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Isla Vista Surfing: End of School Pictorial
by Paul Costales
With the last week of UCSB underway, fog deeply entrenched on the coast, and some wind swell still in the water, it was time to document the surf scene down past IV this Tuesday. Driving through IV, you could feel a certain energy in the air, no doubt from finals and upcoming graduations. On the walk down from IV to Coal Oil Point, there was a different kind of energy that is in these dozen or so Turkey Vultures ravaging a washed up sea lion. They have done a good job since last week. That is the 2nd of two sea lions you walk by on your way from the stairs to the Point.
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No trip to Coil Point is complete without checking out what new artwork is up on the structure known as the 'Block House', 'Jail House' or several other names. Art or Vandalism? You decide.
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Another staple at Coal Oil is the Snowy Plover Docents, and here you have one of them settling in for his shift on the beach. Beyond him is the roping preventing people from entering PloverLand. The docents could probably make a few bucks on the side by doing surf photography, but they usually seem pretty content to enjoy the view.
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This dude to the right doesn't know what he's getting himself into. His buddy loaned him a wetsuit and a board and threw him out to the wolves. Although the waves certainly weren't big out there, they were consistent and fast enough to make for a steep learning curve for this fella. He was overheard in the lineup saying, "First I have to learn to sit on the board, then I'll try to paddle for something."
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There were some kids out at Stu's tearing it up. Waves were typically about waist high but sometimes something a little bit bigger would roll through. The tide made them closeout a little more often than you'd like, but that also gave the waves a little more snap considering the size.
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This guy was getting some good cutbacks in, even on a knee-high wave like this he was able to throw up a little spray.
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Here is a beauty of a wave; there can be no complaints about scoring waves like this in June 'in town.' In fact we've had a fairly decent month, a few great days so far, and a lot of "rideable" days to keep from going crazy.
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This guy gets 'surfer of the session' award. Although he was on a longboard that got him into waves easier than all us shortboarders, he used his power wisely and didn't abuse his advantage in the lineup. He had a keen eye for getting in the right place at the right time, and the longboard helped him get setup and down the line a lot earlier than many shorties who were stuck behind the peak.
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There was a lot of this out there; getting stuck in the whitewash since the waves were pretty fast and it took some skill to get in the right spot.
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On top of his telepathic sense of where to be in the lineup, the longboarder had a grace about his turns and trimming.
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All in all, not a bad little lunchtime session for June.
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