I sent this out the other day, but I guess a lot of people didn't get it! The video I posted was from this contest. Hopefully this one will sneak through! Mark Sanders On 3/31/2014 9:09 PM, Mark Sanders wrote: > > I don't know how many years ago I saw my first video of a surf kayaker > surfing at Steamer Lane for the Santa Cruz PaddleFest--I just remember > the wave was perfect! Not a giant wave, more like a watery escalator > continually adding more shoulder to ride on. I've wanted to surf there > ever since. But the SC contest always seemed out of my league, until I > found they had a novice division. With my disappointing showing at > Davenport last Nov., I decided that was the best bet for me and I > could at least get my first real look at the real Steamers. > > So I entered the open division of the 2 day Cowells Classic, while > Jack entered the new Production Plastic division of the full blown > Steamers Lane contest. Having only just gotten over some bad back > trouble, I was a bit leery and not in great shape. And though I > consider it my worst surfing boat, for lots of reasons, I decided to > surf my Dagger RPM Max. I really just wanted to get on the water and > catch a few waves; I didn't really think I'd have much chance to > compete. I was really wanting to go, because I'd heard this was the > best place to find used boats and maybe I could find that elusive, big > man's surf boat! But while there were good buys for people of normal > size, there was nothing there for me. > > Saturday morn I arrived to check in for my heat and found really lousy > conditions. Wind and drizzle that would fluctuate with heavy rain all > through the day. Steamer's had some decent wave action, but it was > quite windblown and the area for the Cowells competition had nothing! > I really considered whether I wanted to brave the wet, cold, windy > conditions just to bob around on the ocean for 20 minutes! But they > postponed the event till 2pm hoping for a change in the swell and the > next day things were suppose to get a lot better, so I was a go. > > While waiting by the tents, I ran into Sean Morley and mentioned to > him that Jack was competing too. He kiddingly said, "don't mention his > name! %#%_at_ beat me in our heat yesterday!" I caught up with Jack, > who'd started the day before me and he said they'd had great waves on > Friday and he'd had a great heat. Of course, this category was made > for Jack as he loves surfing his plastic Necky Gliss. He was a bit > upset that the rocky launching area required scratching up its > pristine hull. > > By 2pm a good sized swell had arrived. Before making the long climb > down the cliff steps to the water, I sat in my car to avoid the > pouring rain. Nervous, I launched early to be able to watch the heat > in front of me, but ended up at the meet up zone almost an hour before > my heat. While it gave me plenty of time to get some feel for the > conditions, it also gave time to get chilled considering I was only > wearing a wetsuit top. I met my competitors, a nice group, but two of > them were in flashy HP boats. But we were all easy going about getting > on a wave and no one ever had to fight for a ride! > > The waves we were riding were essentially the same wave from > Steamer's, except with the steepest end chopped off by the point! You > could watch the monsters form at Steamer's and follow it to our zone, > albeit with a bit less energy. As is generally my wont, I start off > with the biggest wave I can get and figure things can only get better > from there! There was quite a bit of trepidation, though, as I dropped > down that first face. I made it a rather short ride along the face > before pulling out before the rest of the wave broke to head back > outside. > > My main goal was to get at least three rides so I could get a full > score. Second and tertiary goals: don't capsize and avoid the cliff! I > seem to remember making some nice moves on some waves and getting > stuck in the white water till that third goal seems in trouble. Rides > were long alongside the face of the waves, but tough to come over the > crest to get out clean. I had no idea what my competitors were doing, > but I felt a sense of relief and redemption for my Davenport debacle. > Now and then, I tried to remember I was having fun! But while I'd > lamented the lack of waves earlier in the day, I now wondered what > these big rides meant for the next day, where the forecast called for > 7 footers at Cowells. > > I awoke in the morning not to rain, but pea soup fog, but when I got > to the beach, there was sun and blue sky. The moment I got out of the > car, I saw the amazing waves flying through Steamers. The SUP category > was up and they were tearing up the waves like no other SUPers I've > ever seen. The waves were BIG, but the trajectory was less right at > the cliffs and more parallel the coast and there was that endless > shoulder I'd envied. I'd never been near waves this big, but that > shoulder still looked like a safe way out of trouble, as long as you > remained wet-side down. These guys weren't playing it easy, as > evidenced by the broken SUP lapping against the rocks. I never got the > hear the whole story on that ride. > > Jack was up at noon and I was there to video his heat. Things had > changed a bit, the waves were still big, but they often headed a > little more towards the cliffs. The heat before had been tearing it > up, but when Jack and two others of his heat assembled in the big wave > corridor, they were hit with a 3-4 minute lull! Sean Morley avoided > that trouble by coming in right close to the cliff to score early on > some inside waves. Finally some waves showed up and I could swear Jack > was at eye level with me on the cliff on top of some of those brutes! > Soon they were all speeding down the faces of waves looking for a > clean get-away. Sean can flying in on one and was out of sight by the > cliff, when the lifeguards all of sudden came to life. Either he came > out of his boat, or his skirt imploded, but he was soon powering his > way clear, half submerged with water. It was close to the end of the > heat and the rest of the crew continued getting great rides. > > The early morning conditions had been amazing, but my heat wasn't > until 3:20pm and the afternoon condition began to deteriorate. Waves > at Steamer's were still big, but the strong onshore wind meant we'd > have to be finding the critical peak of the wave at Cowells. I was > feeling looser, but the waves were definitely bigger than the day > before. I think it was my second wave of the day that was my biggest > ride. I remember dropping in, standing on my pegs to keep my bow from > burying. I really think my RPM helped me here with its extra volume. I > came down the trough and made a right and was flying alone the face of > the wave. Usually this is the time you're looking for the end of that > shoulder to make your exit, but there was no exit in sight! I was > flying along with enough time to remember to hyperventilate, because I > knew I wasn't going to get out from under this wall of water. Foam > blowing off the crest and into my face didn't help the breathing > process. I turned myself down wave as it broke and got spit forward by > the mass of white water. Perhaps I looked like I knew what I was > doing, as I fought my boat flinging from side to side. Finally, I > planted a high brace and fought to get out of the white stuff before I > reached the rocks. When I was finally free, I thought that might be a > good way to end my heat, but I couldn't remember how many waves I'd > had and figured I had to head out for more. > > I tried to add some smaller waves to my dance card before I realized > the wind and my last ride had me well out of they real surf area. I > hurried back and was able to get a couple more short rides. Near the > end of the heat, a good sized wave peaked up mostly in between Robert > and me. It was hard to tell who had the right of way, but I figured I > did, as I was further out than he. It was a great way to end the heat, > but at the end of the wave, I saw Robert had ridden the wave too, on > what seemed the other side of a broken section. We never came close to > one another, so I figured interference wasn't an issue and we'd gotten > away with a party wave! The waves had been big and fast, but I don't > know how they scored, as I was more interested in living through them > than trying any fancy moves. But wherever I ended up in the mix, I was > happy with what I'd been able to do while riding my glorified barrel. > > I met up with Jack back at the main tent where we waited for the award > ceremony. It was quite touching, as the man who started the SC > Paddlefest was giving up the reins after 28 years in charge! I saw > more than a few of the winners from Davenport go up to receive their > award for this contest. Young and old. Two of the biggest winners, > quite a surprise to me, were two young paddlers from the Basque > Country, Ibon and Edu, who took first and second in the High > Performance category. Along with nice medals, there was some nice > money handed out for some categories. One sponsor donated money for > the first and second place winners for the Production Plastic kayak > division. They spoke of how these boats were how kayak surfing began, > they being the only boat available in the early days. And they > mention the courage it took to ride waves like we'd had on the day in > boats so less suited to them then the new, fast, dedicated surf boats > of the day. Sean Morley got to pick up a check for first place. Jack > missed out by one, taking the 3rd place medal! > > And as for the Cowells Classic, they called out the 3rd and 4th place > winners, which seemed to leave me out of the mix, but then, turns out > I pulled out a second place finish! It is truly more than I thought I > could manage when I started. And to think, I'd almost let a little > wind and rain keep me off the water. It was another amazing paddle > adventure to add to my list. When I had coffee with my friends Ken and > Barb today, I told them my neck was real sore. They wondered if it was > because of my back trouble, but I said no. Pulling my medal out from > underneath my sweater, I said it was from having this heavy metal > around my neck for 20 hours straight! No, I didn't really sleep with > it, but at my age I don't think I have many more medals in me, so I'll > enjoy it for a while. And I have a year to wonder if 2nd place at > Cowells means I'm ready to brave Steamer Lane next time. > > Full results from the event: > http://asudoit.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/2014-Paddlefest-Full-Results.pdf > > > Mark Sanders > www.SandMarks.net > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Info mailing list > Info_at_list.ckf.org > http://list.ckf.org/mailman/listinfo/info > > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. 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