Adding Roxanne to My Quiver

Welcome Roxanne! I added a new, wonderful and beautiful 9' Walden surfboard to my quiver and decided she should definitely be named Roxanne (Roxy for short). How did it happen that I bought a new board? Well, for the past six or so weeks, B has been talking about Walden boards. At about the same time, he's also been telling me that I really need a new board to advance my skills to the next  level.  My surfing pal R also bought a Walden a couple of months ago and says she felt a real difference in her surfing. Her board is a Wahine Walden with lots of flowers and pink trim. It is beautiful! Between seeing and hearing about R's board and listening to B, who also bought Walden about six or so months ago, I decided that the next board I would buy would probably be a Walden. After some research, I found that one of the major selling points of the Walden is the thickness and something I call, for lack of a better description, a double concave.  Actually, B might have called it a double concave. I don't remember for sure. But, because of the thickness and these "double concaves" the Walden boards seem more responsive to the small, rough waves in Galveston. (At least, that's what the surf dude told me. We'll see.)

Meet Roxanne!

Since about the third week of this discussion about the Walden boards, I started researching them. I looked for a Walden on Craigslist and, occasionally, I would find one. However, either it is was the wrong size (I'm trying to stick with a 9'), or it was sold by the time I sat down to send an inquiry about it. I started looking at area surf stores and I found at least two of them that carried the Walden Magic model. One of the stores that carried the 9' Walden Magic was a small store on the Strand and the other was Soundwaves on Montrose. I'm sure there are others, but I couldn't find them at the surf stores I regularly visit. Soundwaves had several 9' including the Magic model 1, 2 & 3 I believe. I'm not to sure about the differences between them except for price. The Magic model 3 was more expensive. One of the models they had was the Wahine, which is similar to R's except that instead of flowers, this one had a painting of a mermaid on it. I thought about it for a few weeks and priced them online. I eventually decided that I would get the mermaid Walden, despite the fact that I didn't want to spend that much. Even during the past week when I had pretty much decided that the was the board I would buy, I would call a different store and ask about their boards and almost be lured into buying a different one. One of the boards I found was a fiberglass Doyle. It was less expensive than the Walden, but I couldn't get the Walden out of my head. By looking at the dimensions, I could definitely understand why it would catch the smallest of waves. It was a little thicker then some of the other boards including the Doyle. It was also epoxy, which is the new material used in boards. I had been thinking that epoxy replaced fiberglass...I guess I just hadn't thought it through. But, I eventually realized that epoxy is actually the core of the board...a much lighter foam for the core.

On Friday, instead of surfing, I asked my surfing buddy R to go with me to the Soundwaves on Montrose and buy the board I appropriately named Roxanne. She's beautiful and incredibly light to carry. I couldn't wait to try it. Saturday was rainy, but Sunday seemed hopeful. At least until I heard from Surf Dude B who said that the surf was incredibly rough and sloppy as well as filled with seaweed. I decided that I had to try Roxanne anyway. So I loaded up and went down. I made up my mind that I would probably only stay out for a half hour or so, and that seemed to be all I needed. The current was AWFUL and the waves were rough and unstructured. Several male short boarders were out having fun, but I had a tough time just getting to the outside. Once I made it out in the rip current, I was automatically pushed back in. I was able to pop up and ride safely to shore on the first wave I decided to take and I caught several more in the whitewater after that. It wasn't the nicest of days, but I got to ride my new board, which made it all worthwhile. I didn't turn that much better than my other boards, but I think that will only be a matter of time, and that after practice, I will. I do think the board took off faster in the waves, which will help me develop a faster pop-up and I think, eventually, help me turn. I can't wait to surf again. I sure hope there are nice waves one night this week or, at least, by next weekend so I can attempt to "hang ten!"

Tropical Storm Debbie and waves

Hurricane season is going full strength, which means that it's only June and we already have a named storm starting with a "D." Tropical Storm Debbie is in the Gulf of Mexico. (I heard one of the forecasters say that it's the first time in more than 70 (?) years that we have had so many storms so early.) Surfers have been wondering what the next few days might bring in the form of waves since several models had it moving closer to us, with possible landfall in south Texas. However, tonight seems less hopeful for waves. The storm is forecast to just cause a lot of rain and wind for Florida. Sorry for Florida, but very glad we don't have to worry about a storm. I'm not sure if it's because of the storm, -- there are some who say it -- but the waves were pretty this weekend. They were small, but very well formed in a way that we don't always see or experience on the Texas Gulf Coast in June.

One of my other hobbies is cycling.
I love seeing unusual bikes! The
paint scheme on this is great.

It all started on Friday. I had already planned to go for my usual afternoon surf session because I had heard from one of the gals I met at surf camp who was going to bring her daughter to town for a surf lesson. And, there she was taking a lesson from the surf dude when I arrived. I had already received a report that the waves were good. And, they were: small, but well-defined. I immediately took my 9' board out. It was wonderful. The sets were easy to read, which is somewhat unusual for Galveston in June. Oh what fun! I surfed for approximately three hours. I had some unusual wipeouts, which I don't completely understand, but I also had some clean rides where I turned a little. I get worried about my pop-up every once in awhile because I feel awkward doing it. I pop up and then I wobble. It's almost as if my knees are locked, but then I settle in and get back into what I think is good posture. I need to practice that. I'm not sure why, after all this time, I'm still having that feeling on occasion.

Sunday brought just about the same type of wave, only a little smaller. I went out at 7:45 a.m. at 36th street, moved to 45th around 9 a.m. and stayed out until about 11:30 a.m. My visiting friends returned to the beach on Sunday, and I had the privilege to lend my board to her daughter who, after only a couple of lessons, was quite good at surfing. I pushed her for awhile, but she asked if she could do it on her own, and I said "Definitely." She seemed to have a good time, as did her mother. By the time I left at about 1 p.m., I was bushed and a little sunburnt. I had an excellent time though.

On another note, I'm still looking for a new board. I need a 9' epoxy that will be easier to turn. I don't want to spend a lot of money on it, but I'm thinking that to get the kind of board I want, I just might have to spend more than I originally thought I would spend. Who can put a price tag on fun, right?

Post-playcation surfing

I had approximately six miles of hiking
to do before I would be back at my
starting point. It was a long,
strenuous hike.

I can't have a pre-playcation (vacation) post and not have a post-playcation entry, can I? This year, instead of returning from vacation on a Sunday, I returned on a Saturday, which meant I still had one more day to play before returning to my regular schedule, which, although still quite fun, is much more subdued and includes work. Although I love my job, sometimes a little time off revs the internal engine a little, which it has definitely done this time. I'm excited to be returning to my "regular" life. I got quite a workout while I was in the Smoky Mountains. I hiked every day while there, with two days of very long (12 to 14 miles, which is long in the "hiking" world, especially in the mountains) hikes and four days of medium-distanced hikes and one day of only six miles. The hikes were beautiful and sometimes strenuous, but worth every step. Fortunately, I always had an inn to return to at the end of the day, and don't have to "rough" it like many hikers. Today (Sunday) could have been a day of relaxation and unpacking I guess, but I opted to bicycle and surf. I can always do the laundry tomorrow after work, right?

This morning, I did a quick little 28-mile bike ride before loading up my 9' Softop "Iris" for a quick surf session. I didn't have a lot of time, but I wanted to get in at least an hour or an hour-and-a-half of surfing before my "fun" time was over. I made it down to the 43rd street jetty about 11:30.  It was getting crowded and, by the time I left, was packed with people. The wind was blowing WSW, which meant that the best waves to surf were on the west side of the jetty. Generally this time of year, we surf the east side of the jetty, but not today. The waves looked decent from the seawall view, but once I was down on the beach, I could see what some of the issues might be. They looked as though they might "play out" quickly. And, once I took the rip out, I found that to be true. It was easy to be pushed away from the jetty, and the first time that happened, I caught a short ride right away. After that, though, I had to wait for waves. They would either break at another spot close to me, or fizzle out. I got pushed in by the current several times and made a rather weak attempt at getting back out without using the rip current. I quickly realized that was an error. It took way too much energy. A couple of young guys on short boards were catching some waves closer to the jetty, which is amazing since they were on such short boards (5'-footers). Although, I must add that even they missed waves because of timing. I started just staying a little closer to the jetty myself and, from there, was able to catch a few waves. I had a blast, and was even able to maneuver around the guys when they suddenly appeared in front of me. I fell a couple of times because I locked my knees and bent forward, but I think that is only because I had been off the board for more than a week. It usually takes me a couple of rides before I feel comfortable again.

Toward the end of my surf session, I had the pleasure of meeting and surfing with two new surf instructors hired by Dude B to help at his camp. Both of them were polite young people who I know will be inspirational to those who they teach. It sure is special to meet such nice people!!

And, although my playcation is over, I plan to keep on playing...at home.