New spots - Posti nuovi

Since I recovered from my health problem I've been trying few more spots, mostly for crowd reason.

Nothing secret or remote, just places less considered by the big crowd.

One is Moffat beach, north from here, one is Currumbin and the other is Kirra.

Coincidentally the first sessions I had in this places have been good, or good enough to make me think of going there again.

Moffat is a strange place, a mini point, and the waves crash on a rock bottom. I don't know much about best tides, size and stuff. Waves pick on different spots and they don't really peal. It's strange and interesting. I'm sure with the right condition can be a lot of fun. Also it's closer to home than most of the other places.

Currumbin is a hell of a place! In a good way. I'm not discovering anything and actually it gets big very easily. It already gave me a very hard/almost scary time. Again, I'm not sure what's about this spot, but it seems like it's underrated. When Snapper is pumping, Cur is huge.

I'm waiting to find the right winter day, when small and clean waves will come and all the beginner will clog Superbank, all the flying guys on shortboard will be south, all the expert will look for and wait for the best conditions, and me and few others will have fun there.

Then there's Kirra. The legend.

How the fuck can I put it in this list?

Well.. every time you go to Superbank, you drive past it. Everyone drive past it. That's the point. Kirra has world class barrels but it happens just once or twice a year. In my range size waves are never as good as the point just down the road. And there are always just few people out. So, it's not worth it, I alway think.

I tried it once, but I was too much of a beginner and I couldn't tell if it was me or the place. I struggled a lot with the current and although I had some interesting rides, I gave up, choosing the safest comfort of the Greenmount crowd.

But I just went back there and I had so much fun. Yesterday conditions were part point, part beach break. And my board loves steep water, and I made a lot of progress since that day. It was just me, some SUP, some short boarders further out near the rocks and beginners near the beach. While everybody was at Superbank. I got a lot of waves and I had so, so much fun.

Sometime I got to ride the board from the tip, with my feet close together, facing forward, sometime I got to attack (pardon me if I use this term but it's the way I perceived it) the wall, pushing up and down. Aahh.. you know it's hard to describe the feeling. But I'm still high!

Overall, in my short and limited experience, I'd say that nothing can beat good Noosa waves. But the excitement of catching all you want, even if it's just average, it's something I rarely experience. And it's goddam good.

Winter is always stingy with waves, and it's approaching fast. But I'm confident that having added a few more options, I could still have some fun. I really need to keep the momentum.

Wild life note: it was Anzac day and a metal bird, loud and fast, flew through the sky, just above the ocean, along the fantastic shore of the Gold Coast. Not exactly wild life, but worth a mention!

Da quando mi sono ripreso ho aggiunto qualche nuova location di posti serfabili nella mia cortissima lista.

Intendiamoci, se sei bravo ci sono 2000km di posti serfabili. Ma io vado per gradi e non passo certo la vita ad esplorare e provare.. ho un lavoro fisso lontano del mare e vita sociale da portare avanti.

I posti di cui parlo non sono certo segreti, anzi, il contrario, ma hanno in comune il fatto che non ci va molta gente.

Uno si chiama Moffat, a nord di qua. E' una specie di mini point, su fondo roccioso. Non sono sicuro delle condizioni con cui lavora meglio e le onde che ho visto sono un po strane. Pero' grandine e c'e' potenziale per divertirsi. Ed ovviamente ci sono solo i locals, che rende il tutto piu' semplice.

Il secondo e' Currumbin, che come Superbank, a cui sta quasi accanto, ha una storia lunga e non e' certo una scoperta.

Ma la grande folla e' attratta dal super point di Coolangatta e Cur rimane un poco più in pace. Un fatto particolare e' che qua le onde arrivano più dirette rispetto a Coolangatta e quindi sono sempre più grandi e il posto mi ha già punito una volta.

Sono certo che con la giusta disposizione della sabbia, ci siano giorni invernali di piccole e fantastiche onde, che non vedo l'ora di provare.

Poi c'e' Kirra. La leggenda.

Un tempo, prima di Superbank, Kirra era Il Posto.

Com'e' possibile che ne parlo solo ora e lo metto in questa lista?

Beh.. Kirra si scatena con tubi da mille e una notte per una o due volta l'anno. A quanto pare l'intervento dell'uomo ha snaturato il posto, e per la maggior parte del tempo e' un beach break non particolarmente attraente. Infatti ci si passa sempre accanto quando ci si reca al super point di Coolangatta. Tutti ci passano accanto e vanno oltre. C'e' sempre poca gente in acqua.

Ci avevo provato tempo fa ma forse era troppo presto per me e avevo anche faticato molto contro la corrente costante.

Ci sono tornato l'altro giorno esasperato dalla folla di Rainbow beach e mi sono divertito molto. Le condizioni erano a meta' tra point e beach break, ed arrivavano cavalloni interessanti. Quando ho beccato il punto giusto, ho fatto delle belle cavalcate. Alcune sul muso coi piedi uniti, altre un po' più aggressivo contro il muro d'acqua,  a seconda delle onde. Bellissino, la goduria aumentata dal fatto che c'erano quattro gatti più' in fondo, o alcuni beginners vicino alla spiaggia, e io ho fatto quello che volevo.

Insomma, finalmente ho aumentato il numero di opzioni disponibili.

Spero che l'inverno non sia spilorcio e mandi comunque qualche ondina divertente. Vorrei mantenere l'inerzia acquisita e portare avanti i miei piccoli progressi.

Sono arrivato ad un punto in cui se posso prendere una bella onda, mi diverto veramente.

Nota sugli animali avvistati: un jet esattamente come quello di TopGun e' passato a bassissima quota seguendo la fantastica linea costiera della Gold Coast. Velocissimo e rumoroso, mi ha ricordato che era un giorno di festa per l'Australia ed ho pensato che si, la festa me la stavo proprio godendo.

First time! - Prima volta

I was watching the last videos I shoot in Currumbin two weeks ago. Not a great day, with short rides, but still fun, with sunshine and crystal clear water.

And then I noticed this: (see pic below)

The wave was fading away and I rushed forward.
I think it's the first time ever that I cross step on the surfboard. I can do it on the Goofboard, since last year, but I never focused on it in the water, as carving and cutting back properly is what I want to be able to do.
So out of nowhere come this, which makes me happy and gives me more interesting things to think about and try the next time out.
Happy.

Stavo guardando i filmati dell'ultima sessione a Currimbin, due domeniche fa. Una sessione non certo memorabile, con giusto qualche onda divertente prima che l'alta marea si mangiasse tutto.
E cosi' mi ritrovo davanti questo fotogramma in cui sto camminando propriamente sulla tavola per cercare di salvare la cavalcata dall'onda che vuole scomparire sotto di me. Fare cross stepping non e' una cosa che non mi interessa particolarmente, e seppure riesco a farlo sulla Goofboard, non ci ho mai speso del tempo in acqua. Il motivo e' che lo vedo come il passo necessario per arrivare sul naso per poi fare nose-riding, manovra grandiosa ma che non mi attira particolarmente. Sono infatti concentrato ad imparare a fare carving per bene, girare la tavola velocemente in tutte le direzioni e comandarla a mio piacimento. Diciamo che trasferisco il mio amore per la guida alla tavola, e pretendo di imparare a guidarla come fosse un mezzo con le ruote.
E' dunque una piacevole sorpresa questa immagine di un'azione compiuta senza saperlo, che dimostra come il mio equilibrio e affiatamento con la tavola sia migliorato molto.
Spero solo che l'inverno non mi lasci a secco di onde e mi faccia perdere lo slancio attuale.
Bella sorpresa.

Wind forecast - Previsioni del vento #2

Here we go again:

Yes, it's a bit early for the weekend but fuck..



Di nuovo!
Come dicevo nell'omonimo post di gennaio, il vento sa esattamente che giorno della settimana e'. E rompe le palle a noi che non abitiamo davanti alla spiaggia e abbiamo bisogno dei weekend.

Noosa sunset

The biggest wave - L'onda piu' grande #2

The biggest wave was not really the biggest I caught.

But the most furious, yes.

The biggest wave also came and went unseen. But let me explain.

It was late, on a dark, rainy day. A good swell was hitting Noosa and I was at Little Cove catching the last waves of the day.

Just as the sun set, a darker cloud came, with thick rain and no wind. The ocean became completely grey same as the sky, and suddenly I couldn't distinguish water from air.

Everybody left and I was left there with two more guys in front of me. I just wanted a good last one.

Some shades of grey (just some..) moved ten meters in front of me where the two guys were and they didn't even notice it. I thought that this was the only chance before getting back in complete darkness. So I paddled. 

The wave lifted up and became probably shoulder high. I found myself perfectly positioned on the curl, and the board got a lot of speed.

It was dark and it was raining. I could barely see the wave. I felt it. I trimmed, I cut back, trimmed again, all at incredible speed, all unbalanced, with my arms swinging around and my body running after what my feet said. 

I don't know why I didn't wipe out. I don't know how it went, and precisely what I did. I couldn't see. I just know it was incredibly fast, and somehow at the end I was still standing up.

WTF just happened? I asked myself, smiling. 

This was the weirdest -and successful at the same time- ride I had.

I'm looking forward to experience that speed again. 

Crazy thing.

L'onda più grande non e' stata la più grande che ho preso. Ma la più' veloce e furiosa si.

In più, quest'onda non l'ho praticamente neanche vista.

Ma andiamo con ordine.

Ero a Noosa, tarda serata di un giorno grigio e piovoso. Con belle onde.

Giusto come il sole e' calato il cielo si e' coperto ancora di più ed e' venuto giù un bell'acquazzone senza vento. Ormai non si distingueva più' tra mare e cielo. Tutto grigio.

Negli stessi minuti sono andati via tutti e sono rimasto solo con due tipi seduti un poco più avanti. Io, gasato dalle belle onde, volevo solo prendere l'ultima per rientrare.

Fatto sta che nel grigio totale vedo i due tipi che parlano sollevarsi. 'Deve essere un onda' penso. E parto.

E come per magia, mi ritrovo perfettamente posizionato su un onda verticale e veloce, probabilmente alta quanto le mie spalle, che spinge con forza.

Ma e' praticamente buio e la pioggia mi acceca. Non vedo una mazza e inizio questa cavalcata allo stesso tempo ridicola e adrenalinica. Sento che spinge e reagisco, poi scendo, risalgo, giro, improvviso, non capisco niente. Passo il tempo ad un passo dal disastro ma in qualche modo non cado. Agito le braccia come un idiota e probabilmente sembro un clown che deve cadere dal filo. Ma che non cade.

Alla fine della giostra sono ancora in piedi e mi chiedo che cazzo sia successo.

Bho.

Non l'ho visto. C'ero ma non ho visto niente. Non ci ho capito una mazza.

Ero velocissimo, ho fatto cose, ma non saprei dire cosa e quando.

E' stata l'onda più veloce che abbia mai preso. probabilmente dipendeva solo dalla mia posizione. Ma non saprei dire, appunto, quale fosse.

Che minchia e' successo? Non lo so. Ma e' stato fantastico.

Catch up

I've been away for a bit too much, I know.

Busy with life and surfing!

Since February I kept surfing every weekend, and I had two stupid sessions and some very good.

I just came back from the long Easter weekend in Noosa, where it was obviously packed, but where I scored some great waves.

This morning I had this great experience that I want to put down in words.

The forecast was always the same in the last days: 3ft at around 8sec, from east. 

It was the last chance for a surf before getting into the car and drive back to Brisbane. So at 6.15am I was taking a look at Little Cove were only a few tiny little waves were coming, with 2 surfers out. I said, fuck, where are the waves? ..whatever, I'm here.. I will catch something.

I went out, spent some 15mins trying to catch some ripples above the rocks, taking turns with and old guy (a better surfer than me, btw - the other guy was closer to shore) and feeling the frustration rising. Then, while the old man was all so proud to score the only real wave passing by, I saw some white water further out, at National Park (not really out from the land, but along the headland) and said: well, this is so flat that a little paddle down there won't ruin my session. And so I went.

There was a guy with a SUP and as I came closer a nice set came and he got one.

I positioned my self where the weaves have been and sat there. And waited, probably a minute. And then another set began to brake further out on the rocks, and someone with a short board did some fancy turns. The set came to me and it was nice and clean. The guy with the SUP was somewhere else so I had nothing left than to go for the bigger.

I rode this fun, fat wave all the way to the rocks, probably a 20sec ride, and paddled back.

And so it began: on a seemingly flat morning, high tide, every 5min or so a set of 3 fat waves came to life exactly there, and I rode them, not needing to wait or negotiate position with others! I was in ecstasy! 

In truth, two boys with short boards came near me but they were trying to catch them in my inside, almost over the rocks, without great success, and we didn't cross our paths once. Actually I surfed, they only tried. 

Some guys with SUP passed by again, but without great interest on waves. And a beginner came close to me, but he was unable to catch them. 

To make it short, I've been physically alone for 30mins I think, and when I was not alone I kind of ruled the little spot! Unbelievable!

I start laughing of joy, and also at those guys walking on the tracks and checking out the ocean, seeing me waiting for nothing, and going on toward Tea Tree bay, where I guess every body was.

Oh man! What a morning!

The joy of trying and trying the same thing over the almost same wave without waiting for the others. Just pointing the one I liked and going for it. 

Some of them were steep. I caught a few on the breaking point, feeling the tail lifting high   and jumping up, with good timing, and then riding it, pushing the board against it, turning it down, walking to the nose (I don't cross step but I can go there) and feeling all the reactions under my feet.

On a side note, I saw hundreds of butterflies flying over the water, and even more on dry land, in the NP. Must have been a special day for that species, like the only day of their life or something similar. Well it was a good day indeed. :)