Hang 10, Dude

The Surfers Pro Shop is closing down

I just heard that the Surfer's Pro Shop in Oceanside aka Donald's retail store in Oceanside California is closing down. It in no way affects Hawaiian Pro Designs. The shop wasn't run by Donald, but rather a Japanese company called K&T Enterprises. Sad deal because the shop is actually pretty cool. Donald was there almost everyday, and there was even a shaping room in the back of theshop, in what is the garage area. I spoke with Donald's nephew, and he had all kinds of theories as to why the retail store was going out of business, but at any rate, its a sad deal. I am hoping that someone can step up and save that place, because it has been there for a long time.

Takayama Noah Ka Oi/56th Street ASShole

My surfing friend trace just got a like new Takayama Noah model. It's a 9'0" white resin tint 2+1 with no gloss coat. I was able to ride it at Church last Tuesday, and it was surprisingly easy to ride. First wave I was on the nose with it. Take off and it immediately finds the pocket. Run to the nose. Second wave was just as fun. Trace rode my Guy Takayama GWAT and I think he had fun with it as well. Second or third wave he drops in and sets up, tucks under for a barrel run,. right in front of me and gets a cheater five, five toes over a 7'2". And then wipes out. I dive a bit under, bail on his board and pop up. Everything ok no harm no foul. It was a good day.

On Thursday we decided to surf 56th street in Newps when this complete asshole pulls up behind me, steps out of his car and says "I might not run you over here, but in the water, I'll run you over." Total asshole young punk. Trace chimes in, "We might laugh here but in the water we won't laugh." Then this guy, in his 20s, who drives a black A3, takes off his shirt and wants to kick all our asses. "It is a good day to go to jail, then he mouths off that we come to his local break, blah blah blah" Total localism asshole. Except I have been surfing West Newps before he was even born. So Trace called the cops on him for threatening us. I mean we are all in our late 30s, I am in my early 40s, and I have been surfing for 30 years, with the majority of it up and down West Newport, including 56th street, and this total dick wants to fight us because we didn't agree with his boorish behavior. He wants to go to jail for fighting us? Fine. Rich daddy will probably bail him out. I can't afford to go to jail, and I wouldn't even fight the guy, unless he threatened my family. That is the only fight that is worth fighting. So to the asshole who drives the black A3, don't even bother trying to drop in on me, because you might just get stung by a Red Scorpion.

Staying Shacked

The new Howard Special Mini

The new Takayama Howard Special Mini.

Over at Mitchs they've got a few new versions of what looks like the Flow Egg, called the Howard Special mini. This board looks super fun. 6'10" to 7'6" with a sanded gloss and tweaked v in the tail as well with Jack Jenson tuned side fins and Larry Allison tuned center fin. Can you say speed?

Church, SANO, and 38th St

Paddled out at Church yesterday, one of the first south swells of the summer and got absolutely hammered on the paddle out by consecutive waves on the head. Usually, when Church is firing, you can paddle out to the peak from the side. Yesterday the waves were closing out at the shorebreak, and there was no real "channel" to paddle out to get to the peak. I was seriously going to give up trying to make it outside when I finally made it out. Exhausted, the sets were well overhead, walled and ugly. Kevin caught a good right that held up, and he took it to the beach. I got the next one which was a semi close out. Dropped in, got a few pumps down the line then it closed out. We then went to Sano

San was more of the same. The shorepound was unforgiving, and we met up with Trace and Austin. I finally made it out, but the waves were shifty. I spent the entire two hours chasing ghosts, and caught just five waves. Kevin was on fire, with his wave count into the double digits. I had a bad day with the Red Scorpion. The waves were essentially gutless big gobs of mush, but the Scorp spun out on the first wave I took, the fins for whatever reason didn't hold. On the second wave, I stepped on my leash (Big days, I wear a cord), third and fourth waves, I didn't even feel comfortable on the board. It felt like a whole different board than what I was used to. Just a crappy session. It wasn't any fun at all. I did talk to Liz, she is one of the Takayama riders, not sure if she is a team rider but she is pretty cool anyway.

38th St. Newport
Now I haven't surfed any jetties in Newport for a long time, at least since Paul moved to Hawaii. Today, I went down and found a parking spot, and paddled out at 38th st. First shift consisted of the groms, going for a session before school. Second shift could've well been the groms dads. Waves were definitely better than Sano yesterday. Hollow, with an occasional overhead barrel. I had a blast on the Red Scorpion. The lefts were coming in pretty consistently for the first hour and I scored several hollw lefts, placing my arm in the barrell (and filling the armsuit with water in the process) just for fun. I got maybe 8 or nine solid fun waves, and a host of smaller fun waves. I love Red Scorpion again.

Donald Takayama Scorpion 5'6" Quad at Lowers