The great experiment report

 

Timeless scene from Huntington Cliffs.

 

 

Your webmaster looking eccentric as always.

 

 

Your webmaster bobbing in the water off the coast of California.

Hello Friends, 

The first picture in this report is proof that I have accomplished my ridiculous plan to surf on both sides of the Pacific ocean on the same day. Here I am seen bobbing in the tiny, tiny swell at Huntington Cliffs. The forecast had looked pretty bad – less than two feet – so when it turned out that there were in fact a few little things into the waist high range, I was stoked. The water was cold, but not really bad. I’d guess it was around 14-15. And the skies were sunny with air temps in the mid twenties. Actually a really nice day in southern California. In fact, you could just make out the snow capped San Gabriel mountains. 

I was able to catch a few little NE windswell waves at south Narra on the morning of the 30th just an hour or two before heading out to catch the plane to California. 

The surf situation here in Southern California doesn’t look like improving until around Saturday. Rather similar to what seems to be on the cards for Sydney in fact.

It’s dinner time now, so I’ll wave you good-bye for the moment and leave you with an impressionistic sorta little postcard from Huntington… more again soon…

DVD Release Today:: Hellboy II: The Golden Army

Advertorial

Video Ezy are running a promotion over summer where they’re giving away a PS3 and Blu-ray pack a day for a whole month.  It runs from 26 Dec 08 through to 26 Jan 09.  Just head into store and ask about their summer nights promo and how to enter.  And while you’re there they’ve got some pretty cool releases to rent over summer like The Mummy 3 and Hellboy 2.

After an ancient truce existing between humankind and the invisible realm is broken, hell on Earth is ready to erupt. A ruthless leader who treads the world above and the one below defies his bloodline and awakens an unstoppable army of creatures. Now, it’s up to the planet’s toughest, roughest superhero to battle the merciless dictator and his marauders. He may be red. He may be horned. He may be misunderstood. But when you need the job done right, it’s time to call in Hellboy (Ron Perlman).

Along with his team in the Bureau for Paranormal Research and Development – the BPRD will travel between the surface strata and the unseen magical one, where creatures of fantasy become all-too real. And Hellboy, a creature of two worlds who’s accepted by neither, must choose between the life he knows and an unknown destiny that beckons him. Directed by Guillermo Del Toro, the visionary director of Pan’s Labyrinth, Hellboy 2 has a signature blend of action and humour as the saga of the world’s toughest, kitten-loving hero from Hell continues to unfold.

Dee Why– tiny and getting smaller

Well, there are people on surfboards in the water but now that the westerly winds have started to kick in, the only option soon will be wakeboarding or swimming. Hot, dry and very “bushfire-ready” from the feel of things at the beach.  Looks like it’ll be a perfect night for fireworks…

Bring on ’09 ’cause the weather is fine.

If you think you’re having your last surf of the year today you’re wrong. You’ve already had it. No swell to report whatsoever. But a magnificent day at the beach awaits you. Happy New Year to you all and don’t spend too much money ’cause you’ll need it next year.

Narrabeen Rpt

Still pretty tiny

JULIAN WILSON WINS OCEAN & EARTH INTERNATIONAL TEENAGE RAMPAGE AT CURL CURL

Julian Wilson (Coolum, NSW). Photo: Kirstin Scholtz /ASP Australasia

CURL CURL -– Former ISA World Junior Champion Julian Wilson (Coolum) made an impressive comeback from injury to win the premier U20 boys division of the Ocean and Earth International Teenage Rampage at Sydney’s Curl Curl Beach today.

Wilson, who has not surfed a contest in four months due to a plaguing ankle injury, rose to the top of the 50-strong field that included nearly 20 top international competitors, to win Aus $2500 when he defeated ASP Australasia Pro Junior rated No. 2 surfer Heathe Joske (Nambucca Heads) in the final.

“This feels so good to come back with a win after so much time out of competition,” Wilson said. “Heathe (Joske) is a great surfer and I knew he’d be tough to beat here today.”

Wilson scored a near perfect 9.00 (out of ten) followed by a 7.5 in the first five minutes of the heat leaving Joske to play catch-up for the remainder of the final.

“I’d been watching the conditions all day and with the tide going out I chose to sit on a different bank where I saw a few rights coming through,” Wilson explained. ” It was a good call and my win today is just the confidence boost I needed going into next week’s World Juniors.”

Wilson will be competing in the trials of the ASP World Juniors at North Narrabeen next week after which he will focus his attention on making his new surf film in 2009.

Joske finished with a runner-up placing earning AUS$1500 while Magno Pacheco (Bra) finished in third with Matt Wilkinson (Copocabana) took home fourth.

In the Boys U16 division it was the very stylish Matt Banting (Port Macquarie) who took top honors winning a hotly contested final over Jack Freestone (Coolangatta), Ryan Callinan (Merewether) and Max Ayshford (Maroubra).

Matt Banting takes the U16s. Photo: Kirstin Scholtz/ ASP Australasia

Banting, who’s refined contest savvy saw him sit patiently out the back waiting for only the best looking waves with the most scoring potential, sealed his victory with two impressive scores. 

“I couldn’t have asked for a better way to end the year,” Banting said. “Jack (Freestone) and Ryan (Callinan) are always tough competition, I’ve competed against them all year and there were some heated exchanges between them in that heat. I’m just stoked it went my way today.”

Freestone and Callinan went toe for toe for second place but it was the more critical surfing from Freestone that saw the Queenslander eclipse Callinan to finish in second.

Phillipa Anderson (Merewether) emerged as a firm standout in both the U20 and U16 Girls divisions where she took two consecutive first place finishes.

Phillipa Anderson. Photo: Kirstin Scholtz/ ASP Australasia

Anderson held off a strong charge from Japanese surfer Nao Oura in the U16′s and despite an early lead from Oura it was the two radical rides from Anderson in the last few minutes that saw her seal her victory with Oura placing second, Brodie Doyle (Coolangatta) third and Skye Burgess fourth. 

The U13 boys division saw some sensational surfing from overall winner Eli Steele (Moffat beach) who surfed well beyond his years to defeat O’Neil Massin (Tahiti), Matt King (Ulladulla) and Chris Robertson (Cronulla). 

The U13 Girls division was won by Kirsten Ogden (Crescent Heads) who topped Stephanie Single (Lennox Head), Sophie Bernard (Manly) and Cali McDonagh (Curl Curl).

hot hot hot

What a scorcher of a day,33 and that’s in the shade.After yesterdays fun 2 foot waves, wave height today around caloundra is a sad 1footish with the occasional bigger one.Plenty of people in the water though enjoying themselves regardless.

11am Dee Why Update. Nothing’s changed…Flat

Not much worth commenting on since Don’s post earlier–sub 1-foot wave breaking about 50m from shore and that’s about all there is.

Samoan Surf Report for week 52 of 2008 from Sa’Moana Resort

WEEKLY   REPORTS  for    2008

Report No:       52-08

Period:               Monday 22^nd to Sunday 28^th December 2008

Monday.  High tide 3:45pm.  Arvo trip to the North side, but unfortunately Missions but just not quite doing it. The crew surfed average River Mouth, which just got better as the day went on. It started out bumpy but conditions improved and turned sheet glass making for a memorable session. Goes to show you just never give up hope.

Tuesday.  High tide 4:24pm.  A quick surf at Resorts at dawn which was nice and peaky in clean conditions. Back to the River Mouth after lunch for some nice A-frames with the rights being the better option, running for longer allowing for 3 or 4 turns min. Clean condition with sets head and a half high and only a handful of surfers in the water.

Wednesday.  High tide 5:00am and 5:01pm.  Same plan as yesterday with the early out front and then back to the River Mouth after lunch. It was pretty good once again however there were periods of heavy rain and variable winds. There was also a pulse of south swell in the arvo and some great waves back at Resorts in clean offshore conditions.

Thursday.  High tide 5:36am and 5:38pm.  A very cruisie Christmas Day with the guests opting to hang at the resort, be festive, and just surf out @ Resorts. The arvo was the pick with the swell around head high and clean conditions. Santa even made an appearance arriving by jet ski.

Friday.  High Tide 6:11am and 6:14pm.  Again an early trip to the River Mouth which had great head high waves for the first hour an a half. The wind come up from the north and shut it down after that. Late session out Resorts.

Saturday.  High tide 6:45am and 6:49pm.  Another cruisie day around the resort. Guests opted for the early and late out @ Resorts with the swell still peaky around shoulder high and conditions clean.                       

Sunday.  High tide 7:18am.  Beautiful clean conditions straight out @ Resorts early. Light offshore winds and small waist to shoulder high swell. A few fun little waves with the sun shinning hard.

Photos

52a-08 Carlos at Resorts on Sunday, 52b-08 Empty Resorts on Sunday @ around head high,

 52c-08 Santa arrives by jet ski at Sa’Moana for lunch and fun, 52d-08 Letarcia, Santa and Lynton, what a great pressie.

So that’s pretty much it for 2008, the next report will be the first for 2009 and from all at Sa’Moana Resort we wish you the very best for 2009, its gunna be a great one.

Cheers ………………….George

Clearing but oh so tiny

Hello Friends,

To sup with Huey, you need a long paddle.

Dee Why was smooth and glassy at around half seven this morning. I think I spotted a person in the shorey, but they went out of view behind the dunes. The only other bod on the water was a bloke doing the standup paddle thing. Not a bad idea given the conditions. Too bad I’m not trying to SUP on both sides of the Pacific today… that’d definitely work, whereas surfing… surfing does not look at all promising.

The wind is due to pick up later as a WSW change rattles through the place. According to the Bureau it’ll get up to around 20 kts this afternoon, before throttling back toward evening (when your’s truly will be going past Fiji at about 10kms up).

According to the Pt Kembla buoy, there are bumps at sea in the 1.5 metre range, but they’re only about 7 sec apart. So I reckon it’ll be a challenge to find anything much above the waist high range. Given the primary direction is probably out of the NE, it’ll be beaches facing that direction which will have the best hope of a wave, or something vaguely resembling one.

Outlook for the rest of the week is not too interesting where Sydney’s concerned. Mainly flat to near flat from the look of the models until Friday or so when a short period but surfable size south swell could fill in. Right now at least one of the models (virtual buoys) is showing long period south from about Sunday to Monday with ENE winds. That could be some serious fun…

Meanwhile, in southern California, the buoy data is looking utterly dire. Below 2 foot from the Mexican border up to Pt Conception. Gaah. This is not going to be easy boys and girls. But I will try!

Catch you in around 24 hours!