Alex drops in

Date: October 17, 2003
Time: 0815--1115
Spot(s): Pipeline/Backdoor
Conditions: Light/medium sideshore winds, cool, fairly light crowd
Swell: Dying NNW Surf: 2-4' Haw'n

Words: Another alt.surfing hookup, this time with Alex of France.

The day started off bad for me, with my daughter's ride arriving a bit late. Then I was "coerced" to go into work even though it was my day off. When I finally got on the road, a traffic accident bogged the freeway. Argh!

Got to the beach park around 8:15 and got to meet Alex and his wife and son. They were supposed to come last winter, but a major operation forced them to delay the trip. Thankfully, Alex is healthy as ever, and even more stoked.

There was small-kine surf, but we went out to little Pipe/Backdoor anyway to get some mostly head-high waves. I tried introducing him to whomever I knew in the lineup so that if he went out without me, he could at least know a familiar face or two.

Alex scored a couple of good Backdoor barrels, and I got a few fun ones myself. Alex was a very competent rider and a really nice guy. Once again, it was really neat meeting someone for the first time after six years of online dialoging. He pretty much was the person I envisioned.

I was on a short timetable, so I couldn't spend time with him and his family, but I expected to hook up again later in the weekend. With the surf on the rise, things looked good. Au revoir, for now.

Aloha from Paradise,

---