Sidetracked

Need Stoke? There’s Surf Everywhere — Even In The Waves Off Of  Chicago 

After a real crummy week, I was in dire need of The Stoke. So I was elated Friday evening to get what was perhaps the biggest stoke of the year.

At A-Beach in Morro Bay, it was sunny, the water was actually warm (comparatively, anyway), and there were decent sized waves (for May). What a way to kick off the weekend.

 Of course, the weekend is now over, as we face the prospect of five more work days. But I want to keep The Stoke in the forefront. So I thought I’d explore ways other people find surf. If nothing else, it reminds me how lucky we are to live on the ocean.

Let’s start off with dynamite surfing.  I know some people get a real bang out of surfing, but this is ridiculous.

Now some skeptics said, no, this guy didn’t really catch waves caused by dynamite. And I suspect these are the same naysayers who say a guy didn’t actually get towed in by a great white shark, which I referenced on my last blog entry.

 And to those doubting Thomases — those know-it-alls who love to dispel everything fun – I’d have to say this: Well, okay. You’re probably right.

But glacier surfing actually is real. In fact, several news outlets have done stories about it.

Of course, you don’t have to live near glaciers to surf. You just need a river. Or you need to move to Chicago. Sure, you might wind up with a few icicles in your beard in the winter, when the waves are best. But at least you’ll never have to worry about sharks. Just make sure you remember to record the Bears game first.

The longest waves, of course, are found in the wake of huge tankers in Texas. Some say you can ride 15 minutes on a tanker wave, which to me almost sounds like too much standing around. And if you miss the first tanker, the lull could be long until the next one comes around.

Me? I’ll probably stick to Morro Bay for now. I’m just not into explosives. And while the water is indeed a bit chilly here, I usually can still feel my face afterward.

Photo: From “Step into Liquid”

Posted on May 19th, 2008 by Pat
Filed under: Surf stuff