the longest ride......

by Bill Soko
(Oz down under)

Some years ago I was making a pilgrimage from southern Cal to Oregon along the coast in late Sept. About 9:00 I came down the redwood hill on 101 and gazed over Crescent City and South Beach. The fog was burnig off with light 10k winds. The mist off the swell was heavy and as I drove down it was a good 8-10 feet, although it was gnarly and sectioned too much for my liking but ... I was there to surf and went out at the breakwall.

I had a couple of short fast lefts but kept looking at the big rights coming through so I paddled over - yes, i was the only one out. Before long a nice large set came through I went for the last wave. It was quite a clean take off -- I was still in the protection of the jetty. I did a couple of roller coasters and looked down the line -- straight up like a picket fence. It was amazingly looong. I pumped my 7' board for all it was worth and hung onto the near vertical wall. Every time I got too high I sideslipped down a bit keeping in the speed zone -- The top was cresting solid but the sideshore winds were still holding it up. Then suddenly I was in the open ocean, lumpy and bumpy and bigger...but still hanging onto that wall.. onward I streaked.

Finally the end was fast approaching in a shallowing bar with the lip curling over. I got as high as I could up the wall and dropped through the back door and straightened out off the bottom with the lights out. By some miracle the crashing section missed me and I was out in front and within a few paddles back on the beach looking out to sea..

I slowly walked up the beach checking out the sections thumping in thinking how did I get that far.....?? How far ...? don't press me too hard but half mile + at least judging by how small the jetty looked! As the years have drifted past I have to say it was my longest ride ever and one of the most memorable. Far out south beach///

Bill Soko
now living down under