Ogilvy West
Posted on October 29, 2008
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I am now gainfully employed at Ogilvy in San Francisco. It’s only been a few weeks, but so far the experience has been great. It’s a smaller office, and we focus pretty much solely on interactive work. I’ve been put on a couple of really interesting projects already and it’s a good bunch of people I am working with. A big thanks to the Ogilvy crew for inviting me to join their team!
025: BIG Ocean Beach and some eastside fog
Posted on October 25, 2008
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Looks like the big stuff is starting… Ocean Beach was massive today. At least to me! I would call it 15 foot faces easy on the sets, and maybe some even bigger. Everything was just on a larger scale than I am used to; guys paddling out with big wave guns, lifeguard jetskis buzzing about, coast guard helicopters hovering. There was a lot of water moving around, and the paddle out looked, well, daunting at best. It was bright and sunny, but the surf created this layer of hazy mist right at the beach. I was at Sloat’s checking it out, and lent somebody an FCS key. “You going out? Looks good!” he said to me. I told him hmmm, I dunno; probably headed down to Santa Cruz (where they were forecasting no wind and much more of a manageable size.) “It’s not that big! do you have a board for it?” I pointed to my Local Motion 7′2″ semi-gun, and he told me that would be perfect. I just nodded, knowing I had no intention of even trying. I would have to be in much better shape before even considering it. I have ridden waves approaching that size a handful of times; but never at a beach break. Honestly, it seemed insane, and I was watching and noticing that rides were few and far between, whereas beatdowns and rough paddleouts were common. I pointed the truck south and headed for Santa Cruz.
The drive down was spectacular; views from up high revealed corduroy swell lines to the horizon. Big bombs; and I’m guessing that Mavericks was working. Pigeon Point lighthouse had some big surf near it, too, but it’s not really a surf spot.
024: Marathon session
Posted on October 19, 2008
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OK, not really; it was actually a short session. But they were running the San Francisco Women’s marathon, which closed down the Great Highway that runs along Ocean Beach. We had other plans for the afternoon, but the surf looked good and I wanted some! So I had to be dropped off a couple blocks away, and run down the hill suited up. Some juicy peaks in the head high range, then a run back up the hill to be picked up.
023: Grey day
Posted on October 18, 2008
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Got out to Kelly’s late in the day, but actually ran into someone I know for the first time since moving here. Surfed with Tim for a short session as it got dark. Kinda closey and dumpy, and blowing pretty hard sideshore. A lot of people in the cove, so we were just south. As it got dark, the crowd cleared, and I headed up to the cove proper for a few; it was peeling a bit better up there. Was kinda chilly, so I rode home in my suit.
022: Bad… then good Ocean Beach
Posted on October 11, 2008
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Got on it early in the morning… headed down to Noriega. And it was pretty bad; small, mushed out and freezing (for here, anyway) it was the first time I would I was cold. After about forty-five minutes of that, I had enough and was headed home. Kelly’s Cove actually looked a hundred times better, and it was sunny and nice. About chest high with some plus sets, and breaking nice and hollow. Was good to not have left on a sour note.
021: Hooked
Posted on October 6, 2008
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Back to Santa Cruz today to try and get some less crowded, work-week surf. It was my last day of freedom before starting a new job, so I wanted to take advantage of it. The drive south was just as beautiful, as the day before; I can’t imagine ever tiring of it. Scott’s Creek looked good again, but my shoulder was a tad sore, the wind was just coming on, I was alone… ha, sounds like a lot of excuses! But it didn’t feel right with only a couple guys out and really long waits.
The Lane was too filled in, and only breaking along the Slot, so I headed over to the Eastside. The wind was just starting to pick up a little, so I bypassed Pleasure’s and went just down the coast to the Hook. I was looking at the crowd from up on the cliff, and I said to another guy standing there. “Doesn’t anybody have to work in this town?”, He looked at me and laughed and said, “This is Santa Cruz.”
The waves looked really nice, long waits for the good ones, but some great leftover sets from the bigger weekend swell. Glassy, sunny, warm; good shape and anywhere form waist high to about a foot overhead. Nice fast walls and hollow sections. And the crowd certainly wasn’t *that* bad. Despite a somewhat sore shoulder, I ended up pasting white sunblock on my face and staying in the water for a good four hours. I got several good set waves and would say I did my best surfing since moving here. And had a blast while doing it. I have learned to get much more aggressive, you pretty much have to to get anything at all. It’s not really my personality, but I’ve had to adjust. I had a longboarder who was frustrated with my paddling deeper than him, and he just flat out said that he was going on a good set. Oh welll. I certainly wasn’t going to make a big deal about it.
Top it all off with fish tacos just up the street, and then checking out the evening scene at the Lane. I ran into Molly again there walking her dogs as it was getting dark. Warm night and lots people out, really nice scene.
020: Steamer Lane
Posted on October 5, 2008
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The classic spot. Steamer Lane. We cruised south on beautiful Highway 1 to Santa Cruz, where we met up with Molly O. who was kind enough to set us up with equipment for Josie’s first west coast surf experience at Cowell’s. We gave her a lesson there, and paddled her up past indicators. The open feel, barking sea lions, and sneaker sets had her wide-eyed; but she had fun.
Afterwards, I had a go at some ultra-crowded Sunday Lane. Not too big; and due to the tide, middle peak wasn’t really even working. So it was a battle for waves at the Slot and further down. Definitely frustrating with the crowds, but it’s such a good wave when you get a good one. Constantly jockeying had me paddling in insane bursts, which tweaked my shoulder a tiny bit, but pretty decent overall.
On the way down, we had checked Scott’s Creek, which looked good with a lot of folks out. It was apparently very good there on Saturday, with double overhead plus sets.
Anyway, big thanks to Molly O. She has a great setup with her boyfriend Mike who owns a beautiful house that he designed and built just a few blocks from the Lane.
019: Stormy Friday
Posted on October 3, 2008
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Today was a windy, gray day. It reminded me of surfing back home during a NorEaster. I surfed OB late in the day due to other commitments, and it was hard sideshore, *almost* offshore, but not quite. Some decent sized sets, but mostlya get wet situation. I must admit that I do miss this time of year back East. The changing leaves, the crisp air, the good fall days of surf. Trips to Nova Scotia, and chasing swell around New England. It’s a heck of lot easier to take when there is so much surf here though, constant back to back swells.