts guys who claimed they dug up some money while working
a job? They went on TV and told their good luck story. Turns out they stole
the money from a job they were working in Newbury Mass. What the hell
were they thinking?
And how about the woman who fled the scene of a 600 guest wedding? Are you
kidding me? 14 bridesmaids and 14 groomsmen...sobbing parents...100's of volunteers
and thousands of dollars spent...and the worse thing...the poor Fiancé
was getting the finger of blame pointed at him. All because you had a change
of heart? Now that ain't right people.
Don't forget the Memorial Paddle for Ray Hackett. On Sunday May
15, 2005 at 5:00PM at Rye Rocks. Ray was one of us.
Let us honor him in a fitting Surfer's Send Off.
Click on this link for more info.
Ray Hackett Memorial Surfer's Paddle
Please Pass the word on the Ray Hackett Memorial Paddle.
As
always my friends...Pray for Surf. Pray for Peace. Surf For Fun.
Ralph
Today
2005. Last Thursday...the John Carden Collection.
Johnny's been shooting quite a bit lately. Here's some photos from last Thursday
April 28, 2005. I know that's Billy Ritchie on the red board. Don't know who
the regular foot doing the bottom turn is.
Do
you?
Photos
by John Carden
Today
2005. Last Thursday, Jacko or MarkyJ? I don't really know...do you?
Don't know which friend this is. I shot this while standing on the beach chatting
with some other friends. Please help me identify this poor unknown surfer,
so I can give props where props are due. Thank you.
Photo
by Ralph Fatello
Today
2005. Same day, Last Thursday...Don't really know what to make of this photo.
What
in the name of God is going on here? Is this some weird ass shizzle or what?
Check out the ghost image near the upper right of the loose board. What is
that? Looks like a missile.
Photo by
Brennan Natoli
*READ
THIS INSANE TRUE STORY!
Last Thursday. Different Coast. Jeff Chamberlain's BIG West Coast Adventure.
Running
back yesterday from Government’s, a glorious day, sun is out, the wind
is creating a little chop that is chattering along on the underside of the
hull, and Steve, Tom, and I are nicely surfed out, our faces tightly snug
from the sun and wind exposure. Heading back to the pier, on plane at something
like 23 knots, just blasting home outside the surf zone, typically taking
the ‘inside passage’ back to the pier. There had been tons of sea
life, dolphins chasing bait fish, seals doing the same, and we saw over 50
whales, most as close as 20 yards as they circled the anchored boat, rising
and falling all around us all day as they played in the cove. Truly a magnificent
sight, and a bit unusual, even for up there where mega sea life sightings
are common.
All of a sudden, in a millisecond, a whale surfaces 10’ in front of the boat, heading out to sea and crossing our path at a perfect right angle! Tom and Steve scream, ‘Look Out!!’, the whale does it’s hump up and down surfacing thing, and I’m faced with a 4’ high wall of whale back, directly in front of me not even ten feet away, and I’m doing 23 knots. It was so freaky, and there was almost nothing that I could do in that short amount of reaction space.
The next 2.987 seconds is a blur. I instantly throw the boat into neutral to stop the propeller, the boat quickly comes off plane and begins to rapidly slow down, and we all scream ‘Arrgghhhh!!!!!!!!!!’, hunch over and instinctively brace for impact, and slam into the whale at maybe 10 knots.
The front of the boat lifts skyward as we ramp up the whale’s back, and the bow of the boat comes out of the water. As we slid up over the top of the whale, the middle of the boat now is out of the water, and we continue to slide over, slowing down the entire time, and now feel the forward edge of the outboard bump into the tail as we slide down and off the whale’s body. I had expected the whale to flip it’s tail like they do, and I fully expected the boat to be thrown up and over, maybe even upside down, but that didn’t happen. Ten days ago, I had bumped into a sunken log up in the Delta, and in the process bent my kelp cutter. I had just removed it, so at least when I hit the whale’s tail it was with the blunt front of my motor, not with the kelp cutter.
In less than three seconds, the boat came back down into the water, and we just stood there, breathing heavy and looking at each other with pancake eyes that said, ‘What the hell just happened there?!’.
We saw the whale continue it’s lazy swim out to sea, seemingly unaffected by our boat ramping up and over it’s back. I don’t think that we could have hurt it, but the whole experience almost caused three heart attacks.
We ended up back at the pier, inspected the boat for damage while it was slung off the hoist, and found none.
I still cannot believe that it happened.
Regards,
Jeff
