THE SHADOW KNOWS

8-22-07
By Corky Carroll

I don’t care what anybody tells you the real hard core fact is that riding really big surf is not only really scary, actually downright frightening to be honest, and also extremely dangerous.  Life threatening to most mortal human beings.  Especially me.

In the very early days of big wave surfing almost all of the guys that were doing it were great swimmers and divers.  These were dudes who could hold their breath for like weeks at a time with little or no trouble.  Most of these guys could free dive, without oxygen tanks, to like a hundred and fifty feet or more.  They could get down there and hang out for a while too.  Check out the flora and fauna and cool lookin’ fish and make faces at each other.  That very fact is what made a lot of the early big wave riders surf big waves in the first place.  If you could hold your breath forever and then swim in against some very strong currents it took most of the danger out of it.  I was not one of those dudes.  When I was in my very best surfing condition I could hold my breath for like six seconds and that was only in the bathtub with no turbulence at all.   Add the pounding of a giant wave and I was in trouble as soon as I hit the water.  

The first time I paddled out at Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu I was petrified.  I had no idea that I could be that scared.  Before that the worst fears that I had known where like monsters under my bed and stuff.  But this was real.  And the waves were really monsters and I knew they could kill me with no sweat at all.  Monster walls of water blockin’ out the sky.  I could die.  

As years went on I became more confident in big surf and actually learned to like it.  I was still scared but I liked the thrill of the whole thing.  And also there were other guys out there that couldn’t hold their breath forever too.  I guess there was some solace in the fact that I wasn’t the only fool out there risking his life.

One of those dudes was NOT Ricky Grigg.  Ricky was an oceanographer and probably could hold his breath longer than anybody and could swim from Laguna Beach to Hawaii and back if he needed to.  There was once a photo of Rick in some major magazine, maybe LIFE or one of those, petting a huge whale about the size of the Queen Mary.  Ricky and I are good friends and we both share a similar sense of humor.  He is really good with puns.

So one day Ricky and I are both out surfing Waimea Bay.  It was a pretty big day but not one of those enormous days that you are afraid of close out sets and stuff like that.  Just a good solid big day.  And it was a nice sunny day too and there were only a few of us out.  About as user friendly a big wave day as you’re gonna ever get. 

We had been out there for a while and were both getting a lot of waves and having a good time.  In between sets we were talking and joking and having a good ol’ time.  Then we got involved in some long story about something or someone, I can’t remember really what it was about.  Ricky was facing out to sea and I was sitting there facing the beach during this conversation.  We were like in the middle of this when all of a sudden a big dark shadow came over us.  At first I thought a cloud had gone across the sun.  But then I saw Ricky look up at the sky and the look in his eyes told me it was something else.  He just slid his legs over his board and abandoned ship.  I only had time to look over my shoulder when this wave the size of Mount Everest broke right on top of me.  It was one of the worst gut wrenching, lung burning, arms flailing, gagathon wipe-outs I ever had.  When we finally both came up Ricky was laughing and I was seeing stars and calling for my mama. 

That was the day I learned to never ever turn your back on the beast.  Always pay attention to what’s comin’.

THEY WILL SURF AGAIN AND EAT CHILI

The wave ~ 8-22-07
By Corky Carroll

I love it when I get information about something really cool.  Especially when it has to do with surfing and doing something productive for society at the same time. Today I got an email from Garrett Hamblin who is Co-Captain of the Sons Of the Beach Surf Club here in Surf City.  They are involved in helping raise money for beach wheelchairs.  Local surf star Robert August is also a part of that movement in Costa Rica.  Here is information from Garrett on the Club and a coming event to raise some funds for the cause.

“A little more than a year ago, I had a crazy idea of starting a surf club within the Huntington Beach Elks lodge of which I am a proud member. To me, it just made sense.  Our lodge is in Surf City and we are known as the Sons of the Beaches.   It started with four of us who surfed together on the weekends to fifteen members. Not all the members surf, but they are all very supportive of the lifestyle and help us on our monthly beach cleanups.  

But it really wasn’t until I happen to read an article in the Outdoor page of the Sports Section of the Register on They Will Surf Again that we found our mission as a club. It was about an event they were having at Bolsa Chica State Beach.  So we got our club together and went to see if we could help out.  Little did I know that it would literally change our lives.  As volunteers, we connected with a handful of injured surfers together for a day of excitement, joy, and best of all, surf. Seeing the stoked looks on their faces as they charged down the waves was just priceless.   We couldn’t get over how fearless they were.  Some have not surfed since their injury, some have never surfed, some surf all the time despite their varying mobility.  This Adaptive Surfing Program that TWSA (They Will Surf Again) provides is so important -- making it possible for injured athletes from around the country to converge for a day of surfing! 

We decided to make it our club’s pet project to help TWSA where we can.  Seeing it first hand, we knew they needed equipment. As more and more adaptive surfers want to participate, the need for Beach Wheel Chairs is becoming increasingly urgent.  This wheelchair is lightweight with specialized oversized tires for easy beach access that can get them into the water and ready to surf.   

On Saturday August 25th, The Sons of The Beaches Surf Club in association with Huntington Beach Lodge # 1959 will be hosting the Orange County Elks Chili Cook-off and Classic Car Show at the Huntington Beach Elks Lodge at 7711 Talbert Ave, Huntington Beach, 92647 (between Beach & Gothard).  This will be a fundraiser to purchase a Beach Wheelchair to benefit THEY WILL SURF AGAIN, a division of the Life Rolls On Foundation. The event is also to raise awareness of TWSA efforts. They will have an information booth as well as their ambassadors present.

This should be a great day.  Not only will there be great chili, but also an antique Car Show featuring 60 classic models from 1969 and older, a Salsa Making Contest, Live Entertainment, Raffles, Vendor Booths and a Silent Auction.  All ten Elk’s lodges have been cordially invited and are challenged to bring four of their best chili teams to compete. There will be trophies, $600 in cash prizes and of course bragging rights for the winners and the answer to which Elks in Orange County makes the Best Chili. The event will be open to the public, but only Elks in the Orange Coast District can compete in the cook-off. The Salsa Making Contest and the car show are open to anyone.   The event will be from 9 am to 6 pm.  Admission is $5, which includes the car show and an opportunity to taste all the competing chili and vote on your favorite.  Other food and beverages will be available to purchase. “

Well this certainly seems like a great event and one that we all ought to support.  So get out of the house that day and get down there and eat, drink, meet new friends and help out.  The person in that beach wheelchair could be you.  Or worse…..me.