Day One: I watched 'Boilers' from the beach. Hard to believe something that big could be ridden. Hard to believe that people would paddle that far to get to it. But the air is still and the wrap-around from the North swell is going off. I can barely see the silouettes of tiny figures coming down the waves. The white roiling froth is three times their size behind them. I sit transfixed as the sun slowly sinks behind the trees and my hammock feels chilly.

Day two (not Boilers!): the wind has picked up a bit and three surfers are heading down the beach. I paddle out behind them, noting that the kneeboarder is looking back to see if I made it over the rough water at the reefs edge. It is good that someone notices me out here; I know this break, but also know it is one that can be tricky. It is good to have company out here.

The lineup is small - two shortboarders, the kneeboarder and me at the outer break; the inside break is pumping with two spongers and a grom-shortboarder peeling off every wave with flourish and flamboyance. The young 'uns dominate the inside and are showing off their skills. I always prefer the outside myself, even though I know I may have to back off some of the larger waves; I would rather do that than dodge boards inside.

On the outside, we are rather quiet. One boarder is intense, going for every wave, but I see that he rides them far inside, so I figure I will have a chance to catch one while he is paddling out. The other two seem more mellow. They know the break. I don't feel like jockeying for waves today ... but, if I am going to get any, I know that I will have to do my 'demo ride' to prove that I know how to do this stuff. I finally decide to go for it ... I choose to share a wave, riding a few yards behind the other shortboard. I notice that he looks back, but I know that I am not threatening him and that it was his wave as much as mine. Perhaps he felt guilty; later he gives me a wave. The lineup is close - it is a tight peak and we are working out the protocol quietly. I am watching how it happens.

A longboarder joins us and throws a new kink into our 'order.' The kneeboarder is on one end of the lineup (catching anything he wants - a strong and skillful rider) and I am on the other end. I don't want to be next to the boards, so I move. The longboarder follows. I really don't want to vie for waves with a longboarder, so I move back a bit. He follows. I am finding the guy annoying. He asks the kneeboarder about the break, and it is obvious that he has never been out at this place before. He is going for any wave he can ... and being a longboarder, is getting most all of them. At one point I am set up for a perfect wave, and I can see this guy out of the corner of my eye. I hear the kneeboarder yell, "Go for it, Sistah!" and I imagine him freezing the longboarder with his stare ... lol ... I take the wave.

These waves are what I dream of. The first few seconds is freefall (except when I can grab the wall quickly enuf!) ... then I am slicing across a perfect glass slope ... I feel the momentum quicken ... then when it is beginning to wane ... amazing! ... a new wave has formed inside; I kick into it and slip right into another long ride. I end up gracefully sliding up over the shoulder. "Doubles" ... sigh ... I would take them over size anyday. (For the number ppl: the first wave was about 1+-2 overhead ... the second about shoulder-waist high).

The longboarder is still busy trying to catch every wave; he is snaking everyone and completely oblivious to the others' expressions. Inside, one of the spongers ducks him and then yells out to us, "He don't know how to turn!" The boarder next to me says "I told my son to stay away from him. He's dangerous" The kneeboarder shakes his head, "He gon' break his board. It's too shallow goin' left. I told him. He no like listen." I watch the lineup get ruffled.

I had been having harsh thoughts; now I am feeling a bit 'vindicated' ... it isn't that I have outright 'longboarder prejudice' -- it is just that dealing with a newbie (kook?) longboarder in the lineup is a *lot* more painful than dealing with any other new rider. It is like having a cow in the kitchen ... I just don't know where to move to avoid being trampled. The worse thing is how these kooks can catch waves they can't handle -- they just let everyone else work around them.

To be fair, I have been in double overhead waves with *masterful* longboarders and have never feared them. I just doubt that those guys (those 'real surfers'!) waited til they got out in that kind of surge to learn how to control their boards!

Anyway, I didn't stay around to see if the guy cracked his board. I don't know if he would have learned anything from that anyway.

Day Three: ... ahhh ... Lani's looks so inviting ... but I am homeward bound ... sated ... ready to rearrange my life. Can a townie adapt to country life? ... stay tuned ...