The Fool’s Brigade

After seeing the weather report on Friday and learning that we were due for some serious rain all this week, all the Portoers started getting antsy to pack in as much surf as possible before Monday.  And so, despite the poor forecast for Sunday, we descended on Bolsa Chica for a final dawn patrol. It…

Disheartening Pier Session

The surf session wasn’t disheartening in that the surf was bad.  (It was, but I knew that before I paddled out.)  What got me down was the fisherman on the pier throwing trash into the ocean (mostly plastic bags).  And then the other surfers just paddling around the garbage and pretending it wasn’t there.  I…

Prison Rules at Goldenwest

I hadn’t really planned on going out today, being the day after Thanksgiving and all.  But Josh called around 10 and asked if I’d been out yet since the swell picked up.  Honestly, I had no idea such a big swell was coming through.  With being on vacation and Thanksgiving, the surf reports were way…

Rodeo Session

My first time back out since being sick and what a mess.  I knew the conditions were going to be big today, and as if I was fully conditioned for it, I tried to wait it out for the perfect moment.  I waited for the tide to drop, but tried to beat the afternoon wind. …

Nor’easter at Bolsa Chica

If I didn’t alreayd know that tomorrow is the official first day of fall, I’d have said it arrived today.  Jack Lordy were those winds howling and churning up the ocean this afternoon. I’ve been riding my bike to Bolsa Chica and back, preparing myself for an upcoming backpack trip.  It was windy as all…

Venice Chowder

All the guys arrived at El Porto only to find 1s and 2s at best.  Josh had a hunch that Venice might be better and that we should head up and find out.  So we all piled into our cars and travelled a few miles up the coast. At Venice, the wind was much more…