Are you stoked?

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zgur
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Are you stoked?

Post by zgur » Thu Apr 25, 2013 2:17 pm

I've been kiting for a long time now....and what keeps me coming back is the vibe from my bros and the amazing conditions that this sport offers up.....

Thought I'd share a little story of the stoke reservoir getting filled....I love those stories myself, because when I read them, I get to relive my amazing sessions.....

Yesterday I had a meeting in the city w/a customer...i'm in sales,I get "NO' all the time....it comes w/the territory....even though I'm used to it, that shit drains you......

I have my "stuff" (surf+kite) in the car just in case my schedule enables me to get sum....the dudes who valet my car always give me a funny ass look...nothing a $5 tip can't cure is how I look @ it.....

Busted out of the meeting at 2, after a solid lunch.....stopped @ gas station to do the "super man change over": from work costume to normal clothes.....ripped down 1 to see if I can find some south swell....was looking breezy around Piscadero, but not enough to kite.....

Pulled up to waddell and did 1 more work call.....saw big ass sets coming in that are way beyond my skill level/desire to get hammered.....saw bodies and boards get bruised....

You see, I've only been surfing a few moths, and have paid some big ass dues....gear broke, skin ripped, etc.....nothing like kiting, but enough to have massive respect for the power of mother ocean.....and to apply a bit of judgement (vs. - fuck yeah, I'm going out bitches)....

so in the late afternoon I had a choice: pussy out and go into town and deal w/the highway of humanity in the lane, or brave the north coast.....

I pulled into Davenport to take a dump: you see, when I see big surf and think about going out, my body wants to release everything...TMI??? i dont care, dont read my shit if you are easily offended....

The surf @ Davenport was big, fast and powerful....a 4' south swell can really stand up to be big, fast and powerful....The visual beauty of the day was off the charts...glassy water, clearing skies from S. to north, a few clouds in the sky....waves that are peeling and have rooster tails flying off them...looked like a cover of a surf magazine......I manned up and put on my my suit, wax on and started to paddle out....

Shark bite was too burly for me, and its a left....I prefer to face the wave......paddled to the North point where the south swell was exploding....

As I was paddling out to avoid getting pulverized by a giant set, I crested the biggest wave just before it broke....the sense of relief of making it over w/out eating shit is huge.....as the wave threw me into the air, I saw a full breach of a giant whale.....It looked like it was in slow motion, powerful, very big and incredibly beautiful.....

I felt very luck to witness such an amazing sight....The Sup guy next to me, has been surfing for 20+ years has never seen a full breach like that so close to shore.....we talked about how cool that was.....

The next set that came was big and shaped well...For a change, I did not do the tweaker thing and take off on the first wave, but waited....let the first 3 pass....the 4th one was a groomed glassy giant bearing down at me.....standing up like a giant ready to swallow me whole.....

I turned the board around, deep breath and started to paddle....a brief glance over my shoulder gave me a sight I will NEVER forget: A green wall of glassy water about to lift me.....the energy that lifted me up was amazing....I did not pussy out or spaz out, I paddled 1 more time, popped up and started my bottom turn...things went into slow motion, all my senses were heightened....like a mini mushroom trip....

What felt like days later, but I'm sure was only seconds, I was close to the beach having made more bottom turns then ever on a surf board w/out a kite.....I know I was moving fast because I felt the wind blow my hair due to my speed....but it felt slow motion and amazing.....shit, I want that again.....badly

The stoke level in my heart, soul and mind were unmatched.....

Get sum, Z

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WindMuch
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Re: Are you stoked?

Post by WindMuch » Thu Apr 25, 2013 2:50 pm

Z,

Epic.

Kirk out

friggin old guy
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Re: Are you stoked?

Post by friggin old guy » Thu Apr 25, 2013 3:39 pm

Sounds like instant samadhi to me. Some people need to spend years trying to achieve it through meditation and introspection. But you can get it dropping into a good wave in milliseconds.

I was out on a Sup at OB on Sunday when a pod of dolphins went by at the same time as a pod of whales. I was out beyond everybody else catching the weashy outsiders, nobody within a hundred yards of me. I always click at the dolphins when they go by. One of them swam by, heard me clicking, and swam back to check me out. He probably spent about 5 minutes swimming in circles around me. Most of the time he was almost right under me, and he was creating so much upcurrent with his flukes he practically knocked me off my board. I was giggling and laughing like teenage girl.

Describing these things can never do them justice. (Ok, maybe especially the part of a fat old guy giggling like a girl.) But the stoke sure helps provide balance to all the other stuff out there.....Z you are right, we are sooooo lucky to have access to such experiences.

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OliverG
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Re: Are you stoked?

Post by OliverG » Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:22 pm

Thanks Z, that sounds cool.

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Loscocco
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Re: Are you stoked?

Post by Loscocco » Thu Apr 25, 2013 9:35 pm

thanks for sharing the stoke Z. you have always stoked and inspired me a lot!
Keep it up!
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