SANTA CRUZ BEHIND US, NEXT: MALIBU

Greetings once again team.

First I'd like to say, nice job to the team who made the trip to Santa Cruz on Memorial Weekend. I think I can speak for everyone when I say a good time was had by all. Special thanks to Don Craddock and the rest of the Santa Cruz Longboard Union who put on a great event. Dave Sams also deserves a round of thanks for his hospitality. We wouldn't have had a better place to camp, on the beach, right next to Steamer Lane. Oh yes, and naked hippy girls in the hot tub each day and night was interesting too. (you should have seen how red Nick D'Rov's face got.) And of course, once again the women carried our team. Nice job Jane Mold for kicking ass in the paddle team relay and making the finals in an incredibly competitive women's field. Kudos. Also thanks to new member Matt Melin for his awesom photo coverage.

Now on to the next event. The Malibu "Call to the Wall" will be hosted by the Malibu Boardriders Club on July 21st and 22nd. Thanks to great interest in this event, we'll be fielding a big team for this contest.

I've been in contact with William Buckley of Malibu Boardriders and I'll have the final heat sheets soon. There will be a paddle race, so if you don't make the contest, you can still come up to paddle in the team relay. Bobby Challenger Thomas has shaped us the paddle board and it will be ready for this event.

As for accomodations, you can sleep on the beach, but not park in the lot overnight. In years past we've reserved a campground space at Malibu Creek State Park on Malibu Canyon Drive approximately ten minutes from the beach. Anyone interested in doing that again? Or shall we all fend for ourselves?

Anyone interested in surfing this contest, there may still be room for alternates. In specific, we need Junior Women. Send me an email at surfrat@ureach.com, or call: 858-204-6417 or 858-405-9168.

Travis Long
Team Captain

THE CLUB HEADS NORTH FOR THE 23RD ANNUAL
MEMORIAL WEEKEND CLASSIC

By Richard Steadham

It's a long haul up the 5 or the 101 to Sana Cruz, but worth the effort for those willing to make the trek to one of the Coalition's oldest contests, sponsored by one of its oldest clubs: the Santa Cruz Longboard Union. For surfing history enthusiasts though, that's only half of the equation. The other half is being in the city where surfing first began in California when three Hawaiian princes used redwood planks to surf at the mouth of the San Lorenzo River back in 1885. 51 years later the original Santa Cruz Surfing Club started. The year was 1936. That was more than 70 years ago itself! Yes, surfing history abounds in this laid back little city at the northern end of the Monterey Bay and the locals are rightly proud of their ongoing place in it.

Turning to more recent history, the club sent a roster of 12 team riders and their supporters to compete in this annual Steamer Lane gathering, this year held May 26th and 27th. With waning energy from the SW swell still making its presence felt over the weekend, set waves in the shoulder-high zone kept heats lively each day. Cool overcast skies in the morning hours provided a counter-point to the mostly sunny, yet breezy skies each afternoon.

Saturday: First Round Heats

Our local host, Dave Sams (formerly of Pacific Beach, but still riding for the PBSC), led off the club's attack in the first heat of the day at 7 am. Yeah, it was cold and gray, but surfing the Lane regularly over the past three years gave him a solid advantage over his heat rivals, allowing him to place 2nd in the Men's division.

Following Dave a few heats later was a new rider for the club, Daryle Coleman surfing in his very first contest. He gave it his best shot but came up a bit short placing 5th in the Sr. Men's division.

Team Captain Travis Long, also surfing in the Sr. Men's heat but with plenty of contest experience under his belt, found himself in 2nd place at the end of his round and a slot in Sunday's action.

Club president Jeff Hackert was only able to manage a 5th place showing in his Masters heat, which was matched by new team rider Matthew Melin in a later Masters round. Mid morning Saturday and both men were already done for the weekend. I hate it when that happens. Unfortunately for Jeff, this contest didn't feature a Presidents' Heat and a chance for redemption, at least in his case.

Another new team rider, Pete Robson put an end to the recent string of 5th's by coming in 2nd in his Masters' heat. Like Daryle, this was Pete's first contest also and it looked like Pete was the one with beginner's luck this time.

With Grand Master aces Pablo Smith and Ron Greene unable to join us in Santa Cruz this year, Joe Rigby didn't let us down with his first round heat in their stead. He came in 1st in a very competitive heat and was able to look towards a Quarter Finals scheduled later that same afternoon. After his late in the day 2nd round was over though (it was the last heat of the day), 4th place was all he could manage.

At least Joe made a fine showing for the club in his first heat. Proving once again that your editor is better at doing this newsletter than riding for the club, Richard Steadham came in 4th place (out of four competitiors) in his Grand Masters round, with the interesting footnote that the guy placing 3rd in the heat (and thus advancing), suffered a pacemaker malfunction he was wearing (remember, we're old guys in this division) yet still managed to out-surf yours truly! Travis kidded me later that I couldn't even beat the guy with heart problems out there. Just call me a "soul surfer" I guess. Or maybe "ol' surfer." Take your pick. It was still fun surfing Steamer Lane with just three other guys in the water. In fact, priceless.

The Contest Report continues by clicking this link.

PADDLE BOARD WILL BE READY FOR MALIBU

By Bobby Challenger Thomas

Mahalo: I do not have a lot to say this issue except, thank you to the people that have given their time and monies to keep this club going over the last three years. You all know who you are. And a special thank you to those who have given me a helping hand. You know, the ones that listen to me, and my stories. For this I want you to have a special T-shirt I printed up for the club's surf team tryouts held June 9th. Please contact Kathy Austin to get one.

Paddle Board Update: A picture is worth a thousand words (above). The Paddle/Gunn has been shaped and glassed and meets the 47 inch rule. The width of the center, nose and tail must equal at least 47 inches total and cannot be longer than eleven feet. Now it is time for the club's team to write a new chapter in team paddle relay.

For all you out there who want to paddle a fast board for the club, sign up with Travis Long. I myself will be signing up for the paddle team, will you? PS. We need a board bag sponsor for the new paddleboard, 11 feet long.

Malibu Memories: Surfrider Beach, Malibu (photo at left). I sure hope you have signed up to surf the 'Bu. Malibu is one of the fastest point breaks on the west coast and probably the most famous. Here is a chance to bring your camera, camcorder and capture some memories and help the team write history.

Original 1959 Members Card T-Shirt: This is truly a Collectible. Now you can get one from the club's merchandise committee (image below right).

Trivia Corner: Aida Welch answered last months Trivia question. Who was the first surfer to come to the City of San Diego? And who taught Charlie Wright to surf and how to build a surfboard. Aida did a great job and discovered it was the Duke.

Aida will receive a 9-inch BCT pivot fin. You to can be a part of the Trivia Corner. Here is this month's Question. This one is easy, real easy. Oh yeah, if you have won before, you do not qualify.

Question: Duke who? You must spell his name correctly. The first answer received will get one of the Member's Card T-Shirts that was printed for the surf team tryouts.

All photos in this section from the Bobby Challenger Thomas collection.

P A R T_ I I

WORLD TANDEM SURFING TOUR STAGE THREE
HOSSEGOR, FRANCE

By Travis Long

Lacanau, Day 2

I’d made plans while in the States to contact Rico Leroy, a pro tandem surfer from Lacanau Ocean. He and his partner Sarah had been surfing together for 12 years and are the team to beat. He was hanging at the surf shop down the street, so we met to check the surf. It was a bit small, about one meter, so we hung out at the Banana Surf Shop. It was the only surf shop with a café, so we ordered coffees and caught up on old times. I’d explained I had no partner, so he had set up a practice lift session for the next day with a local Bordeaux girl named Cecile. She’s a gymnast I’m told so the prospect looked good. We shot the shit for a while with the owner, Oliver, and agreed to meet for lunch. Rico’s wife Elodie made us a great homemade lunch of cheese crepes, salad, pasta and bread. Their son Vatea, at five years old, spoke more English than I did French. That’s not saying a lot, but this kid was truly smart. Apparently he’d studied English in Hawaii.

After lunch and lounging, I checked my e-mail, responded to the important ones, deleted the spam and returned downstairs to join the crew. I was surprised to find sitting on the couch Marie Vigne, another tandem girl I’d met at the world championships in August in Hawaii. It seems she had just moved back from the North Shore of Oahu. What are you doing here, I asked surprised? “I live here, what are you doing?” I’m here for the competition, are you surfing? I don’t have a partner she explained, the wheels started turning. Wanna go do some lifts? Yeah, let’s go. So out into the chilly afternoon air to stretch.

There’s something about tandem girls. The good ones make it so easy to lift. Marie was one of those girls, strong, beautiful and talented. We often do the same lifts, but each team does it differently. After five or ten minutes, I’d already learned better ways to do lifts I know, as well as three new lifts I’ve never done. I’d found my partner. Rico reminded me I still had a meeting the next day with Cecile. Oh yeah, I thought. First I had no partner, now I’ve got too many.

Cecile was just as I'd expected a French gymnast to look like: strong and beautiful. She had beautiful hazel eyes and brunette hair that fell so elegantly around her face. She seemed young but intelligent, well beyond her years. She’d been bitten by the tandem bug and Rico had already shown her quite a few lifts. However, she had never been in the water surfing tandem. We lifted until I was exhausted. I didn’t want it to end, but I was pooped, and she had an interview to make. So we parted ways and agreed to contact each other the next day. I had quite a tough decision to make.

Story continues by clicking this link.

All photos in this section by Travis Long.

THE ROAD TO ALOHA

By Jerome Lynn Hall

There was a time when Main Street ran straight to Aloha. Remember? On warm summer days, visitors would pass this way and ask us for directions to that quaint little town. “Follow the road a few miles and you’ll see the sign,” we’d tell them, pointing down Main Street. “You can’t miss it.”

They’d drive off smiling, waving into their rear view mirrors, silently and exaggeratedly mouthing the words “thank you.” They were happy we took time to help them; we were happy we could be of service.

But things changed a few years back. The freeway came through and our little town began to grow.

We became busy. Careers took off. Families needed raising. Before we knew it, our obligations got the best of us. Visitors still passed through here, but we rarely saw them because we hardly traveled on Main Street anymore. Why should we? We had a freeway!

Developers moved in and transformed our neighborhoods into “gated communities.” The family grocery market down the street had to close its doors when Profit-Mart came to town. Convenience and lower prices were the “buzzwords” that everyone used. Our town counsel convinced us that this was all part of progress and, for a while, we felt happy and secure with our newly found affluence. “After all,” our Mayor told us, “the neighboring suburbs of Ambition and Profession are experiencing profound economic growth! Why shouldn’t we?”

We didn’t go as often to Aloha to rest and refresh ourselves, to renew friendships we made there years ago. In fact, no one spoke much about Aloha anymore. The little sign at the end of Main Street, the one that said, “Welcome to Aloha, the Friendliest Place This Side of Paradise. Population: Unlimited,” well, after a while, we just forgot it was there. Covered with weeds and hidden by billboards that announced “AMBITION: WHERE YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL!” and “PROFESSION: WHERE PROSPERITY IS KING,” the sign eventually disappeared from view.

It’s a shame, really. I always liked Aloha. People are friendly there. They smile and help you carry things when your hands are full; they hold the door open and say, “No, please; you go first!” It seems that they have always been comfortable with themselves.

It came to my attention the other day that we’ve raised an entire generation that doesn’t know Aloha exists. It’s not their fault, really; we haven’t spoken much about it since our lives became lost in busy-ness. How will they know unless we teach them, unless we take them there?

Maybe it’s coincidental, but that numbness in my soul started about the time they built the freeway. Amid the clutter and advertising and mindless hurry to get somewhere, I stopped going to Aloha.

It’s summer again. A warm breeze is blowing. It’s time to slow down and rethink things. Maybe this weekend we could pull a few weeds and take a little drive. Where? Oh, I don’t know; straight down Main Street a few miles. Aloha anyone?

Art is from a section of the mural on Cass Street at Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach.

Jul 11: PB Surf Club meeting, 6:00 p.m., PB Recreation Center, 1405 Diamond Street, Pacific Beach. Continued planning for the club's Late Summer Classic and getting team riders organized for the Malibu contest, which will take place July 21-22. Note to all team riders: if you're planning to surf the Malibu contest, be at this meeting to get all the information you'll need from Team Captain, Travis Long.

Jul 14: PB Surf Club Surf Clinic; 8:00 am till noon, Tourmaline Surfing Park. The clinic is free to all paid members, $25 for non-members.

Jul 21-22: Call to the Wall; Malibu Boardriders Club; Malibu

Aug 18-19: Oceanside Longboard Surfing Club Contest, Oceanside

Sep 8-9: Malib Surfing Association Classic; Malibu

Sep 15: PB Surf Club Late Summer Longboard Classic; Tourmaline

Oct 6-7: Swami's Surfing Association Contest; Location to be decided

Nov 24-25: Windansea San Miguel Invitational; San Miguel, Mexico