"Five-O" ?

[SteveStromberg]

Olw Chapman at Sunset.
Owl was an interesting guy he rode some giant surf without his glasses, He was as blind as a bat without them.

[nostatic]

hmm...I sit corrected. I read the Ala Moana reference many years ago, and it was listed online somewhere also. The online source gave the 5-6' reference, which I thought was odd since the wave in the show looks to be a solid 15' or bigger. But what are you gonna do?

I discovered a whole bunch of 5-0 fan sites though...episode reviews, screen grabs, etc. What a wonderful time to be alive!

[SteveStromberg]

I started surfing in 65. My first trip to the Islands was winter of 70. It was paradise back then.

[nostatic]

only surfed Hawaii once: on my honeymoon, Hanalei Bay in Kauai. It was amazing. Other than that, grew up boogie boarding La Jolla reefs in the 70's (Marine Street and Horseshoes were our "home" breaks), with the occasional trek to Sunset Cliffs and sometimes north to Trestles/Churches.

Still get out to Zuma every once in awhile...but life gets in the way.

[RickC]

Midwest geography gets in the way more than life! Last time I surfed was Oct. 99 at Ala Moana and the reefs off Waikiki. Spent summers with grandparents and cousins in La Jolla and then went to UCSD - greatgrandfather moved there in the early 1920's - one set was on St. Louis Terrace above the Marine Room, one set over near Windansea. Now they're all gone for good, or gone to L.A......or Chicago.....

How about Swami's? Was great for boogie-boarding...

Read a book by UCSC Prof. Daniel Duane called "Caught Inside" about surfing at Santa Cruz. Good Walden sort of feel to it. His rock climbing books were very incoherent with some nice passages - but never gave me the feelings I got in the Sierras. But this surfing book was really quite good.

Try to get back to La Jolla every couple of years for the Rough Water Swim. Beautiful place to spend a childhood (or, in my case, part of one).

[nostatic]

I didn't do Swami's. We would generally head straight out the 52 (back when it was 2-lanes) and hit Marine Street first, since that was the best boogie-board spot around (somewhat Wedge-like, in that it had a nasty-hollow dredging shorebreak, and also an outside reef that would break above 6'). Since Horseshoes was just north, we could easily check that. If it wasn't happening, then either move north towards boomers or south towards Windansea/Big Rock. Also spent a lot of time at Scripps pier and Blacks when the reefs weren't on. Also had some epic days at Sunset Cliffs...I remember one where it was a solid 10-12'...dropping in on those faces on a boogie board was quite a rush, and the surfers were kind of slack jawed to see a sponger out there (this was in the late 70's, and I was riding my Tom Morey "kit" board).

By far the gnarliest I road and saw was Ocean Beach in San Francisco. I watched it break at 25'+, and went out on some 6' days that nearly killed me (nasty current and temps). But I was rewarded with some of the best "dry-hair" barrels ever.

Since I passed 40 though I just don't have it in me to charge big waves. Drainpipes did a number on my shoulder about a year ago, so I don't drop in and slot for *everything* like I used to. A man's gotta realize his limitations...

[SteveStromberg]

Check out these surfers
http://www.surfingforlife.com/surfers.html

[RickC]

That is cool info.....

Wonder if I should retire to Hawaii after all.....

[GrindingGears]

Doc Ball was a badass mofo...

and to commerate his legendary status I'm gonna grab my stick and take the two minute walk to bluff cove right now (PV cove)....

spoiled bastard I am?

Indeed