Freddy has some teeth

While practicing tai chi with the sliding glass door open, I could hear the roar of the waves as they crashed upon the reef three hundred yards across the golf course. In my mind I went thru the various possibilities and probabilities influencing where I'd surf today. When it gets big like this, Turtle Bay loses its sparkle, white water everywhere, no face, close outs, basically a crumble festival. The alternative is to surf Freddy's, in between Backyards and V-land. It aint easy lugging the big fat wave catcher around but by now you know I am dedicated. To What? I don't actually know... but we will save that story for another day. I decide to check Turtle Bay's scene just to make sure, you never know what Poseidon is up to. When I arrive at the Turtle Bay point my eyes learn what my ears already knew: their aint nothing but slop out there.

Back in the condo, Bri and Vini stop by while I am making a super smoothie. Bri wants to get a set or 2 in before he take Vini to the dentist and I agree. Meanwhile, Pipeline Masters is happening. My Dad is out with the mobile so I figure that I might as well hit some balls around. We are able to play a set and a half before the time runs out. I managed to only lose 6-3 this time. Cutting down on errors and more winners. The second set Bri started to dominate and I'd yet to get a game before an abrubt ending.

I fume back to the abode, boiling in strong emotions like a tempest in the sea. I can barely see straight, all I know is that I need to get out and surf. Folk's let me use the Explorer to cruise over to sister Liz's, where I can park the vehicle and make the quick walk to Freddy's. From Backyard's it does not look like much but I know that the distance makes it deceiving. I spy the current just on the other side of Backyard's point and slip out into the turbulent waters. The rip takes me out rather quickly and soon it seems like I am in the middle of the sea. There are no waves near me but now I can see that the outer reef is producing some 10-12 foot waves. I feel a kind of awe, a kind of dread at the power of these giant waves. I see more and more surfers on the inside. I am not sure if I am at Freddy's or V-land. This makes me nervous because V-land is ultra localized and the most dangerous thing out here is a big angry human.

Eventually I learn that I am in deed at Freddy's. My first wave starts out simple. I catch some white from a big outside wave. The white has major power and shoots me forward like a bullet in a gun so that I am going from 2 MPH to 35MPH in about 2 seconds and then I stand up and then the wave reforms and gets double overhead and then the edge of my board catches and then I am crushed by the wave, driven underwater for 15 seconds. Tug to the surface with my leash and am shocked and humbled like a young soldier's first experience with combat in battle.

I paddle back out and catch a few more, one real long wave that was rough and wild. After being out for over and hour I've had enough and wait for a wave to take me in. It arrives and once again I get a fast ride that stalls before the wave reforms and sends me like a rocket into outer and inner space. I fall off it and spot another wave on the inside just breaking, I quickly establish a semblance of positioning and try to ride it but this thing get huge and powerful out of nowhere and then my board gets spun around and I am thrown on top of it and all I can think is watch out for the fins as I smash my shin and hold the board to my chest not wanting it to clock me. Somehow I manage to only have the bruise on my shin as a love tap from the brutally indifferent and playful sea.