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The big Wind**Sea Surf Club's Menehune Contest is next weekend - and the local groms will be hitting the heavy practice regime for the next few days -

Of course, not all groms are created equally - John "My Bud's a Karl" Snead and Jon "Tube-Time Champion" Roseman were born a bit too early for this year's competition - close, but no trophies for them this year.

This is the genre of grom [this photo is not appropriate for wimmin or chillin to view] that sends shock waves up and down the coast due to their lack of surfing ability, as well as total disregard for all living things, regardless of age, gender or race.

For some strange reason, the Big Shots in the Wind**Sea Surf Club picked some grumpy old guy to be The Beach Marshall for the Menehune Contest.

If you like to bet on future Menehune Contest winners - here's a sure thing: Paige - Menehune Contest Champion, 2009

Sunset enhanced by ash from LA fire.

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Finally, the moon-shot sized crater on my toe has closed, the staph has gone by-by, thanks to better living thru chemistry.
This morning was gonna be my first time to surf in about 10 days, but it was a bit windy.

- SO -

I tried to get to The Arena before the hostile locals and post school gang arrived-
No such luck - so I shot a few photos

A friend of mine attracted a crowd, he did this to his board with his own thigh, and the last I saw, he was on his way to the Emergency Room.

I think the circus was in town, showcasing the talents of the Flying Burrito Brothers - just a few of their trademark poses:

Barishnikov Pose
Face Plant Pose  
One-Armed Hand Stand Pose  
Fetal Position Pose

The Ratlanders were getting covered in Ratland - Josh and Mike went out at a place that has been called, thru the years, as The Pumphouse, Kolmar St., Billy Decker's Reef, Reed's Reef, and Tommy Wolfe is a dork Reef - however - it is probably best known - since the early 60's - as Dips and Squats.

I did not have much time this afternoon for anything but finishing-up some homework -

- SO -

I thought I oughta go by the Seal Pool and check-out the action.
There was one seal on the beach, and it seemed to be getting along pretty well with a couple of other predators, and some touristas.
The south swell was picking-up again, so I thought I'd look at the adjacent south facing beaches.
No takers at North Wipe-Out - or whatever it's called - but this is what I noticed at South Wipe-Out:

Scuba Guy attempts to come ashore at Wipe-Out Beach.

Note how shallow the water is - these skimmers are in less than 12" of water.
Anyway, it looked to me like Scuba Guy was in trouble, it even looked like he was asking the skimmers for some help?
The beach is really sloped here, and the guy, despite his efforts to get in, got sucked back out by the rip / backwash.
[The lifeguards did see him, and were ready for their 911 efforts]
I have no idea if this is true - but - someone at the Seal Pool told me that Scuba Guy was told by a Seal Worshipper that he [Scuba Guy] could not enter the water at the Seal Pool.
Intimidated by the Seal - save the seals, nuke the humans - Worshipper, [and the threat of a big $$ ticket] Scuba Guy went out in a very dangerous location.
He almost paid the ultimate price - if he had drowned, would the Seal Person provide for Scuba Guy's family?
Scuba Guy may not have been an experienced La Jolla diver, but he certainly did not have to almost drown to learn his lesson.
Will the Seal People ever admit that human life is more precious than that of a seal?

Today was Eric's Birthday - I thought the kid was about 22 or 23 years old - SURPRISE - he's 29!

Eric's wife, Steph, planned, and executed, a wonderful birthday for Eric, family, and friends.

I got to the party a bit early and played some over-the-line, naturally, I can still [35 years ago] bomb the ball when there ain't any outfielders!

My sons' progress thru life, have never stopped amazing me!

If I were to paraphrase the definition of quality [offspring], it would be something like this:

Quality children can simply be defined as meeting or exceeding the expectations of their parents -
My three sons have far surpassed any expectations / dreams that I could have ever imagined!

Another day of crappy surf in Barrio La Jolla - Comstock as always, was guarding the Bench of Despair
The freshman class of La Jolla Shores Surfing 101 was getting front row status
The Uptown beaches were packed because of Tourist Invasion - Sept 06
The impoverished local urchins were fighting over who could learn to surf on the broken board

I started playing in the water at LJ Shores in about 1954. My Shores friends and I rode skim boards and surf mats, and we would try to stand-up surf on anything that floated, including paddle boards and even ironing boards.

The goal was always to acquire a real surfboard and become a SURFER!

As our in the water skills improved, we took a bit more notice of the abilities that the surfers who drove to The Shores, displayed.

Of course, most of the visitors were at least 16 years old, just a few years older than were were, but man could they surf!

Up until about 9th grade, I was pretty content to stay at The Shores and hone my water skills.

I really never gave it much thought, but, it seemed that the surfers who could drive, or could get rides, to The Shores, were absent most of the summer -

Today, I still wonder why the Wind**Sea guys are conspicuously absent in the summer - maybe the photos hold the answer??

I tore a chunk out of my toe a couple weeks ago when I was surfing at Fish Poker's Reef - Luckily, there was a doctor on call, and she ordered-up some Death to Bacteria pills -

Naturally, I figgered if the staph infection went away, I could keep surfing - self diagnosis failure - now I got a much smaller toe and a much larger crater -

So, I'm staying outta the water for a couple of more days - and no - George Bush and global warming / global cooling did not cause the infection - I picked-up the bad stuff in Hawaii forty years ago, and it's always lying dormant, just waiting for an ocean related cut for the great escape - but it [the Staph] always leaves a bit of its spawn behind for future use.

One reason the Wind**Sea Locals, like Max, are such good surfers is that they not only gotta ride Barrio La Jolla's terrifying waves, but they also have to avoid the speed bumps

Grom Gone Wild Matty caught the Wave O Day, and here's the Double Top Secret, Secret, to Matty's big wave riding success: The highly unusual, but very effective [2 Footed Leash Wrap]

Photo by: surfinside.com

The Golden Ship apparently did not carry humanoids, it carried Tippi Hedren's "Birds"

Matty and Joey Race for the big $$$ [Album Grom Pond 2]

Grom Jake shreds the Grom Pond [Album Grom Pond 1]