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Yeah, well, haven't you guys put two and two together? As to why I love Sunset Beach so much?
Hmmm. Let's see. Well, my home break is Sunset Cliffs. I usually surf glass at sunset, and even
after sunset. Sometimes I even surf in the dark. After sunset. Sunset, Sunset, Sunset.
There are so many, many reasons why Sunset Beach here on Oahu has been my home away from home. I don't even
want to reveal hardly any of them online. It's so personal. I think I said in an earlier
entry that it's this developing relationship. I mean, I could come back here every year
and surf nothing other than Sunset Beach and leave a happy man. Narrow minded? Nope. One-track
mind? Nope. Just a really good match. Yup. Why?
Because I ran errands that needed to be done in Waikiki this morning, and I was actually
setting myself up for my first sunset session at Sunset. I mean, that's mandatory. I've been
hitting the North Shore ever since I got here from about 8 a.m. to 2, 3, 4, 5 p.m., then getting
caught in atrocious traffic on H1 on my way back to Waikiki every day. But not today.
I paddled out at above referenced New Favorite Hawaiian Surf Spot at about 3:30 p.m. or so. Surf today
was 3 to 4 Hawaiian (prolly 5 to 7 CA size), and east winds were prevailant all day long, so
things were a bit chopped up and rugged. But that's fine with me and Sunset. It's a rugged
break, for hardcore big dudes. Bring it.
I almost paddled out at Kammieland and up the point to Sunset Point. It was a tough call. Kammies
was looking good for a while and VERY uncrowded (maybe two guys!), but then a rip started through it and it was done. Sunset Point was
a bit off and looking pretty small, as was Backyards. West Peak at Sunset had some size from time
to time, but was pretty "soft" in my opinion, compared to other days. When I told that to a lifeguard he didn't really
know what I meant. Well, it's kinda mushy lookin', I said, and he didn't particularly agree. I thought
that was pretty funny.
My chest hurts. It's been rubbing against the board(s) for almost a week now and it's like I've
had open heart surgery, it's all raw and screwed up and it hurts so bad to lay on my surfboard
that it's not fair. Today I cut off a piece of packing foam from the board shipping materials in desperation
and taped it to my chest and put on a rash guard. It helped for about 30 minutes until the "waterproof"
medical tape came undone. Then I had to keep adjusting it in the guard constantly. It's called
surfing in pain. Big time. But I'll just have to deal with it. It'll take several MONTHS for this
to heal when I get home. Not unanticipated. I was just hoping it would not happen. But of course
it did.
One of the reasons I ended up at Sunset again is that "Double D" contacted me via email yesterday
and asked where I was and told me that the surf was good, and give him a call. So I did. And set
up a meeting, so we could surf together. We agreed to meet at a specific location at a specific time.
I was there, he was not. I waited 45 minutes, made a phone call, got voice mail, and decided
that maybe he was going to send some bruddahs over to kick my ass at Lanis, so I left. My rule is
30 minutes. If I don't see you or hear from you in 30 minutes - male or female - I'm gone.
C-ya. Lates. If you aren't courteous enough to drop a call, then forget you. Don't need it.
I came here to surf, not screw around. Easily shook it off and went to go check other areas.
I've checked Pipe, Rocky Rights and Lefts, Pupukea and Off the Wall for almost a week and haven't seen
anything I want to paddle into, which means there's like 50 guys out who take off, drop, pump,
then get closed out on. Otherwise I'd paddle out at one of those places. I WANT to paddle out there. But with three guys
going each way, forget it. Don't need it. Easily shook it off and went to go check other areas. Which led
me to Sunset, Point and Kammies.
It was tough choosing which one, honestly, it was. It was almost the Rocket at Kammies just
for variety. But who can resist Sunset again, even if it was "soft" or "mushy." I couldn't - decided
to just surf for an hour and a half or whatever, nothing major. I love the shorebreak dash in
entry, the long paddle out in the rip, and eventually the wave.
But I do have to point out that, while I have seen some really good action at Sunset Beach - I've
been far from seeing the place just firing on all cylindars. What you are reading is someone of ability
discovering this break in the most perfect way - slowly but surely, in different size increments,
on some refracted swell, etc., etc., etc. Believe me - these reports may sound a bit overzealous, bloated
with self-praise and accomplishment. Mostly I think it's excitement and thrill, a new lover, a new
spot to love - the whole deal. I haven't pulled in at Boneyards (or seen it break, although with
today's lumpy swell, you could almost surf in there), and haven't been here on a 10 to 12 foot
NW or direct W. But I am happy to have been here for almost my entire trip.
Like I said, I'd love to talk about some things about Sunset, but maybe another time, maybe like
in the spring or something. I just can't reveal too much. Anyway, it feels good to keep it to
myself, too. Like some greedy little grommet who thinks he knows what's going on. The fact of the matter,
too, is that I haven't been worked over here yet, either. And my philosophy is that if you haven't
been worked, then you haven't seen the place popping on all cylindars. So, modesty aside...
Tonight was actually my first North Shore sunset. I've always left before sundown. But tonight it was planned
to stay in the water past sunset. Wherever I was. So I did. The lineup was shifty, but familiar enough
to me for me to play with it. It wasn't heavy. It was heavily windy. So windy that on one wave a guy's
board blew out from under his feet and up to his head and took him out. He was okay. The wind just
got under his board. The wind is something else at Sunset, too. Something mystical and magical and
evil, at all different times of the day. You'll have to come here to figure it out on your own,
though.
Stuff happens in the little "parking lot" too. Like regulars come here, like any other lot
in front of a surf break, anywhere in the world. This one guy comes here every day. He always
has a new kind of board on his beat up car, which is full of books and papers, has a suitcase
in the back, and the board on the racks up top is always over 10 feet long and in a bag.
There are also wooden surfboard/shaping templates strewn from passenger side front to driver's side
rear. Like really LONG templates. For guns. Today he was wearing at tattered Dick Brewer
muscle T. I approached him gently, because, well, over the past week or so, he doesn't take
me as being too approachable. I gently asked him his name, "Hi, um, my name is Cliff,
and I'm on vacation, I was just wondering if I could meet you," I said.
"Why."
"Because I like to meet new people and I'm on my first trip to the North Shore and you are here all the
time and I'd just like to know who you are." But I already knew who he was, I was just feeling him out a bit.
Silence.
He has an old shirt or something that blocks the sun, on his driver side. He just pulled it back
and said nothing, so I changed and went out. Turns out he comes out on an interesting looking
paddle board, single fin, and heads a hundred yards up to the Point. So be it. I think I know who
it is. I was just trying to confirm it.
Anyway, it was REALLY bumpy. The takeoffs were great spray in the face variety, but once up, you could not
get down the line too easily because the chop and wind would not allow much maneouvering or
key speedlines. You had to use your knees and legs as shock absorbers, and the rides were pretty short.
Anyway, an hour and a half later (I'm running out of Internet time, and I don't have photos for tonight),
unbelievably, the sun is blazing orange and going down just in front of Kaena (?) Point. And it's beautiful.
And I wonder, sitting alone on the outside, if I should come back here tomorrow, and if I do,
will it be completely over-run by the WCT guys or what, with the swell coming up a bit? I don't know
the answer to that one. So I was savoring the moment, completely alone, Sunset Beach. And then
I actually REALIZE that maybe the 10 other guys around me were gone. Wow. That's a total trip. Alone
outside at Sunset Beach. Go figure that one.
I timed it out, the sun set, at Sunset, and there was 20 minutes of light left. There's no way I'm surfing
Sunset in the dark. So I give myself 12 minutes to get a last wave. After 9 minutes I chased a small one
and got it, but it was a bit disappointing. I wanted it to be better, just in case it was my last wave
there until...
But timing it was smart. I paddled against the moderate rip to get in to the beach, and it was just about
dark right when I got back up to the car. It was my first Sunset at Sunset. And got to see another, more
moody side of the break. Or should I say, "soft" or "mushy?"
Looking forward to tomorrow, my last day, which will, probably, be incredibly hectic and emotional, as I have
to choose the last place I will surf. Then it's off to Maui, where I have no idea of what the internet
access is going to be like. This place has been perfect. I will post once more on Thanksgiving evening
before my flight Friday, where I hope to get off the plane at OGG and find Honolua as my Thanksgiving
meal, or an early Christmas present.
Tomorrow is going to be very hard on me. Maybe I should surf in the p.m. again, when it's most likely
the swell will be coming up a bit more, and everyone else might be sitting down to dinner. Hmmmm.
We'll see what Cliff has up his sleeve. -Cliff |