I collect more than just old surfboards

My trip to America has been fantastic for my 1978-1983 surfboard collection. I have scored some great boards and had a fantastic time connecting with new people and learning more and more about US innovation period surfboard design. But I'm interested in more than just the boards from the great US shapers. I'm interested in the history the culture the personalities the boards and naturally the surf breaks they were built for. I'd say I've been even more successful in collecting US surf and surf culture experiences than I have been surfboards. I've visited every break mentioned in the Beach Boy's songs I grew up with and I've tried as hard as I can to get out and see the best of what the Californian coast has to offer.

You would think that if your going to write a blog as a hobby, you'd buy a decent camera instead of relying on a iPhone with a dirty lens. Not me, so please forgive the terrible photos of my adventures. I almost never take shots of sets or of the surf when the conditions are ideal as that's when I'm frothing to get in the water. The phone only comes out at the beginning or end for a quick shot to remind me of the day.

High lights of my US surf break collection from the past 2 weeks include (going South to North)

Blacks, arguably the birth place of the US thruster surfboard and home break of shaping legend Rusty Preisendorfer 

I collected some sore legs going up and down the trail.

Some sick left hand barrels

and some unbelievable sun sets.

Seaside Reef.

I've collected a few parking tickets here. Is a great fun wave that is generally over run by packs of shredding groms. The right is often better than the left but when it get big enough the kids disappear and the left turns on.  I love the way the left has a series of ledges and steps you need to weave your way down and through the connect the sections.

This day had some solid sets, sun shine and off shore wind.

although the crowd is usually diabolical I was the only car in the car park on New Years Day, just in time for a thick fog and a new swell.

George's
Half way between Seaside and Cardiff is a series of beach breaks called Georges. All I've collected from here is these photos and a bunch of beatings on my back hand.

shot with the phone, out the window while driving

Cardiff Reef.
CR is a favorite of mine at low tide and decent swell.
It can get hollow, the rides are long, it breaks left and right and it can hold almost any size.
The craziest thing I've seen at Cardiff was during a King high tide. The swell came in over the reef and reformed in the river mouth creating a left that broke along the edge of the bank and peeled all the way to the bridge. Some skilled long boarders were surfing right under the bridge!

a bad photo of a nice barrel

Swarmi's.
My love hate affair continues with Swarmi's. She can be so fun and so annoying at the same time. The fact it never closes out means it can get over packed with any one with a surfboard althought the mood is generally pleasent and rarley agro. I have collected some pretty good wave counts out here and because its a relitively easy wave it means I get to experiment with all my new found vintage surfboard designs out here.

I stopped to shoot this vid with my phone as I was getting out of the water and walking up the stairs to go to work on a wednesday.

Trestles.
You always appreciate the things you have to work for and I think the long walk into trestles makes me appreciate it all the more once I get there. We have had a few bigger days and a few simply beautiful small clean winter days too this year.

Rincon.
A real high light for me was scoring the Rincon swell of the 5th and 6th of January.
I got to collect a couple of fantastic long rides, some great memories and a very special Rincon souvenir that I'll get to keep forever.

pulling in at low tide at the river mouth I scored a fin chop from my own board.

I collected a new friend on the path named Nick who cleaned me up and found me the address of an Urgent Care in Ventura.

He came with me, hung out for the stitches and took me out for beers afterwards.

I've collected great freinds, great boards, get storeies and a couple of great new souvenirs this month!