Winter Hues

Windy. Cold. Low Tide. Harsh Sun. North Swells. Winter

Winter Surf Dreaming

I haven't been around for the past two summers due to my two seasonal stints in the mountains. Often many of my amphibian friends would ask me how I'm going to deal with the loss of the summer surfing. I would try not to let on about my true feelings, with my friends or when anyone else  would mention that it must be tough to be a surfer and be away from the ocean, but all I could think was; Yeah, I'm really going to miss the June gloom, small and crowded waves, the throngs of biker clubs racing all over PCH, and all of those people and the trash they leave behind. Also, in the mountains I get little to no news and like it that way, no cell service, and not much internet access. I did have plenty of time however, to mindsurf and prepare for the Fall/ Winter season and for sessions like the one pictured here in late January.

I would just bow my head and say halfheartedly , 'yeah I'm really going to miss those south swells, oh well.'

All photos by Kendall Johnson

Around the Corner

Winter

El Nino?

So there are some reports claiming that we are heading for another El Nino year. Which sounds about right considering that I don't remember a solid Winter of surf since '04 which is when the above pics were snapped. That particular Winter my friends and I had just returned from a Baja trip and everybody was telling us how much it had rained while we were gone. We heard that it rained for like five days straight in LA which I don't think I've ever heard of. I heard reports of huge tornado like water spouts off of Oxnard and Santa Monica and I believe that it was the same winter when La Conchita suffered a tragic mudslide.

We didn't get much swell down in Baja from those intense storms up North, but when we got home the surf was pumping for twelve days straight. These shots were taken in the beginning of that run of swell and as you can see the rain had produced some huge sandbars, people were actually boating out to the edge of the one in the pics. There was day after day of big offshore barrels, long lined up point swells, and just solid Winter surf.

There has not been a Winter like that one since, so we'll see if the talk of El Nino is for real, I already heard one report that said it could be a very mild El Nino, so I'm not going to get all excited just yet. It sure would be nice though, to pull out the 6'8" and get a few heaving beachbreak tubes, or maybe even grab the 7'2" a couple of times and paddle into a few mackas.

Green Cave

Unidentified on the same day as the Noah shot from the previous post.

Birdmen

Wompers

After dealing with the crowds and some semi-mushy waves Bailey and I decided to opt for some womping closed out beach break so we could practice tube shots. We got womped and got some shots and had a great time doing it.

Winter Warmth

These are some old slides from Feb of 07. Today was very similar to this day here in the pics, another amazing day along the stretches of this cosmic Chumash coast. The winter warmth inspired me to scan these slides and throw 'em up here cause I didn't shoot any pics today. Just took it all in and enjoyed a sunny, warm, California winter day, and I also managed to squeeze in a few nice waves.

Nothin but Blue Skies from Now On

Ready for a new year, a new president, winter waves, new friends, new beginnings, and nothin but blue skies from now on.

AI in LA