Theft is bad any time of year, but during the Christmas season…? I confess to you that I blatantly took something that was not mine. And you, dear reader, may be an accessory to my malfeasance by enjoying the above headline, which I have used without attribution for decades.
These words not come from me. I lifted them from the pages of Surfer Magazine, circa 1975. Mea maxima culpa. Hopefully the statute of limitations is up, and I will escape doing time.
It’s been quite a year for North County beachies. The waves broke along with our hearts as we lost international surf gurus Mike Hynson and John Peck, and locally, our beloved RC and Shros. I know there are others, and I apologize to loved ones if I missed their names.
In the gain column, local boy Tosh Tudor has quit riding beneath his father’s immense shadow. Tosh can now be seen being blasted from the guts of Pipe, Lopez style, while maintaining equal amounts of grace on shore. We all love that kid.
In the world of longboarding, lifelong friend and surf filmmaker Steve Cleveland acquired some new Canon equipment. Cleve is busy daily, shooting the top talent in the county, including local standouts Ryan Burch, Zach Flores, Taylor Jensen, and CJ Nelson.
When asked about a La Paloma release date for the next film, Cleveland instead lifted his phone and revealed some brilliant quick clips of his favorite riders, indicating that the communal attention span of our tribe has been divided by 60 and now lasts less than 60 seconds, rather than 60 minutes. Still, we continue hoping that Cleve will once again rattle the walls of the La Paloma with 60 minutes of pure fun.
Noting that my 7’6” had acquired enough dust to plant a row of radishes, my friend Rob “Red Baron” Morton gifted me his 9’1” Steve Clark. That board, in turn, opened a still greater gift for me, the gift of waves which were generated by the original wave machine builder.
Surfing on Christmas morning has been a tradition. It began on Christmas Eve with midnight mass. The next morning, we rose early, still in flannel pajamas, exchanging gifts around the tree. This was followed by a massive breakfast. While I couldn’t tell you what gifts I unwrapped that morning, I clearly remember the waves my younger brother Dave and I rode.
Arriving at Palos Verdes Cove, we looked out at tiny surf. While the rest of the world was opening gifts of far less value, we were being washed clean by gifts the Maji could not afford. While we did not sing “Joy to the World,” we verbally acknowledged the newborn king, and the blessings he bestowed upon us in the form of moving water.
I intend to surf on Dec. 25 of this year, and I hope you do too. Together we can open gifts that require no batteries, won’t end up in a landfill, and we will never tire of. Merry Christmas to all and to all a G’day.
I wish you a Glassy Christmas and an Offshore New Year. May I be forgiven.
