Small Wave Scientists Unite!

     If there's one thing I enjoy about summer it is definitely the small SW swells that we get down here! Nothing beats pulling up to the beach to see waves! Yes!! It's not lake flat! Often times it goes flat as a lake....cross your fingers and hope that we are in for an active summer! This spring has been active so far with barely a week long flat spell (knock on wood!!!) The main thing to remember when you do get the first sight of knee-waist high slop is BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU GET!!!! Many times New Englanders call it being 'skunked' truth is...you're not! Drive! Explore! See where the swell is going to wrap in the best. Cape Cod is a fail safe in the summer. She picks up a multitude of swells and yes, holds some serious size and barrels like you wouldn't believe!!! You won't believe it until you see it. So instead of complaining about how Rhody is flat or how Horseneck Beach is overcrowded and surrounded by hounding life guards who won't let you surf....EXPLORE! Get pumped on waist high surf.
     The thing about small wave surfing is it it so sensitive to every motion your body makes. Surfing small waves can be an amazing time with the right board. Not only that but it hones your wave riding ability in larger surf. Believe it or not, a small wave is MUCH more difficult to ride than a larger chest+ wave. Momentum generation skills are finely tuned on knee-waist+ surf. So don't complain! Rise to the challenge! Learn to fly on small surf and you will soar on larger surf. One thing to remember is board selection. With the arrival of new fish shapes at XB constantly, there's all ways something new to get your feet under. The guys at the shop will take care of you ESPECIALLY if you tell them Joe Booth sent you!!!  They all ride what they sell and they certainly are not out to rip you off like larger corporate shops. Heck, they can even line up a custom shape for you!
      Oh yea! For those of you who follow this blog..in the past week I have been picked up by Solid Surf Co. http://www.solidsurfco.com/ pretty pumped! Getting a 6'2 in about a month or so. I'll have a review posted as soon as I get that new piece of foam under my feet. Stay tuned!! Thanks for reading. Peace!

Old Navy Coupons

Fuel To Burn

If there was one thing every surfer needed at the 42nd Mid-Winter Classic surf competition over the weekend it was fuel to burn. The weather wasn't too brisk but it was cold enough to feel the chill. Intermittent Snow showers blanketed spectators as the contest progressed. Home town heros Ray Jarvis and Joe Booth took Narragansett surfers by storm. Ray with a 1st in Master Shortboard and a 2nd in the Men's Shortboard Open and Joseph, despite lack of time for recovery between heats, managed to take a 1st place finish in the Men's Shortboard and fought through two consecutive heats back to back to manage a 4th place finish in the Men's Open Shortboard. Lesson Learned. Don't surf a heavy session the day before a contest. You will be drained. It was worth it! I have only one picture to prove it. Best left hand point break in Southern New England without a doubt in my mind. Hopefully it'll break again soon!!! Washed my board over the rocks and I'm still smiling when I picture the heaving vertical late drops that were required to make the sets on the outside.

Easter Surfing Associations' 42nd Mid Winter Classic Surf Competition

There's a little under a week left to pack as much protien and carbos into my system as possible. Yes, I will be attending ESA's Mid Winter surf contest this year. Surfers from all over the east coast are rumored to drive up this Friday in the hope of pursuing glory in 30lbs of wetsuit rubber(neoprene). Only the strong will survive. If there's one thing about a winter suit, it is the resistance training it is capable of producing. Suit up and try running a 1/2 mile, even 100yards. You could try running with a 30lb weight dragging behind you too.... One thing is eveident about this Saturday's event; I feel like a locomotive on a colision course. When I think about my first competition it fuels the fire I have had since day one of my addiction to surfing year round in New England. Yea, it's cold in Jersey, Freezing in Montauk, but Rhode Island? How could could Rhode Island be?

Isolated!

You can't really say much more about finding a new spot than it is AWESOME. The thrill of the hunt will freshen any NE surfer's perspective of paddling out during the freezing months of winter. Long story short we drove North and SCORED. Got two small wave sessions in and plenty of water shots. All alone.

Sunday, Feb. 08th, 20:10

Frigid morning session. Surfed with 3 plus including Xtremely board's own Hottel and assist. manager. Not too consistent but it was fairly fun on the occasional chest high set that would sweep the middle of our oh-soo dependent (in 11+sec swell intervals) point break. Rode my new LSD 5'6 fish you can view at xbboardshop.blogspot.com you'll have to dig through the older posts. Locked into one barrel and had a couple of fun turns. Wind was cold and offshore at about 20+mph. Juuuusst enough to tear a few waves open enough to claim a legit cover up or two. no pictures. Sorry folks...maybe next time Ray and myself will get the water camera out. Pray for surf!