pictures coming soon...
CANE # 16, for this surfer...Left my boat house at 3 a.m. thurs. morn. Easy driving, for awhile, then the cane. Reminded me of driving in blizzards up in Idaho to go ski. Forget about it, gusting 50 knots down by Oakville, I am in 2nd gear on the freeway!!!!!, pull over, get in the back and go to sleep until 7. Didn't want my surf-mobile to blow over in the middle of the night. I sunk a boat already this year, so yearnin now to play it safe. Saw Peter Holt yesterday, we watched the sky in San Antonio, the cane was getting near shore and category 2. He sent 70 game wardens with boats down to the Rio Grande Valley to help out. This thing is massive this morning and I'm glad it is 120 miles due west. I know that the surf is just out of control, so I'm going to take care of a little business in Aransas Pass. Stop by the Sea Academy to get some paper work for my Captains license. I get a chance to visit with Capt. Chuck West, the man who taught me last summer, he is a good ol’ boy all the way, and he wants to hear all about my sinking. We get along so I hold nothin back, and it felt good to talk, he told me to not be a stranger and to stop by again.....Dolly's storm surge was up to the dunes yesterday, the sand is still wet but I can park the surf-mobile later today in my favorite surf camp spot. I'm not going out today it just isn't possible, blowing almost a Gale and the waves are enormous. Sunny out, and Tide Guide can look forward to improving weather for the next week. I'll be here 6 days and take care of the Albro's family summer vacation, this is their third year and all nine of them are coming tomorrow. I think it was Dillon their 18 year old who started the surf camp tradition, the 30 foot rule. His step Dad Patrick spends to much time out in the water helping his daughters and his wife and brother and sister in law and not enough time practicing himself, and for the past two seasons he did not score a 30 foot glide. And Dillon teased him, I let people sign their names on the awning if they can surf 30 feet, but Dillon told Patrick he couldn't sign his until he rides 30 feet, it was funny, Heather his wife has signed and some of the girls so Patrick is under pressure this vacation.
Friday morning wind still howling from Dolly, it is so awesome to witness this system here from the beach. Waves are real knarly, I will wait until afternoon, and it should level out some, bought a new leash for my board from Ted's Boardhouse and we talked surfing, he had a terrific session on Tuesday when Dolly arrived. I get camp up and it looks mighty fine, so get out my favorite "Cane" and make it outside without to much trouble, it is big, peaks are 12 - 15 feet. But it is real bumpy, hard to line up, I get 10 massive drops, sort of out of control, a couple of long rides, two cut backs, and a couple of fast rail rides, one bottom turn I was leaned over so far with centrifical force I could drag my finger tips on the wave face, soooooo out of sight. Fast bottom turns is what this sport is all about. It is so bumpy that I literally am getting dizzy, a little dangerous so I surf a long one, almost to the sand, that would be 300 yards, WWWOOOOO.... Do some more chores around camp, a little reading, some eating, and watching the surf, I see another surfer going out, so wax up the "cane" and make it out again without to much of going over the terrifying falls, not quite as big but still 12 foot drops, still bumpy, real bad, this isn't a clean "CANE" but its rideable, so I get about 10 more and getting dizzy again, so on in to be safe.... Shower and clean clothes, Buddy and his wife Shawn arrive, Buddy and Patrick are brothers. We sit in the beach chairs and relax and soon a little after dark the main Albro family arrive and are glad to be in surf camp.
I had emailed Heather earlier in the week to verify the go ahead for camp, and to explain that Tide Guide max's out at 8 people. So one Albro would have to be designated to sleeping on a camping mattress instead of the luxurious cots. Shawn and Buddy and I had discussed this earlier and Shawn said, just wait and see, Heather will be on the camp pad. I actually thought this would prove untrue. But I guess mothers either just as soon skip a battle or they do things out of love, because Heather was on the camp pad both nights.....
After the Albro's get acquainted with camp and the new bathrooms across the sand road, we start telling stories. Cydni is 9, Sarah is 11, Hailey is about 16, Ashley is 18 and will be of to College, so I keep my stories about surfing light hearted for the girls sake, I tell them about the monster out there, the "TURTLES", last season 2 monsters jumped out of the line up and onto our boards, one of the events happened to me, and it scarred me so much I screamed. And I heard about another surfer who had his nose broken. The girls don't even ask about sharks....Then I tell them about the best surf band in the world, the Ventures, and the all time hit "wipeout". But maybe my fav is "walk don’t run". Maybe I like "Pipeline" best, I surfed Pipeline in Hawaii for two weeks in the 70's.
Early next morning, wind is still calling Dolly, no doubt about that, must be up in Mexico, but it is dragging this wind down here with her. Lots of Sargasso seaweed. I make strawberry stew, papaya, honey dew, oranges, cantaloupe, and black cowboy coffee. It's an hour and a half before the whole family is up and moving, so we sit in the beach chairs and take advantage of the island time. Sleeping down here is just great, it is almost cold at night. Cyndi wants a surfboard, so we pick out the Sanddollar for her, Sarah get the blue triple fin, they learn how to wax.
I have a new hat, I saw one of my lawyers Wednesday at his office, Duncan Weakley Bressler, years ago Edgar Duncan gave me a real nice palm weave hat. I've surfed it for so many years now that it needed retiring. So with Albro proceeds I went downtown and bought a Mexican Sombrero, also palm weave real nice. We gather the Albro’s and walk out of camp up to the top of a Sand Dune. Here I like to give surf lesson #1 and safety lesson #1. Waves I explain are way bigger than they look from up here. Green water is offshore about 1000 yards, still lots of sand and seaweed in the drop zone. We talk for awhile up here and enjoy the view. Patrick reminds his daughters to pay attention while I give the safety guidelines.
I just lost 3 pages of this surf camp story....somehow on my computer...all for now.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
"MABEL" surf camp #3 2008
photo's coming soon.....bill
My Grandmother left me a roll of silver dollars. One of them was worth $400.00. So I turned this 1894 coin into a 10'7" cruiser longboard. This was its first time out. It has nice graphics and has "MABEL" on the front deck. I'm down here early again thurs. morn., tides are moderate, but lots of Sargasso seaweed, i set up close to the waters edge since the moon is in apogee. Real close to the water, the guests will walk out of the tent 50 feet to the high tide. Fun outside peaks to ride for me this morning, nothing to brag about, but lots of rides. Weather looks to be stable for 4 to 5 days. What a relief for Tide Guide. Camped next to me is a troop of Boy Scouts, Troop 352 from Justin, Texas 14 of them. I spoke to one of the leaders and it was decided that tomorrow after a field trip they are going on to an Air Force Base, they will then come over to my camp, and I'll talk with them about surfing, and I couldn't help it, I am going to get help waxing MABEL. I was going to have my customers do it, but eagle scouts, America doesn't produce anything better. So next day around noon they stop by. This board is really gorgeous and big. I went over to Ted's Boardhouse and bought wax this morning. So the scouts get to earn another merit badge and it is a lot of work for one person, but with a whole troop, no problem. First goes on one bar of base wax. Followed by a whole other bar of "sticky bumps". We have fun talking and the wax looks good. MABEL should be one of the favorite boards in my camp. The scouts leave but a few of them go fishing, FOR SEAGULLS, they tie a Cheetos on the line, throw it into the air, and after a while they have a seagull, i asked them if they used a hook and they said no.
Start getting phone calls from guests in early eve. Trouble finding their way. But here comes, Katy and her Mom Alice, they are tired of being in the car, and after they get settled in surf camp, they walk down the beach to the pier for dinner. Then come Tyler and her Mom Scottie. Later in the evening after the sun went down Katy and Tyler where playing with the sand crabs and Tyler got a good pinch and bloody foot, Her mother was afraid the sharks would get her darling daughter next morning, I said, she should be o.k. but well check her foot again in the morning. Joan arrives and this is her second surf camp and she is glad to be on the beach in surf camp again. Clint arrives, and this is his first surf camp, but not his last as he really got with it. Russel and Bandy arrive, this is Bandy's birthday present, turns out that on Sunday July 13 is her birthday and her surfing instructor ME. I am 56, she is maybe 26. So all is well friday nite great weather for everyone to sit in the beach chairs and look at the stars, Amanda called and she cant make it and has rescheduled for another surf camp later. Sleeping is exceptional, cool really, no bugs.
Well surf camp is on. Sat. Morn. after a great breakfast and lounging in the chairs, we do the safety march and surf talk and seaweed has drifted out, so looks like a good session. MABEL is given to Alice and Katy to share, We found some flowers up in the dunes, Katy has one in her pretty blonde hair, and I take one and wedge it onto a spot on MABEL. Off they go and boy i was right, this board is a winner, Alice is up about on the first try!!!!!! And Katy she is sixteen and light as a feather and no problem she is up!!!!!!! Thanks for the Silver Dollar MABEL. It is not easy out in the line up, we have 3 - 4 foot wind waves with a period of maybe 5 seconds, so you are getting beat up out there, although the water is so warm and enviting and it is a sunny day and it is a sand bottom, every one is having a great time. Russel and Bandy are doing well and getting some rides. Scottie and Tyler haven't had any shark attacks. Clint is a real athlete and he is getting some long rides on the outside break already. Joan is doing o.k. I fear her knees are going to be getting bruised, most women get knobby knees, until they learn to stand.
Some of them do 3 sessions, and as a group we walk down to the Pier for ice cream and out all the way to end of the deck for the view, we saw a tame pelican whom fisherman would toss bait minnows, and to watch this prehistoric thing open its crazy mouth up close was weird. All surfers are starving, I have been feeding them surfer food all day long, coconut, jicama and lime, pineapple, peanuts, papaya, oranges. One of my strategies in this operation is to get them hungy then what ever I feed them for dinner they think I am such a good cook. Because tonite we have Shiskabobs. Sun is getting lower in the sky no one wears a watch generally in surf camp. I begin getting dinner out, and this is a surf camp help out. I spot Tyler and her mother because most everyone else is up at the showers. I say Tyler (she just turned 13) UUUUHHHH, Tyler do you think you could help me shuck some corn. WWWWHHHaaaattttt, shuck this corn, you know peel off the husks. She looks at Scottie like I have rocks in my head. Scottie says, yes, help him. So we shuck 16 ears of corn. Tyler did not like the spoiled kernels on the top of the ear, I explained that if the farmer hadn't sprayed his field with DDT that there would be a worm on the top, instead of a few spoiled kernels. We get it shucked and into a bucket and I says, grab ahold. And I guide us over to the waters edge. She says wWWWWWWHHHHAAAATTTT are we doing, OH, lets fill this up with water, she says thats not water, yes it is, well I am not going in there I just took my shower and I cant get wet. Now I have a 8 year old daughter so this is practice for me. I says, well can we just go out a little ways, your legs wont get wet half way up to your knees. She says no, I says, OH, my shoulder hurts and i cant carry it alone. She says O.K.. But when we got back to the camp she told me she was really in a BBBAAAAADDDDD mood. WWWWWWHHHHHEEEEWWWW, this being a professional surfer has its hazards. We boiled sweet corn on the cob and new potatoes in saltwater and try it, it is excellent.!!!!! You dont need butter or salt, although some said they needed butter. Next build your own Shiskabobs. My friend up in town my butcher over the years now decided i needed in addition to beef sirloin tip, he says, you need chicken and pork tenderloin, i says, O.K. Bandy does not eat pork or beef so my butcher helped out on that one. Plenty of food even though Alice had to take Katy down to the Pier again since she was starved and bought her a hamburger, doesn't look like there is enough room in her tiny waistline for a burger and Surf camp Shiskabobs.
While Kabobobs are grilling us adults get to a little politics and education and health care and it was serious but fun. This is one thing about surf camp, these beach chairs in the shade with the sound of the surf, we get to talk and visit probably one of the better perks of camp. My idea of government education is the three RRR readin rightin rithmatic, anything more than that let em get it in the private sector. For president Jesse Ventura, he is a bonefide surfer, and for health care, preventative maintenance, like how bout universal surf camp.
Excellent meal nice sunset and beach chairs again. While lounging I reclaim my standing with Tyler, she and her mom will be going to Hawaii next year, so I teach her some Hawaiian. This is a fishs name, HUMU HUMU NUKU UKU AU PU AAPA. Then Merry Christmas, MELE KALIKIMAKA.
Next morning Clint and i get a session way outside and Katy made it out also, I give Clint my personal board and he stays out for a long surf. Joan has really gotten some swelling on her knees and has to be careful. Russel is to sunburned to go out this morning. I think he is just happy to have gotten Bandy out on her birthday. So all is well and it was a very fine surf camp..........
My Grandmother left me a roll of silver dollars. One of them was worth $400.00. So I turned this 1894 coin into a 10'7" cruiser longboard. This was its first time out. It has nice graphics and has "MABEL" on the front deck. I'm down here early again thurs. morn., tides are moderate, but lots of Sargasso seaweed, i set up close to the waters edge since the moon is in apogee. Real close to the water, the guests will walk out of the tent 50 feet to the high tide. Fun outside peaks to ride for me this morning, nothing to brag about, but lots of rides. Weather looks to be stable for 4 to 5 days. What a relief for Tide Guide. Camped next to me is a troop of Boy Scouts, Troop 352 from Justin, Texas 14 of them. I spoke to one of the leaders and it was decided that tomorrow after a field trip they are going on to an Air Force Base, they will then come over to my camp, and I'll talk with them about surfing, and I couldn't help it, I am going to get help waxing MABEL. I was going to have my customers do it, but eagle scouts, America doesn't produce anything better. So next day around noon they stop by. This board is really gorgeous and big. I went over to Ted's Boardhouse and bought wax this morning. So the scouts get to earn another merit badge and it is a lot of work for one person, but with a whole troop, no problem. First goes on one bar of base wax. Followed by a whole other bar of "sticky bumps". We have fun talking and the wax looks good. MABEL should be one of the favorite boards in my camp. The scouts leave but a few of them go fishing, FOR SEAGULLS, they tie a Cheetos on the line, throw it into the air, and after a while they have a seagull, i asked them if they used a hook and they said no.
Start getting phone calls from guests in early eve. Trouble finding their way. But here comes, Katy and her Mom Alice, they are tired of being in the car, and after they get settled in surf camp, they walk down the beach to the pier for dinner. Then come Tyler and her Mom Scottie. Later in the evening after the sun went down Katy and Tyler where playing with the sand crabs and Tyler got a good pinch and bloody foot, Her mother was afraid the sharks would get her darling daughter next morning, I said, she should be o.k. but well check her foot again in the morning. Joan arrives and this is her second surf camp and she is glad to be on the beach in surf camp again. Clint arrives, and this is his first surf camp, but not his last as he really got with it. Russel and Bandy arrive, this is Bandy's birthday present, turns out that on Sunday July 13 is her birthday and her surfing instructor ME. I am 56, she is maybe 26. So all is well friday nite great weather for everyone to sit in the beach chairs and look at the stars, Amanda called and she cant make it and has rescheduled for another surf camp later. Sleeping is exceptional, cool really, no bugs.
Well surf camp is on. Sat. Morn. after a great breakfast and lounging in the chairs, we do the safety march and surf talk and seaweed has drifted out, so looks like a good session. MABEL is given to Alice and Katy to share, We found some flowers up in the dunes, Katy has one in her pretty blonde hair, and I take one and wedge it onto a spot on MABEL. Off they go and boy i was right, this board is a winner, Alice is up about on the first try!!!!!! And Katy she is sixteen and light as a feather and no problem she is up!!!!!!! Thanks for the Silver Dollar MABEL. It is not easy out in the line up, we have 3 - 4 foot wind waves with a period of maybe 5 seconds, so you are getting beat up out there, although the water is so warm and enviting and it is a sunny day and it is a sand bottom, every one is having a great time. Russel and Bandy are doing well and getting some rides. Scottie and Tyler haven't had any shark attacks. Clint is a real athlete and he is getting some long rides on the outside break already. Joan is doing o.k. I fear her knees are going to be getting bruised, most women get knobby knees, until they learn to stand.
Some of them do 3 sessions, and as a group we walk down to the Pier for ice cream and out all the way to end of the deck for the view, we saw a tame pelican whom fisherman would toss bait minnows, and to watch this prehistoric thing open its crazy mouth up close was weird. All surfers are starving, I have been feeding them surfer food all day long, coconut, jicama and lime, pineapple, peanuts, papaya, oranges. One of my strategies in this operation is to get them hungy then what ever I feed them for dinner they think I am such a good cook. Because tonite we have Shiskabobs. Sun is getting lower in the sky no one wears a watch generally in surf camp. I begin getting dinner out, and this is a surf camp help out. I spot Tyler and her mother because most everyone else is up at the showers. I say Tyler (she just turned 13) UUUUHHHH, Tyler do you think you could help me shuck some corn. WWWWHHHaaaattttt, shuck this corn, you know peel off the husks. She looks at Scottie like I have rocks in my head. Scottie says, yes, help him. So we shuck 16 ears of corn. Tyler did not like the spoiled kernels on the top of the ear, I explained that if the farmer hadn't sprayed his field with DDT that there would be a worm on the top, instead of a few spoiled kernels. We get it shucked and into a bucket and I says, grab ahold. And I guide us over to the waters edge. She says wWWWWWWHHHHAAAATTTT are we doing, OH, lets fill this up with water, she says thats not water, yes it is, well I am not going in there I just took my shower and I cant get wet. Now I have a 8 year old daughter so this is practice for me. I says, well can we just go out a little ways, your legs wont get wet half way up to your knees. She says no, I says, OH, my shoulder hurts and i cant carry it alone. She says O.K.. But when we got back to the camp she told me she was really in a BBBAAAAADDDDD mood. WWWWWWHHHHHEEEEWWWW, this being a professional surfer has its hazards. We boiled sweet corn on the cob and new potatoes in saltwater and try it, it is excellent.!!!!! You dont need butter or salt, although some said they needed butter. Next build your own Shiskabobs. My friend up in town my butcher over the years now decided i needed in addition to beef sirloin tip, he says, you need chicken and pork tenderloin, i says, O.K. Bandy does not eat pork or beef so my butcher helped out on that one. Plenty of food even though Alice had to take Katy down to the Pier again since she was starved and bought her a hamburger, doesn't look like there is enough room in her tiny waistline for a burger and Surf camp Shiskabobs.
While Kabobobs are grilling us adults get to a little politics and education and health care and it was serious but fun. This is one thing about surf camp, these beach chairs in the shade with the sound of the surf, we get to talk and visit probably one of the better perks of camp. My idea of government education is the three RRR readin rightin rithmatic, anything more than that let em get it in the private sector. For president Jesse Ventura, he is a bonefide surfer, and for health care, preventative maintenance, like how bout universal surf camp.
Excellent meal nice sunset and beach chairs again. While lounging I reclaim my standing with Tyler, she and her mom will be going to Hawaii next year, so I teach her some Hawaiian. This is a fishs name, HUMU HUMU NUKU UKU AU PU AAPA. Then Merry Christmas, MELE KALIKIMAKA.
Next morning Clint and i get a session way outside and Katy made it out also, I give Clint my personal board and he stays out for a long surf. Joan has really gotten some swelling on her knees and has to be careful. Russel is to sunburned to go out this morning. I think he is just happy to have gotten Bandy out on her birthday. So all is well and it was a very fine surf camp..........
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