Author: Dr Abalone
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Lessons from Killer Dana
Among the powerful slogans used in the battles to protect surf spots along the coast of California, that of “Killer Dana” still resonates among the surf community. The loss of Dana Point, and it’s renown right point break, should serve a stark reminder of what could happen without the protections we currently have in place. […]
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When Invertebrates Ruled the Planet: the Enigmatic Rangeomorphs
The Ediacaran period represents the earliest appearance of complex life. It’s a fascinating era with many puzzles. Chief among them are the Rangeomorphs, an enigmatic group of organisms that were ubiquitous in fossil assemblages over 580 mya, 40 million years before the “Cambrian explosion.”.
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Sure Thing BBQ Beef Brisket
For those of us addicted to working our way through the BBQ line-up, brisket remains as one of the most challenging categories. Over the last decade of my (serious) BBQ life the brisket stood as the last great challenge to be conquered. After many years of admittedly self-inflicted torture, I am happy to report that I have narrowed the number of uncontrolled variables to a point where I can now produce a great brisket every time.
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Amazing BBQ Ribs using a Pit Barrel Cooker
Nothing beats tasty BBQ ribs on a warm summer afternoon. The aromatic smoke drifts out over the neighborhood, reminding us of the long summer days ahead. After years of both spectacular successes and failures I have learned to develop several decent rib recipes. Honestly, all that changed after I cooked ribs on a Pit Barrel Cooker.
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What is a Surfer?
What is a surfer? The answer varies, depending on your perspective. Here’s mine. To some it is an art, a sport, a religion, a profession, an addiction, something you do on vacation. Maybe it;s the biggest thing in your life, maybe it’s your entire life, or just an occasional joy.
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Our Environmental Past Can’t Become Our Future…
Forty-eight years ago millions of people in 192 countries across the globe created Earth Day on April 22, 1970. The first celebration took place in 2,000 colleges and universities, 10,000 primary and secondary schools, and hundreds of communities across the US involving over 20 million Americans. That day changed the world. Lately, it seems like we are forgetting what […]
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Ocean Movies you Love to Hate: Blood Surf (2000)
Combine surfing + sharks + reality TV + pirates + salt-water crocodile and you have Blood Surf, an ocean movie that goes by the taglines of “Where a surfers dream can become reality” and “Chicks dig scars.”
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Indomitable: The Spirit of Chris Hitchcock
Despite the neverending complaints that life isn’t fair, in reality it isn’t. Some of us are born into circumstances beyond our control and spend our life trying to catch up to where most start. Unfortunately, many don’t even get close. The truth is we never really know what anyone else is dealing with or where they are coming from. […]
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California Lost: Time Was…
As I have written, moving as a surfer was a bummer, especially when I left California for the east coast in 1974. In this case, we moved near the end of my junior year to northern Virginia where I finished high school. What I didn’t appreciate was how my mind would respond to the change in scenery. Although […]
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Ocean Movies you Love to Hate: Tentacles (1977)
Suction cups of death threaten the tourists of a seaside resort in this cheap Italian knock-off Jaws. Fortunately, the hapless swimmers and boaters are saved by a plucky marine biologist who trains two killer whales to devour the eight-armed menace.