Black and Blue Friday

It was a Black (& blue) Friday because I took a nice shot in the ribs from my board.  Just about knocked the wind out of me.  But not before a day of pure sweetness in the waves.  Mostly lefts but snagged a few rights too.  Clean waist to chest high and bigger sets all morning, then it got bumpy in the afternoon as the wind clocked around a little earlier than expected.  It was very crowded and bigger at the pier but we surfed a few blocks south of there and had it mostly to ourselves.  Enjoyed the day trip to Topsail Island to burn off the turkey and stuffing with Ralph, Mark...and Ken T as he was able to join us for a little while later in the day.

That shot to the ribs was at the end of one my rare rights and one of my best wave rides of the day...just got a little greedy as the wave reformed on the inner sand bar and I stayed on it.  I knew I was in trouble when I could see the brown sand.  Too late as I tried to fall flat and cover my head with my arms but the board came up from underneath and slammed into my left side.  Being optimistic and guessing they're just bruised as I sit here icing them and taking ibuprofen.  Doesn't hurt enough to go to the doctor. Still buzzing from the awesome day and grateful my injury wasn't worse.

Enjoy the photo extravaganza of wave sweetness (click on each shot for best viewing in high resolution)...

Ralph on his small surfboard

Mark and our friend the pelican

Mark

Ralph

Mark and the shark chaser

Mark

Ralph

Ralph - Oh Boy!!

Ralph traded in the surfboard for his SUP surfboard & paddle when it got bumpy

Notice that Ralph goes both ways?  "Ambidextrous" or as NC State and NBA short-timer Chris Washburn once said "Amphibious", which is actually more appropriate here anyway.

                           

Here are a few more pics on Ralph's page.

When I came out of the water for a break, I broke out the telephoto lens and trained it on the guys at the pier a few blocks away....

Local Chris Hill was charging at the crowded pier on his SUP surfboard.  Chris was an early sponsored SUP racer with Surftech/Bark and is now an Infinity team rider.  He now has his own shop on Topsail Island along with his own SUP surf boards with Infinity that have a fascinating short, fast, and stable board shape.

Chris

local surfers at the pier

check out the toes on the nose guy on the right