G-narly Day
Friday - February 10, 2006
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Del.icio.usWhoa, surfers!
Grip your shorts - we have more giant surf arriving! It’s been a ridiculous run of surf-brewing storms. I’ll have to check in with surf buddy and “Guru Forecaster” Pat Caldwell to see for sure, but I think this winter will be in the record books somewhere. We’re at 15 serious storms at last count, but who’s counting? How many waves do we really need? Geeeeez, tired already! I gotta rest up the body and get ready for more. Wheaties, Cheerios and coffee ... lots of coffee ...
We can expect about 15 feet by the time this hits your home ... but as of Tuesday it was still a little far off to get specific. We just know the waves will keep rolling into shore - and this season they’re pounding it! By the end of this month we’ll be leaving the Big Three winter months. March can deliver 20-foot surf, it’s just more likely to happen in February ...Check out Surfnewsnetwork.com for probabilities and 638-RUSH for reports ...
On Super-Tow Sunday, there were 15-25 footers on the outer reefs, spots such as Phantoms (off V-Land), Outside ‘Log’ Cabins (off Pipeline) and Avalanche (off Haleiwa). Some estimate this was one of the best and biggest Logs since Kenny Bradshaw rode the biggest wave ever in 1998!
When I say some barely lived through Super Bowl/Tow Sunday, I mean that literally. Thank God no one died that day. However, someone came close ... somebody we surfers know can handle G-narly waves: Mr. Marvin Foster.
Carvin’ Marvin was a contestant in the second annual North Shore Tow-In Surfing Championships at a place called Puena Point - off to the right of Haleiwa Harbor and way out there! And it was !@#$ BIG, man - averaging 12-18 feet of real raw Hawaiian juice. Imagine screaming 30-40 mph on a tiny 6-foot bullet-board on a wave 30 feet in the face! That’s not all ... it’s peeling fast “down the line” for a football field. Thick heaving slabs of water with an “I’m gonna eat you” look. Too much ... but there they were, doing their thing! All guts and glory! Hats off ...
Anyway, back to Carvin’ Marvin. He was racing these giants “backside.” Yes, with his back to the waves! He evidently pulled up inside the mouth of one of these beasts and didn’t make it out, but got swallowed whole. Surf photog Scott Hartvigsen of EXOTIC IMAGES HAWAII told me that a second wave hit Marvin just as he popped up exhausted and out of breath from the initial wipe-out. That was enough to nearly kill him. It was so bad the judges almost stopped the event! Here was a serious waterman in serious condition. It was a great job from the lifeguard and paramedics who acted swiftly and skillfully, pumping that heavy water out of Marvin’s lungs and administering pure oxygen. What was for a time silence, in fear of the worst, erupted in cheers of elation when “the bull stood up” (with some help). It’s reported that he is recovering well. Stoked! ...
At the epic day’s end it was one of the planet’s most fearless men, Garrett McNamara, and tow partner Kealii Mamala who took first place out of 18 tow teams. As a token they got $5,000 to risk their lives… Perfect proof that these men who ride mountains don’t do it for the money, but for the love and pride of it ...
Congrats to Ace Cool (Alec Cooke,) the executive director for “going for it” as he always has. Thanks also to Scott Hartvigsen for the awesome photos. The Phelony NS TowIn Championships was a huge success and dedicated to Hawaii’s Mark Foo who drowned Dec. 23, 1994, at Mavericks in Northern California ...
I’m GQ, dropping in 4 U!
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