Sea NotesSurfers at any level should learn their place in the waterchris.ahrensJune 11, 2009July 20, 2015 June 11, 2009July 20, 20150203 Roughly 20 years ago, roughly 90 percent of the surfers in any lineup were competent. Around 5 percent were excellent surfers and 5 percent were...
Sea NotesThe joys of a new surfboardchris.ahrensMay 28, 2009July 20, 2015 May 28, 2009July 20, 20151218 Even though I had a tight group of friends in La Jolla who regularly surfed Windansea, Carl Ekstrom’s home break since the late ‘40s, I...
Sea NotesIt’s time to stop trashing the seachris.ahrensMay 14, 2009July 20, 2015 May 14, 2009July 20, 20150174 “Litter is an injustice to nature” — Sign at Beacon’s, circa 1971 I have hated pollution since as far back as I can remember. Then,...
Sea NotesDoctor’s notes for surferschris.ahrensMay 1, 2009July 20, 2015 May 1, 2009July 20, 20150217 I was first introduced to him as Blaze, a cool guy and a fellow surfer who enjoyed big waves, paddling out at Todos Santos on...
Sea Notes‘The Present’ takes viewers on a 90-minute wavechris.ahrensApril 16, 2009July 20, 2015 April 16, 2009July 20, 20150201 I hadn’t been to a live surf movie in years when Thomas Campbell’s latest, “The Present,” flooded into La Paloma. Playing on the pun of...
Sea NotesRemembering Rocky — husband, surfer, musician, father to bechris.ahrensApril 2, 2009July 20, 2015 April 2, 2009July 20, 20150435 It’s been a hard few months — first Tommy, then Robert and Bob and now Rocky. But please stay with me — this ends well,...
Sea NotesHi, my name’s Kelly; I’ll be your waiter tonightchris.ahrensMarch 20, 2009July 20, 2015 March 20, 2009July 20, 20150200 On Jan. 23, I dragged my way, as usual, to the Action Sports Retailers, or ASR, show at the San Diego Convention Center. The thing...
Sea NotesThe last wave with an unlikely allychris.ahrensMarch 5, 2009July 20, 2015 March 5, 2009July 20, 20150227 I’m not sure that I’ve ever had less and more in common with one human being that I did with Bob Nanninga. During the past...
Sea NotesPhotographer focuses on world’s beautychris.ahrensFebruary 19, 2009July 20, 2015 February 19, 2009July 20, 20150246 I had witnessed the longest flat spell of my surfing life, a wave drought of Biblical proportions extending from late December into the month of...
Sea NotesTrees a valuable part of history that deserve respectchris.ahrensFebruary 5, 2009July 20, 2015 February 5, 2009July 20, 20150239 Today I shouted a word that felt wrong exiting my mouth. I can not remember the last time I said that word in public, but...
Sea NotesEncinitas loses a surfing legendchris.ahrensJanuary 22, 2009July 20, 2015 January 22, 2009July 20, 201511171 I moved to Encinitas in the summer of 1970 and quickly met a surfer my age on the beach at George’s. After he introduced himself...
Sea NotesTom Wegener and the Nerd Herdchris.ahrensJanuary 9, 2009July 20, 2015 January 9, 2009July 20, 20150414 I was surfing Malibu in the early ‘90s, directing Wingnut and Joel Tudor for the surf film “On Safari To Stay,” when I met the...
Sea NotesSurfing in rain: more fun than you’d thinkchris.ahrensDecember 28, 2008July 20, 2015 December 28, 2008July 20, 20150286 When asked why we were surfing in the rain, the most common answer was that we were already wet. Some of my fondest memories are...
Sea NotesTwo legends skippers had different vehicleschris.ahrensDecember 12, 2008July 20, 2015 December 12, 2008July 20, 20150456 I cannot remember a time in my life as a surfer when I didn’t know the names Skip Frye and Mike Hynson. In my mind,...
Sea NotesThe joys of being lopsidedchris.ahrensNovember 10, 2008July 20, 2015 November 10, 2008July 20, 20150303 In 1964, a well-known young La Jolla surfer named Carl Ekstrom was out riding his favorite spot, Windansea, when it suddenly occurred to him that...