Jet Lag.

Ponquogue, Oct 12, 2013

My Dad was a “Road Warrior”. I don’t know how he did it. 

I had to be in LA for a two day meeting last week. That meant I spent Tuesday flying, with theoretical sleep on the plane. I arrived, I had 1 hour to shower, then meetings till 10 PM, or 1:00 in the morning my time.  At least I spent that night [Tuesday] in a hotel bed. I was up at 6:00 on Wednesday, with more all day meetings. I caught the “Red Eye” Wednesday night, arrived home at 6AM thursday, showered, and went right back to work. Two 10 hour days in a row. Last night, I slept in my own bed with Lauralee, my ridiculously understanding wife. 

So what’s your point Frank?...”Don’t worry, I’ll get there.”

All week my phone [in between calls from panicked customers] was blowing up with reports of Mast high waves, and 30 knot side shore winds. 

Yesterday I was desperate for some wind and waves. Perhaps a little impatient as well.

I knew the surf was huge. Bunger was holding their contest, and the web cam’s were showing classic Nor-Easter conditions. Saturday morning the winds did not seem to be touching down on the west end of the island. However reports from the east end were quite the opposite. “ponquogue... sand blowing, truck shaking, wind cranking sideshore 4.7 maybe 4.2, shorebreak very manageable. I'm heading over.” I had been reading Jeff S’s reports since 5AM, I was wired. Jeff would be my sherpa guide for today.

I could not contain myself; I was out the door for the two hour ride. I thought “I would rather have too much wind and waves, then miss this altogether”. Once I arrived, Jon F. of Windsurfing Hamptons gave me the much appreciated lay of the land, [launch over here, stay away from there, etc.]. Thank god he did, because I was very much the novice ski bunny on this double black diamond yesterday. Pete was sailing well, as was Jon S. Jon F’s bottom turns looked so relaxed and effortless, of course Jeff S made it look easy. “Yea...I can do this”

What I did get, was a beat down. Eight attempts to breach the shorebreak...on the two times I did make it, I was rewarded with sweet DTL logo high waves. But of course I rode them too long and was treated to multiple hold-downs. One jump on the way out, I realized I was too high to land well. So I pushed the boom away from me to bail. I didn’t un-hook and launched into an unintentional forward. At work tomorrow, people will ask me about my black eye. [The first rule about forwards; is we don’t talk at work about forwards.] no one would believe me anyway.

That’s the thing about the ocean. She is strong and it is only natural for her to inflict damage. But she also gives you great pleasure, if you’ll let her. You can’t panic when you are going through the rinse, you have to accept that you're going to get banged up every once in a while  But that is why I love it. Because it is hard, difficult, beautiful. Because you never stop learning, it’s why I keep coming back. I would not trade those two DTL rides for anything. It’s always worth it.

Thanks to Jeff Schultz for inviting me, and for the two photo’s here.

Photo by Jeff Schultz

Photo by Jeff Schultz

It was truly one of those days I will play over and over again in my mind.

Well I just cleaned all the sand out of my wetsuit. Let's try again.

See more of jeff's photos here. http://www.flickr.com/photos/peconicwindsurfer/sets/72157636522775026/