by SeaCliff, as originally published in “The Aloha Room and Stories of Stoke” on NYNJSurf.com
Golf and surfing share at least some core characteristics - The learning curve for each is endless. And in their own unique way, each sport can yield great satisfaction one moment, and be completely humbling the next.
Yet there is something mystical about our sport that defies easy explanation. (more…)
An Original Work by SeaCliff, as originally posted somewhere, sometime back in 2003.
On the eve of Spring, I offer this look back at winter surf experiences. As much as this is a song of lament, I find myself regretting the fact that there weren’t enough days this past winter like the one described. Who knows, one day I may even publish the accompanying music. (more…)
by The Waterboys, also on the soundtrack to Riding Giants
These things you keep
you’d better throw them away
You wanna turn your back
on your soulless days
Once you were tethered
and now you are free
(more…)
by MikeM, as originally published in “Stories of Stoke” on NYNJSurf.com, September 30, 2006
The catch started off slow in the early morning. Muscling through when the wind blows the boat against the tide can be real frustrating, especially when its howling steady 25 knots and the waves start to stand up. (more…)
by Old_Rock_Guy_in_NH, as originally published in “Stories of Stoke” on NYNJSurf.com, April 24, 2006
OK, here is the deal. It is actually so well etched in my mind I only needed to think about (and feel) the day and it all started filling in pretty well. So sit back brothers and sisters we are going surf tripping to SoCal…
(more…)
By Skye McFarlane, as originally published in The Columbia Journalist, December 12, 2005
It is a week before Thanksgiving, and a winter wind is crashing hard onto the shores of Rockaway, Queens, dropping temperatures into the 30s. Yet the water at Rockaway Beach is still alive with surfers.
Clad in head-to-toe black neoprene, five sleek bodies appear like silhouettes, bobbing in the glare of the late-afternoon sun. As the swells roll in, each takes his turn to paddle and stand, perching atop the waves for a few brief, exhilarating seconds before plunging back down into the frothy 50-degree surf.
by SeaCliff as originally published in The Reading Room on NYNJSurf.com
Time.
Time to contemplate.
A few moments, a handful of seconds. Time to think.
by jonathan, as originally published in “Stories of Stoke” on NYNJSurf.com, September 7, 2006
Under cover of night I moved quickly out my front door and away from the street lights. I wait for the cars to clear, cross the road, up over the boardwalk and quickly down the steps into the welcoming sand. A perfect orb of silver shone down and reflected on the thigh high peelers that the oncoming low tide was revealing. (more…)
by blueberry, as originally published in “Stories of Stoke” on NYNJSurf.com, May 19, 2006
As I was putting on my wetsuit in the dark this morning, I could hear the driving rain outside. I didn’t even want to look at the ocean. I needed to go. I needed to get wet at any sleepless cost.
I walked out the door and noticed the flooded sidewalks. I still can’t see the full ocean from the board walk because its so dark. It doesn’t matter I’m gonna get wet, I’m gonna ride a few, I’m gonna paddle. (more…)
by looseness, as originally published in “Stories of Stoke” on NYNJSurf.com, September 6, 2006
Some years back I lived on a small Caribbean island that got some excellent surf in the Fall through Spring. It was a good time, living with two friends {Clark and Timmy} and two dogs in an old house on the North side with Mango trees in the yard and a view of the Atlantic and BVI from the porch. One of the dogs, Malu, was an adopted stray that wandered up our driveway one day. She looked like a dog that belonged to a friend of ours, so we took care of her for a bit until we found out she wasn’t our friend’s dog, she just looked like her {the dog}. We kept Malu and gave her that name since Clark had read Pau Malu, a cheesy surf novel and learned that Malu meant surprise in Hawaiian {at least that’s what the novel said}. (more…)