Hurricane Bill hits J ville
Fun Surf and Good Times
- September 2, 2009
- 0 Comments
- By Story/Photos By Paul Grisham
Ah the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. Hurricane Bill has come and gone and even though we were all a little disappointed that Bill downgraded from a category four swell to a category two swell and thus wasn't as intense as we were hoping for we are still very grateful for what we got. Let's not forget when you live and surf in Florida you take what you can get and we will take all The Bill's we can.
The thrill of victory was in Surfing what Bill sent us and the agony of defeat is Bill is gone and so are all the waves that came with him. Wouldn't it be sweet to get surf like we got from Bill at least once or twice a month, year round. Well because we live here in Florida we all need to pray to the Surf Gods for Divine Intervention to make this so!
Bill's swell was the biggest and best late Friday (8-21-2009)and was at least double overhead and in some places triple overhead. The North Jetty at Hugenot Park was really going off and their were plenty of sizeable barrels to tuck into there and all around here. I was told this was also true at the so called " Secret Spots " which don't exist anywhere in Florida anymore. Ha, Ha. There were plenty of waves to be ridden and everybody was pretty stoked and made the best out of the short time Bill's swell lasted.
Since Surf Guru is located in Brevard County I think it's pretty cool that I grew up surfing in Satellite Beach and learned how to surf and later really surf at Hamburger House, Rc"s, The Pet Den, 2nd light (Officers Club) Shark Pit, Sebastian, Monster Hole, Wabasso, Hole In The Wall at Play Linda Beach, and "OUR REAL" secret spots just to name a few.
My how times have changed. At that time (1968) we would stash our surfboards across the street from De Laura Junior High and later Satellite High and go Surfing at the crack of dawn and Surf until we could just barely get to class before the first bell rang, well most of the time.
Of course now you can't do that because now all of the Oceanfront is nothing but Condos and what not from Key west to the Georgia line. In those days we would camp out on the Beach at Spanish House and almost anywhere else. We would have Bon Fires on the Beach and do whatever we wanted to on Central Florida's coastline, and I assure you we did whatever we wanted to. Ha, Ha.
One thing that is always certain is change. You try to change with it but you still remember how it use to be.
For instance when Me and my Yahoo's (Friends) went Surfing we had so much Fun and it was a Peaceful, Spiritual Experience. Just Me and my Friends and Mother Nature. We looked out for each other and Hooted each other on and whatnot. Ah Change, now granted their were alot less people in the water then and the times were much more laid back but It's still a Shame and a Bummer that Now Surfing is more of a Battleground with Huge Egos and Attitudes to Deal with. People have lost what Surfing is Really Truly about and when you surfed then and surf now the change to some is almost overwhelming and I am sure some don't surf anymore because of it. Please understand that You would of had to have started Surfing in 1968 to understand and comprehend what I am saying here.
Surfing has also changed in alot of other ways too. Now it's all about doing the most radical manuvers and tricks you can and Who does them Best is of the Upmost Importance. My first surfboard was a waterloged 9"8 Hobie and I could hardly carry it in fact sometimes I would just drag it. Just before I moved to Titusville I was then riding a 5'6 Tomb and Reeves. Both boards had a single fin and they hadn't even invented the twin fin yet let alone what we have today.
When leashes came out we would't wear them because they were for kooks and now it"s been forever since I haven't worn one. You probally won't believe this but the first leashes they had was a suction cup with a line on it that you put on top of your surfboard and held in your hand. Then they graduated to drilling holes through our skegs and tie a line from it to our ankles. (There was no comfortable velcro to wrap around your ankle.) Of course now it's on top of the surfboard and we have State of the Art leashes.
Oh well I just wish we had the surfboards of today and and all the other high-tech stuff "Then" surfing our REAL Secret Spots and mostly everywhere else with no crowds or hostility. Hmm Change, but it's still another day in Paradise, Right? I hope everyone who surfed Hurricane Bill had as much Fun as I had an that there are are not some that got to depressed that somebody else was more radical then them or caught more waves and hopefuly not to many people got beat up or beat each other up.
Ah Change. Remember now don't forget to make sure you appese and pray and make burnt offerings, whatever it takes to the Surf Gods to get that next Tropical System to grow and grow and come our way and send more and more of them! See you in the water or maybe not, I forgot, sadly I don't live in Brevard County anymore. Peace, Paul Grisham
End of Story- Some known local surfers that you wanted are. Cody Thompson and brothers, Gabe Kling, Asher Nolan, Karina Petroni, Kayla Beckman, Clay Bennett, Dick "Rozo" Roseborough, Bruce Clelland, John Tully, Kahlene Harris, Mitch Kaufman, and oh yea Me (unknown) Paul Grisham