BlueGillin'

Let's see, as of yesterday, I'd ridden four different surf craft over the last six days. On Thursday, I rode the mat. On Friday, I was on my Almond 8 footer. By Sunday, I'd decided that the longboard hull was the call for that break. It was also my board of choice on Monday.

By Tuesday (today), I was ready for something different. It was a day for BlueGillin'.

It was a time for two little twin keels that barely help the surfer steer.


This board is something else. Part alaia. Part, a very small part, traditional surfboard. It is unlike anything else in my quiver or anything I've tried ever tried to surf.

Much to my delight, even though I hadn't surfed it for months, this was my best Blue Gill session ever. Yes, I still fell, dreads flying every which way and feet up in the air. I also seem to have found the sweet spot. The hardest thing I found with surfing this board is trying to find a way to stay low. Because of the titanium joint and my limited range of motion, I cannot crouch. Still, I knew I could figure out a way to keep my center of gravity closer to the water.

And I did.

The new problem, now, is trying not to run people over. I've not mastered the steering yet. And even though the place wasn't crowded, I still managed to get the KM working. (Alan, Clayfin and Whiff will know what this means.) Somehow, even though I tried to stay away from people, they couldn't stay away from me.

As usual, I have proof of the powers of my magnetic personality—as well as proof that I've finally figured out how to hold my body in an effort to stay low while not bending the knee in a way that's uncomfortable.

This would have been a nice, long wave (in Blue Gill terms) had I not had to end the ride because this guy decided he needed to paddle into my line. I barely averted a head-on collision. Remember, steering this thing is still on my list of "Things to Learn" (as opposed to my list of "Things to Learn to do Well," which includes stuff like staying on the nose of my longboards, learning the mechanical ins and outs of my classic car and minimizing the number of falls I take while on my skateboard).

Oh well. He was apologetic. And I wasn't mad. I just always find it interesting that people manage to invade my personal space on days when a place isn't crowded. I try to give others their space. I'd like to think we can all have a peak to ourselves.

But I know where I live. L.A. is a crowded place . . . even in the water.

I need to ride this board more. And I will do so, especially since summer is coming.

Now with more Blue Gill-styled bottom turns!