the instant i fall

The following is some notes on a quick roadtrip/adventure to points south:

Salinas, i totally understand why Steinbeck fled.

pismo beach is depressing. lots of sand but no personality. what do people do there? how does one end up homeless on the central coast of california? how can there be so many crackers?

I was incredibly disappointed with this, my first encounter with pismo beach. Bruno and Luccabella also expressed their discontentment with this not so lovely seaside town by leaving small mounds of mushy shit on their boardwalk. how can a coastal "enclave" lack so much personality? there was nothing unique about this burg and i likened it to someone dropping a no name shit town like colton on the coast.

avila beach, same shit, more upper class, more lily white. i think i'd only visit if i had a house there and even then i'd rent it out to suckers.

The trip to santa barbara was worth the time. worth the drive. Arriving late wednesday night after multiple stops up the coast wondering if each place was worth getting to know. The miles finally stopped adding up there. impressive waves. nice, clean shape and not closing out. I had no idea that while i've been suffering with 12 ft close outs in HMB a mere 200 and some miles south was a spot with surf that did not snap boards like popsicle sticks.

We luckily found state st. and went for a stroll, letting the pups out for a stretch at the local hippie mobbed park.the place was insanely packed for a wednesday night. All the stores crawling with consumers, not crazed either, people gazing at clothes and useless crap they'll never set eyes on again once its makes it home. It was actually relaxing.

SB is rather stale and tasteless, much like the rest of the country, having no unique flavor, but the architecture and style left behind by the spanish imperialist endures. The large thick off white arches at the front of the buildings, the brown painted wood framed windows facing the ocean gives one a feeling that they are in a place unlike where they came from. Its that charm that captivates the tourist and keeps him there.

While driving late at night looking for chocolate flavored cigars we of course became lost. this was a reoccuring aspect of the trip. A turn off from the road would lead to another turn off which would lead to a dead end road in an unknown town. But this time we ended up in the Mexican part of town and I of course felt instantly at ease in a place where most would feel around to make sure their wallet was still in their back pocket. The street was dotted with Mexican restaurants, markets and businesses, one of which sold pinatas. In one of the many "neighborhood" liquor stores we were able to find the shining jewel of flavored cigars, Swisher Sweets Chocolate.

Oddly enough, this neighborhood was stuck between the cradle of commercialism that is State St. and neighborhood that looked like the La Jolla of Santa Barbara.

Leadbetter beach. nice point/reef break. easy waves, gentle take off, shitty surfer named KC. one month out of practice, fat from holiday gluttony and on a 6 foot one inch surfboard named "sweet prince".

I never once caught something that could be called a "ride" but i didnt care much. i was a bit disappointed in myself but no matter. It was a beautiful day and i was out. There were four other people out at that wave i was at. The only one worst than me was the kid learning to surf for the first time.

I remember El Cap differently. cold, cloudy, a small, gutless shorebreak. i was a part of a handfull of misfit boy scouts not interested practical jokes or much else really. one of the guys brought along a couple homemade skim boards made of plywood. We waxed up the boards with some shitty sexwax left over from waxing a curb up. that was as close as i ever got to surfing for the next 15 years.

My return was with my wife and 2 pups. i didnt even remember seeing a point when i was there as a kid and here it was 3 wave sets breaking cleanly from the tip of the point on down. I totally dont remember it how it really is. for some reason i remember a low cliff. Who knows. It is a beautiful spot however I prefer Manresa. You cant beat the nice wide beach, tall sand cliff and the eaucalytus grove begging for a match.

The point was littered with neoprene soldiers, I counted 23 which i suppose was not very much since there were reports of 80 fuckers just days before during the monster swell. sitting eating lunch at the edge of the park one could watch the surfers battle it out for every wave. Seana asked, "you dont want to go out?" i said "no" there was no way i could compete for waves out there. these guys drive by that spot everyday waiting for it break, they're rabid. I'd get run over like a bad traffic crash.