Reformed Maverick

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Perfect Burliegh Heads for My Birthday...

A healthy weather system moved through South East Queensland last last week bringing with it a pretty solid swell. I got on it early and got Snapper Rocks at a fun chest to head high on Thursday morning which was my first surf in weeks after what has been a pretty flat August.

Saturday I scored.Friday night I looked at the hourly wind predictions for the next morning and compared it to the East swell that would be peaking Friday night and into Saturday. The morning was to start off sunny and cool with a brisk wind from the NNW early but would warm up quickly with sunny skies and a light to moderate SW wind pattern to develop by early, mid morning. As I looked at the Gold Coast, it promised to be an epic morning and Burliegh Heads seemed the best bet.

I was up on Saturday at 4:30, out the door with coffee in hand by 4:40. I put the boards in the car and headed through the city. The bars down town were just letting out and the streets were crowded with drunks and cops. I passed quickly heading for the M-1 South.
I pulled into the lot atop the point at Burliegh Heads just before 6:00, there was already a crowd on the bluff looking at the wild conditions. I watched it for about half an hour and although inside the point was lining up nicely, the outer peak was still wind effected and wild with few takers. I just knew that the wind would swing SW within two hours so I took my time and suited up, waxed up the semi-gun and headed around the point to the Tallebudgera river mouth to make my entry into the water.

I saw a couple of guys trying to paddle out at the tip of the point only to get swept a couple hundred meters down the line only to have to exit the water and try again and I knew that was not the right place to start my paddle. I was right. From the river mouth there was a rip that all but carried you out to sea where you could make a charge from the rip and into the lineup. It was kind of sketchy however as in that area it is a heavy close out and the sets were in the six to eight foot range. One definitely did not want to get caught inside there. I paddled like mad chanting "don't stop paddling" until I was safely beyond the sandbar. I was one of the lucky few and headed to the small group of guys at the top of the point that were lucky to get out and still be in position.

The wind and conditions started to moderate and the waves started to get really good. I had not been surfing much the last two months and felt kind of ill-prepared for the challenge. Buriegh Heads in not a wave without consequence, a very fast, very hollow right hander that moves a lot of water. It took about thirty minutes and a few false starts to finally talk myself over the ledge and into my first wave.

The first wave came right to me and the guy next to me called me into it. I turned and paddled and felt the incredible surge below me as the wave jacked up on the bar below me. I got to my feet with my heart in my throat and before I knew it I was going faster than I think I have ever gone on a surfboard. I made the wave and kicked out on the other end and said to myself "I got to do that again"!

I surfed my brains out for the next three and a half hours. So far it is the best waves I have seen since being in Australia, and I have seen some good waves so far. ;)

All was not well that morning however. I was looking to get out of the water and wanted to catch one last one and right about then a good sized set wave came right to me. I turned and paddled but just as I was getting up for the drop I got hung up in the lip with the wind. I knew it would not end well as I felt myself get sucked over the falls with my board which I bumped into repeatedly on the way down and around.

When I came up I checked myself to make sure I was OK, which I was. Then I noticed that I was without board. The wave ripped my leash off my leg but luckily it bounced over the back of the whitewash and was sitting about ten feet away. When I swam over to it and examined it I was missing the rear fin and there was a pressure ding in the bottom that was a perfect match to the shape of my skull.

Of course I took pictures.

Walkabout and Terrifying Birds

I had a Monday off this week thanks to the studio move, of which I will cover in a post to follow this one. As it was a weekday off, was not shared by Mariana, and there was no waves, I was left but one option that was to take another ridiculously long walk. Mariana have gotten into this habit lately, to pick a spot in the city and walk to it. Usually they are upwards of three hours of solid foot time. Saturday we walked a lot and Sunday we walked even more, and for some reason I decided I needed to punish my feet some more. I strapped on my new North Face walkers and headed out the door.

Spring time is here. You can tell not only as it is warmer and the humidity is clawing it's way back into our lives, but also a more sinister and dangerous element is making it's mark on our psyche.

The Birds.

I was attacked twice, at two different areas. The first was while walking up a pretty steep hill in Albion. I noticed a large, black and white bird following me. It was a Magpie, which are very beautiful with a mesmerizing call but also known to be quite nasty. So, he's following be for a block and I pay him no mind when suddenly I am hit from behind, knocking my sunglasses off my head. It was not a tap mind you, it hurt.

Now he has my attention and he's following me. I start walking faster and he makes another close pass and I start to run. I know this is starting to you all of the "Don't Get Off the Boat Man" story and the irony is not lost on me as this time I am running up hill, waving my arms about trying to get away from my new, feathered adversary. Fricking nature.

Finally rid of the bird I was able to enjoy some of the fantastic architecture that makes up this hills of Albion.

On the way back I was attacked again this time by two Noisy Minirs. We see these all over and they are kind of aggressive. I notice they are always in pairs and have bad tempers.