Tag: surfing

Our World

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAI’ve wanted this salad w/crab cake, since the day I wrote the post, Man vs. Nature, about the dune restoration going on at Slider’s Restaurant, on Amelia Island.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERACason was playing. It is her birthday. She is a compelling performer, as well as surfer. She has a Southern, jazzy repertoire, that blends with the atmosphere. I can easily visualize her, singing her songs at the Grand Ole Opry, or having the lights shining down from above, capturing her stage persona, on the televised show Austin City Limits.OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAThe sea oats, planted by George, the owner, are coming up nicely. I’m going to give him the benefit of the doubt, that he did this in the best interest of the dunes. Yes, it was shocking to me to see the machinery in the dunes, after all that I have been taught about the ecology. But new oats have been planted, and in conveying his story to me, he seemed sincere. He has no intention of adding more tables or putting in a pool. Time will tell. OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERAIn the mean time, I want to enjoy this place that has become such a popular source of entertainment. They certainly have good food and a positive vibe.

Tomorrow, I’m leaving the corner, that has become my world: our world. I’m going to Nicaragua to photograph my friends surfing.

We’ll land in Managua, and then drive to the beach.

As I sat in the middle of this decadence, I allowed myself to enjoy it. Even though, in the back of my mind, the poverty that I will soon encounter, loomed.

*I am locking her down now. The next time I write, I will be in a new neighborhood. I’ll be on someone else’s corner, in their world: our world. 

Stoke!

ac6d837fb69e91869e6c87aac10bacd8The word stoke has a surf connotation.

However, my first recollection of its use was to fuel a fire; whether to give the burning wood air, to keep the flame ablaze, or throwing on another log. Stoke meant expending energy to keep things going. In this case, fire.

Pre-Columbia, our island’s first known inhabitants were the Timicuan Indians. In the above picture, you see the fire tenders, in the center of the compound. Their job was imperative, as the fire was necessary for their survival.

In the forefront, a dugout canoe is being hand crafted. Being on the water, was another essential part of life.

On Amelia, many years have passed, since the Indians walked their paths, to the sea.

But the trail has not been left cold. Continue reading Stoke!

Sam’s Corner

IMG_5743Yesterday, I met Sam. I was out with my camera looking for surfers to photograph. We had about a 15 mph wind, blowing out of the east. That is not ideal for waves here, but bad conditions don’t stop local surfers. It’s called wind chop, and the dedicated, will venture out and catch wave after wave. It’s all about the stoke. That’s one of the reasons Florida surfers are such epic wave riders.  The conditions go from flat, to windy, to thick fast slabs, that dump over a foot of sand. There’s not a lot of in between. A Florida surfer need not be transplanted to be a great athlete, but often, if moved from their circumstances, to the GOOD waves of the Pacific, well, the name Kelly Slater says it all.

Sam lives on my old block.

IMG_5744I thought that I would live there forever.

But people kept moving to the island and the lifestyle change was too much for me. I could no longer fish in front of my house. It seemed like there was a new sign and a new law, everyday. Those condos were built behind me and my view of the dunes and trees, twisted by years of hurricanes were gone forever. It shocked me.

I ran to Costa Rica.

IMG_5738

Sam’s out catching waves, unencumbered by the past.IMG_5705IMG_5708IMG_5718All of this looks normal to him.

IMG_5719As I sat in the sun with my camera and watched him paddle, catching wave after wave, I felt very content.

Meeting him has helped to shift, that last bit of perception, enabling me to let go.

IMG_5745Yesterday, I saw through his eyes.

Sam’s Corner.

David Montgomery

IMG_2968shsIMG_8785shsIMG_7120shs

 

Besides being a surfer, David is a talented, on-the-hill, artist. You can see examples of his work on silverfish closet.com.

 

No Fear

IMG_8133wpfearThis might not be the biggest wave of Hurricane Sandy but to me it’s one of my favorite photos from that storm.

This wave is in Fernandina Beach, FL. It has never been the easiest place to surf. It is a shallow beach break, which means, that it tends to break fast and is unforgiving. When you don’t make a wave here at low tide, especially in bigger waves, it can feel like hitting concrete.

So, it’s not a good idea to learn to surf in hurricane waves. In places where surfing is more a part of the local culture, people don’t mind paying their dues in the white water. Continue reading No Fear

Transformation

Metamorphosis

If Kafka–had surfed, would he have transformed into a bug more appealing, say a light and colorful butterfly?

Surfing lends itself to beauty.

Backtracking Sandy~4

This is an example of Day 3 of Hurricane Sandy, here on the island.The entire day looked like this. It was a good day for drinking coffee.The next morning, Rooster and I headed out, after watching the weather, to circle Main Beach ~ the end of the road that crosses the island. We were going to get coffee and cruise around ~ our favorite, island past-time. I was shocked to see two surfers passing by at a high rate of speed. I dashed to the house for my camera, vowing never to be without it AGAIN! I caught up with them at the Log Cabin. Locals will know where that is. All surfbreaks have names.Nice bottom turn.Exciting take-off.

There’s that nice wipe-out I was talking about.

Sandy’s gone~but the photos I have just go, on and on.

Backtracking Sandy 1

This is an example of the waves that can get kicked up in a storm, here on our island.When you see pics like this~you’re first thought might be ~ he’s never gonna make that!And then he does ~ 

And then there’s this surfer.This picture was taken on the same day.He had been very selective~choosing one of the less threatening waves.Nice~WIPEOUT!

This surfer is Josh Pinkin. The west wind was blowing him back off  the wave. He was being very cautious. The other surfers and people on the beach had concern. Inside, I was cheering him on. Right now, I had the thought of the ONE wave I rode at Puerto Escondido, Mexico. I could see people on the beach getting out of their chairs and pointing at me. I was an old lady, back then fifteen years ago. Anyway, I made it, he didn’t. There comes a time that every surfer has to step up.

He did and he was obviously happy about it, wipe-out and all.

 

Zack Miller

Zack Miller

Yesterday, I grabbed my camera and headed to the Spot. There were four surfers out and I enjoyed takings pics. I would never even consider paddling out in windy waves like that; not anymore.

Hurricane Sandy is headed our way here in Fernandina Beach, FL.