Salt Creek. Stop #1 June 16, 2008

Summer-time. Need I say more? Every California surfer knows what summer means. Summer brings warm water, long days, no school and if you’ve already begun working for a living, it means a nasty case of the summer flu, coincidentally timed with arriving swells from the south.
This year, I’m going to do again, what we all live for. I’m going to get up early, and stay up late, and I’m going to sleep in my car. I’m going to wear 45, and I’m still going to get burned. I’m going to hit all my local spots on good days, and I’m going to visit friends at theirs. I’m going to get my share of good surf this summer, because that’s what we do, as surfers. The difference this year is that I’m going to share my adventure with you. I’m going to document it. Here we go.


Well, this week is the last week of school for local groms, and next week at this time, the waves at all the hotspots will be packed. But today, the weather is warm and it feels like summer, without the crowds. My home base is in Orange County, so I’m headed to Salt Creek to get my journey started.
Oh yeah, one other thing that comes with summer, parking patrol is enforced. I have to remember singles this year.
What a day, the water still has a touch of chill to it, but it's warm, and there are a bunch of guys trunkn’ it. Occasional pulses that are near head high are keeping the young rippers flying, I’m sure there are multiple shots heading to the magazines today. There are a few photogs in the water, and a few on the beach, and about every 5th ride-able wave has a face on it you’d recognize. Also mixed in the crowd, that’s still light for the conditions, are a few older locals, some young groms, and some young kids playing in the white wash. But the waves are plenty and the vibe is pretty chill. At any given time, Salt creek can be a great representation of the California surfer.
So I got my share of waves, and as I was walking up the hill to the parking lot, I paid attention. I paid attention to all the guys just getting out of school, or off work, and running down the hill. They are doing exactly what I’m doing. I don’t know them, they don’t know me, but we all share a bond. We share the stoke.
This summer is going to be like all those earlier ones, I’m going to learn a lot, I’m going to surf a bunch, and when the days get shorter, I’ll look back on this summer with the documents to prove, that we did it again.