Surf

Victory at Sea claimed the life of North Shore Veteran and Big Wave Charger Local Legend Peter Davi at a forbidding spot known as Ghost Tree in Monterey yesterday.  Buoys were showing around 15ft at 15 seconds which amounted to nearly 60 ft faces at Mavericks in the afternoon yesterday and most likely similar size at Ghost Tree.

Reports say he lost his board and just couldn’t make it to shore.  His unconscious body was found later by friend and Santa Cruz local Anthony Ruffo.

Sincere condolences go out to his friends and family.

Swells are expected to peak this evening and you can expect large surf on tap for the rest of the week as more swell is on the way.

According to Mark Sponsler of StormSurf.com, the strongest storm of the season is headed our way and expected tomorrow Tuesday (12/4) with 55 kts winds and up to 45 ft seas targeting all of California from a very westerly direction. This to be Storm #9 of the 2007/2008 season. Heavy surf advisories are in effect.

I’m sure we will see some fine surfing go down in the next couple days. I bet most of you guys have checked out the photos of the tow teams tackling monster surf in Ireland this past week. Very impressive shots and much respect to the chargers out there pioneering some of the largest waves ever ridden in those parts. Check out SurfersVillage.com and Surfline.com for the goods on that.

Enough to get you amped for the swell hitting in our backyard.

I go away for Thanksgiving and look what happens. Beaches open and OB goes off. You guys have to check out Surfline.com if you haven’t already.

The past couple weeks have been a nightmare with the environmental atrocities caused by the oil spill. I haven’t been in the water since the spill and am most impressed and appreciative of all those that came out to help.

The Kill the Spill group has done a tremendous job of bringing people together to assist in the cleanup efforts. Next week there will be an appreciation night at the Potrero Hill Sports Basement here in SF.

Check out the details below:

Stay tuned to ZunaSurf.com for more info….

SURF MOVIE FEATURE:
The main surf film feature TBA. We plan on preceding the film with “The Hobgood Challenge” and some other surprises.

ADMISSION:
Admission to Sports Basement is FREE. Cash registers will close at 8pm.
Movie admission TBD.

The stuff of legend. The Silver Dragon as it is called comes careening down the Qiantang River in Mainland China producing a wall of whitewater in most parts, but in shallow areas perfectly peeling waves. It can travel for nearly 75 miles and produce nearly a 6 hour ride for those with thighs of steel.

About a week and a half ago a small team comprised of a stand up paddler, longboarder, and jet skier challenged the Dragon riding it for over an hour and traveling over 10 miles.

Hundreds of people have perished over the years and it is illegal to conduct any water activities during the bore, but after showing the Chinese government the tourist potential that this holds there have been questions as to how this could be used to their advantage…perhaps performing on the bore in coming years.

Photo Courtesy: Colas/Callahan

With waves like the ones above the World Record for the longest tidal bore ridden has been broken. You all may know of the ones in Brazil, France, and England but none are as large as this.

The closest I have ever gotten to surfing a tidal bore, was surfing a standing wave in Munich, Germany after a big rain. It was much harder than it looked and really fun. Some of the guys I met were doing tail slides and throwing up spray, but had never surfed in the Ocean before. Pretty trippy.

It will be interesting to see to what lengths this natural phenomenon will be explored in the future.  Maybe next time you will see 50 people riding the bore for fifty miles…stay tuned.

Photo Courtesy: Colas/Callahan

Check out more of the details about this epic ride at SurfersVillage.com.

Mick Eugene Fanning clinched his maiden World Title at the recent Santa Catarina Pro in Brazil and brings it back home to Australia for the first time in eight years. He dedicated his win to his brother Sean who passed away in a car accident when they were teenagers.

I am stoked that all the hard work and dedication Mick has shown throughout the season has paid off for him. According to Pete Thomas of the LA Times, Fanning described having a dolphin out there just chilling in every heat he was in and said that it made him think that his brother, also an accomplished surfer, was not gone after all.

Both Slater and Taj were eliminated in early rounds and it will be interesting to see what this means for Slater. Will he retire as the rumors go?

Another big Aussie win was seeing Slater go down by the skegs of Rookie Kai Otton. Getting props from AI at the Arica, Chile event and now taking out Slater. What’s next for this young upstart?

It is a big win for Australia and a massive accomplishment for Mick. He maintained his Pole Position since March and really earned this one. Hope this is just the beginning for the guy.

It is rare, but when it all comes together it is beautiful. San Francisco is one of the few places where as you get closer to the Ocean the real estate prices drop. It takes a special type of person to weather the thick fog, harsh winds, and damp cold. As a surfer, it is the only place I would want to be. The smell of the ocean and the roar of the waves at night is what makes me feel alive. People often question those who live out here and when you say you live in the Outer Sunset they say, oh you must surf.

And I say, YES I DO! Ocean Beach is not all fog though, the locals will tell you that when it all comes together those few times a year it makes all those other cold onshore windy days worth every bone chilling bit.

75 degrees in November. Not bad at all. Everyone was out at the beach enjoying the beautiful weather and warm offshore winds that groomed the overhead surf. Here is a guy on one of the little insiders.

Saturday was a bit more full and had some size and mass in the morning, whereas today was just firing. a little smaller with more time in between sets, but just rifling lefts and rights with definate cover up potential.

You could even get away with a bikini it was so nice.

I surfed three hours in the morning and got some of my best waves out at OB. I had a couple lefts that were all time. I was able to link about three big top turns on one fast little wedge that had me giddy by the time I kicked out.

Another one that stood out was a right hander that I got into late and pulled in tight under the lip to have my hand skip across the face of the wave as I picked my line and drove for the shoulder finishing it off with a little slo mo cutty. I caught so many waves that towards the end of the session I could barely push myself up on a wave and keep from being catapulted into the flats. I know I wasn’t the only one. Why else would you turn your back on a wave like this.

Ocean Beach can get gnarly and certainly lives up to its reputation, but on weekends like this you forget all about it as the whole city comes out to enjoy one of the best things about living here in the City of San Francisco.

Going back to work with a bit of sun, sore muscles and a grin from ear to ear will keep me pacified until the next round of Bluebirds. Images like this will be branded in my mind as I think back on the spray taking the tops off and leaving a full circle rainbow in their wake. The pelicans surfing up and down the beach cruising effortlessly on the unridden swells and the numerous cracking barrels that I duck dove under.

With daylight saving time kicking in and the the extra hours to get wet during the week vanish my weekends will become more and more precious. These last 6 or so hours that I logged in the water will be the stuff that keeps me dreaming for more.