Bluegillin' in the Victory at Sea Closeouts!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Pictures of me being thrown from my surfboards, with dreadlocks flying in various directions, never get old. Ever!!

I didn't have much to work with today. My car was in the shop, so getting a board to the beach seemed like an impossibility . . . until it was suggested that we try to cram one of my boards into the car that was left . . . along with the three of us. Yep, it did kind of resemble a clown car when all was said and done. But, hey, I was able to get my Bluegill down to the beach.

Why did I head to the beach? Because it's there. The conditions were terrible, of course. Over the weekend, the home break delivered glassy goodness. Had there been a commercial on TV for our break, the tag line would have been: "Now with more shoulders!!!" In other words, the surf this weekend was decent enough. Today? Not so much. It was closed out and choppy. And there I was on a board that deserves much better than that. Nevertheless, I figured surfing it at that spot with those conditions couldn't hurt. It would force me to work harder with that stick. I was right. I was more attentive simply because the waves sucked. So I did what I could do to eek some kind of session out of that mess. Since it was closing out, it's not like I could angle, pop up and head down the line—not that I've mastered that on this board anyway. I'm a big fan of the bottom turn. Love me a good bottom turn. Well, Bluegills aren't made for bottom turns. As you can see from the photo, I still keep trying to do one. At some point, I will learn my lesson.

This board still delights me. It surfs like nothing I've ever been on before. I felt the beginning of a turn today. I know that tail was sliding out the way I wanted it to. Then, of course, I fell off. I can at least be satisfied with the knowledge that I am getting the hang of this board slowly but surely. The next time we have a good swell and I can get into a wave that promises a lot of face time, I'm leaving the longboard at home. No "nine or nothing" for me. I'm going Bluegillin'!