Classic

He had rolled up the cliff walk with style all leather jacket and uggs, then stretched out his leg on the rail as he watched the surfers, commenting every now and then about the quality of the evening's surf. Then he touched on why he was no longer able to get out in the water, the neck injury that was too dangerous to surf with. All told I was finding out a lot more about this guy than I thought I ought to know including the 26 surgeries he'd undergone, I didn't want to ask. Despite the toll time had taken on his body, his mind was beyond sharp as he discussed the SUP in the water and how it would be a better fit than kayaks.

I asked him if he used to surf Steamers and his answer was a solid "I used to CHARGE Middles!". When anyone in his eighties has that kind of response, you know he's for real. He followed up with a somewhat resigned, but definitely disgusted "I was relegated to Cowells until I stopped surfing at eighty!" He was surfing here when I was four. His first surf here was in 1960 and it was a quieter place back then, turned out he was local doctor. Damn I thought this guy must be somebody!

We introduced ourselves Nance and I and he said "I'm Doc, my daughter has a wetsuit company you may have heard of, Hotline and I make earplugs for surfers." Between surf sessions and while checking The Lane we had met Doc of "Pro-plugs" fame, a sweet guy who was doing his own surf check well past his prime surfing days. We left a little before sunset as he stayed watching, still surf stoked after all these years.

Happy New Year to you all, get some surf in ya!