Category: Surfing
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My Life in Surf Boards
The surf board is an essential part of a surfer’s interaction with waves. Some might say it is the spiritual connection between the surfer and Mother Nature. The size, shape, and style of the board reflects both the surfer’s personality and approach to wave riding as well as the trends in board styles and design over…
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Shark Attacks and the Surfer’s Dilemma: Cull or Conserve?
Sharks are frequently in the headlines these days as a series of attacks across the globe has turned Shark Week into Shark Year. With an unusual number of publicized attacks on the US eastern seaboard, Reunion Island, Australia and in South Africa, hardly a week goes by where the media or local politicians don’t cry out for action to increase the…
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Dr. Abalone’s Field Guide to the Six Species of Surfers
After traveling the world these last four decades searching for interesting creatures and critters, I, Dr Abalone, have discovered a consistent pattern among the creatures that inhabit the waves and beaches of the known planet called surfers.
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Shark attacks are on the rise: five things you need to know
We should be afraid of sharks half as much as sharks should be afraid of us. — Peter Benchley (Author of Jaws) [Listen and read] The classic tune to Jaws strike fear even in the most causal beach goer. As a marine biologist and surfer I spent a fair amount of time in the water…
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Surfing Bali in the 1970s
Bali, 1978. A distant memory, more like a dream. In my mind a mystical blend of a stunningly beautiful island, my youth, an exotic culture, and the most awesome waves in the world, all in a haze of magic mushrooms. I was 20 and visiting my parents stationed in the Philippines, Subic Bay. My older brother Craig told me…
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Best Years of Our Life: Cal Poly 1975
In September 1975 I started college at Cal Poly and I was terrified. It was a wild time and I quickly met people, got rides to the beach with friends and girlfriends, and had one of the best years of my life.
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Aiming for the Ultimate: Riding the Tube
The first thing that got my attention was how the noise of the crashing wave suddenly went silent. … Another interesting aspect was how everything seemed to slow down. This slow motion sensation, combined with the silence, had me wondering whether I had entered a different world from the one outside the tube. The most…
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What Lies Beneath: the Waves, Reef and Marine Life of Maverick’s
The wave at Maverick’s is unique in many ways: its location, the geology and geomorphology of the reef, and the massive swells that surfers ride. In many ways Maverick’s allure is the story of its reef, which is legendary for creating both a perfect large wave and a reef seemingly designed to punish those attempting…
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Caught Inside: Surfing Nightmares and the Legend of Dickie Cross
A dream: I am standing on a rocky jetty staring out at the ocean as the sun starts to slide below the water. A large storm is approaching but it is warm and a gentle breeze caresses my body. The waves are huge and rolling in with tremendous power between the two breakwaters jutting out…
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Best Years of Our Life: Pacific Beach 1971
It was the best years of our life When we were children remember what it’s like To bring back memories of the good things we once knew To be right, there’s so much we gotta do. — Iron Butterfly, Best Years of Our Life, Metamorphosis ▲ click to hear the music ▲ Listening to Iron Butterfly transports me…
