Spooked Kook Surf Competition and Beach Clean Up

Jenness/Parking Lots.

Competed in my first ever surf comp yesterday. Basically, I’m a BAB.

Surfrider NH threw the Spooked Kook Surf Comp and Beach Clean up at Jenness, sponsored by Surfrider NH, Cinnamon Rainbows, Summer Sessions, Pioneers Skate & Surf and Jimbo’s Surf Wax. Jimbo (I assume that’s the guy who owns Jimbo’s?) made a CUSTOM PUMPKIN SPICE WAX FOR THE EVENT. The added bonus of it is that it is stifling the dank smell of seaweed my car has wreaked of as of late, and the general brininess that is usually odoriferous. And Cinnamon, Summer and Pioneers put together tons of swag for the winners of the surf contest [categories were: Best Costume, Spookiest Move and Longest Ride.]

So many people came! 50 or so! We really didn’t know how many would come and I think we were all pumped for the turn out. Dad came and cleaned up the beach! Plus there were lots of little ones, including a girl scout troupe! And so many people in costume. We had Chewbacca, a Rasta, a purple squid, many masked folks, a zombie cheerleader, America (maybe?), Grim Reaper, the Earth as One Big Plastic Thing!, and many others.

We sold custom-made stickers and T’s for the event along with our normal Surfrider stickers and shirts.

I decided last minute to enter the comp and I’m so happy I did. It was so silly and so fun and I had no idea that I could sit on a board and ride it! The heats were a spooky 13 minutes and each heat had about 4-5 people in it. We had three heats divided by age group. We even had a dog surfing! Nico! He competed with the groms and surfed backwards.

The whole thing was so fun and I think everyone had a good time. It’s the first annual so we’ll be doing it again next year. Love that people were excited to clean the beach, get in the Halloween spirit and come together as a community.

Plus, Maddie and I made a pact to build our surfboards together as our winter project this year and I’m stoked about it.

Tricking Yourself into DP

I shoulda gone out for DP today.

I told myself I’d just let myself wake up when I did which I did, but I coulda gone.

Tips for Getting my Sorry Ass Out of Bed Next time for DP:

• Bathing suit out

• Coffee and water already in pot

• Workspace 100% set up for when I’m back

• Towel and wetsuit bucket in car

• Bag ready w keys

Sweet Leftovers and seaweedpalooza

LS. Got out a couple hours after HT. North side parking was practically full so I parked just north of the BH and met Gary who said he’d seen me around. He’d been out Saturday—crazy people! Saturday was way too heavy for me.

I ventured further south, toward R————--s and quickly understood why no one was down there (SEAWEED) but I refused to leave. There were sweet waves rolling through that I nearly had to myself, save one SUP-er named Mark from KBPT and a shortboarder who seemed to be doing not much of anything at all. These waves were so generous — I was throwing some turns and riding them all the way in, and then getting stuck in the seaweed-created impact zone. Like, this was an epic seaweed situation. I was out for maybe three hours when I got so tangled up in seaweed I just had to leave. I saw a dead baby seal on the beach and realized it’s ear was stuck in the seaweed in my leash. It was time to rinse off.

I caused a major hulabaloo at the shower trying to get the seaweed out of my hair. A French Canadian girl said “That was me yesterday.” I looked at her hair and said, “I guess there’s hope for me.” She said, “Mm. I don’t know. Mine wasn’t that bad.” She said there was a lot of shampoo and conditioner in my future.

I went home and spent approx. two hours doing the following: combing the seaweed out of my hair and attempting to ensure that the seaweed did not clog up the shower by placing a paper towel over the drain and letting the water seep through. Let me tell you. These commercials about the strength of paper towels, I now believe. It would hardly let the water permeate!

I took a walk down the SS and the waves were friendly and nice. Everyone was happy. The sun had come out around 10am, right at the end of a sweet wave I got, and stayed out nearly all day. I walked up to LS and the waves looked fairly clean so I went out again, because I knew I would hate myself if I didn’t take advantage of the holiday, sun and sweet little friendly waves.

This vision/FOMO/proactive avoidance of self hatred for not going encouraged me to go out for the double sesh. (C) Sara Dyer

An onshore breeze had kicked in by the time I drove back but I still got some fun stuff and also got my ass handed to me a couple times. I thought we’d be dealing with ankle biters but they were still 2-3+ here and there. A shortboarder was near me and he’d been out in the AM too.

Everyone is stoked and smiling and happy because of all the waves rolling through.

I love Sept/Oct in New England. It’s the best.

The carnage that was seaweedpalooza:

Feeling concerned that this may never come out. (C) Sara Dyer

You are sort of getting the picture now. (C) Sara Dyer

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On Another Note Bad Habits that I really need to stop:
My board dismount
What I do when big waves are rolling through
My shimmy