No Country for Old Men

My Valentines day gift from my wife was 'go surfing!'

In a cruel irony of events, my spot Grandview was about two feet too big to ride. But with the sun out and a free pass I had to paddle out.

On my way down the stairs I was greeted by four snapped surfboards! I got out got a wave and then paddling back out on Lucas' board I was met by a monster set. Then you are forced with the question of trying to paddle out and make it through before it breaks or do you let the wave break then duck dive. This is me trying to remember Bonga Perkins interview on Duck Diving big waves with a longboard. If you duck dive and the wave hits the back of the board you will paddle in with two boards.

Like the algebra problem you try to calculate when a piece of ice get stuck in your throat, I tried to figure it out, only to have the set break in front of me. I went under and did a few flips holding on to the board for dear life when I noticed that I forgot to take a breath before I went under.

It was time to go home. Do I feel defeated...no. As always, it is always better to paddle out even when all you have is a war story.

From Incenced to Outraged to Perplexed in 3 minutes

I can still count on Logan, he hasn't abandoned me.

So I am picking up Logan from Swamis a few days ago and ran into some of the High School Team.

Stage 1 INCENCED

SDA Team kids - "Why isn't Lucas surfing in the ISF contest this weekend, I can't believe they didn't put him on the roster!" They are beside themselves thinking that he has been taken off or lost his slot in the team roster. Anger, and teenage angst ensue.

Me - "He has to go to to a debate tournament this weekend"

He got his invite to the Stanford University Invitational cool stuff for debate nerds. It is a national tournament with a bid for the Tournament of Champions and if Lucas does well he can get a partial scholarship for debate camp this summer ( a whole other story ).


Stage 2 OUTRAGE

SDA Team kids - "Your kidding us! You have always been cool now your making go to some debate thing!!!? They are mad now and it is building.



Stage 3 PERPLEXED

Me- "His choice guys" I had to explain that this was his choice. The horse has left the barn. Being ego-centric it was hard for me to get around the fact that he has chosen debate as his passion over surfing. Yes, I said it. I am that shallow. Surfing I understand, the need to surf, the feeling and how you do it, but he has taken his path.

SDA Team kids- "Aaahhhh What!?"

Logan and I shrugged our shoulders. Tonight he gets on a plane for Northern California armed with 100 hours of prep, his notes, laptop and a cough that sounds like the beginning stages of pneumonia.


Can I talk him out of it?

Not a chance. He has self actualized and found his place. It will rain anyway this weekend. The contests will be rained out. But the hardware paradigm has shifted, he will trade any of his giant cool surf trophy's for the smaller hardware given to winners at the debate tournaments. He brought home a third place from his last tournament like it was the Hope Diamond.
Time to embrace it and understand what the hell they are saying about Hegemony, Fem K, Blocks, Bio-Power and Theory.

The Rock Showed Swell

The many faces of huge Ventura. If you started out at the top of the point you would end up about a half mile away at the Pier.

As the wind changed Ventura looked perfect and then gnarly all in ten minutes.

Some of the sets were big. Scary big, but if you had the position you could go on forever.

Cutback


Jason Schecter is my new hero going for an off the top floater reentry on a wave that started double overhead. He made it and won the heat, the contest and scored the highest wave score of the contest at 9.43.

After each wave you needed to run back to the line up. The heats barely afforded two waves. The no leash Cardiff Crew had to strap on what they had. Lucas' old soft board leash lasted about one 12 foot set.

With 8 minutes on the clock it was an interesting run back to try to get out for another wave. He put back on his leash event though it was broken maybe to feel like there was some measure of safety.

Big and perfect, a wild ride had by all

Tofino

Canada surf trip this summer looks interesting

Surfing

There’s no wonder Tofino is Canada’s surf capital. Home to the aptly named Long Beach and a host of others, the waves keep rolling in along miles of sandy beaches—35km of surf-able beach break to be exact—leaving plenty of room for all boarders, from absolute surf beginners to seasoned waveriders.

The water is a cool, yet fairly constant 10°C/50°F, making surfing a year-round activity in Tofino, with some of the best rides being caught during the winter when the surf is definitely up! Neoprene is the order of the day with wetsuits, booties, gloves and a hood recommended if you want to spend quality time in the water.

Get started with Tofino surf schools, offering lessons and surf camps, where certified instructors share their knowledge of proper surfing technique, ocean safety, and surf etiquette. Visit our surf shops for surf gear rentals – they’re also the best place for advice on current conditions and where to ride the next epic wave during your stay.

501 / math assigment

I got the call from the Leucadia Project for some input on Erik Baldwin's 501 Sessions

from Ed Lewis
to Aaron Foster
date Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 11:04 AM
subject Erik's 501 sessions a year
Jan 5 (3 days ago)

Aaron,

I am doing a post on Erik’s 501 sessions for the year. Would you be willing to provide me with a little math support on what 501 session a year means?

Lost productivity, loss of wages, the average number of bars of wax you go through, anything your mind can come up with? It would be fun to included.


Well Ed knows I like this type of thing so I messed around a little with the numbers

from Aaron Foster
to Ed Lewis
date Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 1:27 pm
subject Erik's 501 sessions a year/opportunity cost
Jan 5 (3 days ago)


Opportunity Cost



John Stuart Mill defines opportunity cost as-

"the basic relationship between scarcity and choice”

1. The cost of an alternative that must be forgone in order to pursue a certain action. Put another way, the benefits you could have received by taking an alternative action.



Opportunity cost is measured subjectively and not necessary within the confines of money or goods. The formula is basically what you give up divided by what you gained. Which bring us to Erik and his 501 sessions in a year.



I will be subjective and go for it:



Let’s define Erik monetarily:



A few facts for the mix;

1) He lives in San Diego County = Median income $86,139

a. He is between 25-40 years old +7.5%,

b. Valedictorian of his High School+11.46% ,

c. White Male (sad but still true) +6.4%



His total average demographic income is $107,984 Annual



2) Let explore the value of surfing

a. A typical one week surf trip is 1493.91 (According to Wave Hunters)

b. Take out airline tickets -40%

c. Add housing cost v hotels in surf destinations +26%



His total yearly value of surfing is $66,807





According to John Mill, Erik gave up 1.6 units of what he gained?



Is this right?



Opportunity cost (oc)=$107,984 – gain (g)$66,768 =$41,216 or $82 dollars per session



Can we add some other math to the equation!



If happiness is gauged on money spent on Psychotropic care we have to do the following.



An average Psychiatrist in San Diego charges $189 per hour. (from studentdoctor.net)



There is no drug or conversation that equals a surf session. It can’t be replaced. If you look at the real number taking happiness into account Erik is ahead $107 per session or $53,607 over the year.

from Ed Lewis
to Aaron Foster
date Tue, Jan 5, 2010 at 1:47 pm
subject Erik's 501 sessions a year
Jan 5 (3 days ago)

So you are saying he actually added $53,607 in value to his life last year by surfing 501 session?!


I’m impressed.
from Ed Lewis
to Aaron Foster
date Tue, Jan 7, 2010 at 8:29pm
subject Erik's 501 sessions a year
Jan 7 (1 day ago)
do you want to do a post on this? I just did one with my take but the math sounds better coming from you.
Ed

Yes Value has been added to Erik as well as us getting to surf with him and follow him over the year.


501 is not a prime number, but the sum of the first 18 prime numbers.

Gumby

Cut Back

I think there are two maneuvers that you need to accomplish in surfing.

1) Duck Dive- You know I feel strongly about holding on to your board. See my post

There is a satisfaction to a clean duck dive. You feel like you cheated the ocean and made it through a secret door coming out the other side refreshed. On a nice warm summer day there is nothing better than that first duck dive through the cool water.

2) A roundhouse cutback. It just looks good. Before you start your launching of airs and all the other moves, the full cutback is my favorite move