Little story from the bike/surf trip.
On the Oregon Coast, I crossed paths with a guy named Garry down at the beach one evening while checking the surf. The waves were good with 3ft peaks, offshore winds, in coming tide and glassy. Bliss! Garry was driving a beat up Volkswagen Caddy Mini truck, loaded with all kinds of interesting boards. He’s 54 with grey hair, wears these beatnik, intellectual-looking, black rimmed glasses and talks with a southern Californian drawl.
Garry enquired where I was from and shared that he had also completed some bike ‘n’ surf trips. He happily answered my questions about the local spots. I found this trait to be common amongst Oregon surfers who also showed a general friendless in and out of the water, a willingness to share info and a genuine interest in where you have been and where you are going. Garry and I ended up surfing different peaks that evening when I also caught a few glimpses of him surfing. The guy ripped and displayed a unique style.
The next morning was sunny and warm, so I rode down to another beach in the area to check the surf. As I rolled into the small parking area, I not only discovered offshore winds, but Garry and his trusty Volkswagen. He smiled and said ‘I was hoping I would bump into you’. We chatted for awhile about surfing, travelling and other related stuff before suiting up and paddling out. I loved this area – full of good waves and an absence of crowds. Garry told me there are about 20 people in the area who regularly surf and a few more who come down on the weekends from the cities.
There were only three of us out – myself, Garry and a local surfer Amanda, who is a nurse at the local hospital. Amanda rode a blue Hobie fish which is an old board of Garry’s. He gave it to her as a gift. We all surfed our own peaks. There were some decent sets. With 15 minute pulses of constant waves, I was almost asking for a break. It was great to watch Garry surf again. Today he was out on a sup that he shaped himself. Although his board is big, he moves it around with grace. He effortlessly linked together solid bottom turns followed by nice long turns of the lip with his back foot planted and the creation of lots of spray. It became evident how the point breaks of his local patch has shaped his style. We all ended up on the beach at the same time and as we walked back to the lot, we chatted about the session, recounting certain waves and wipeouts. Garry was all changed, packed up and sitting on the back of his truck puffing on a cigarette before I had time to completely peel off my wetsuit. An example of experience, all aspects of the art perfected……seamless, just like his surfing.
Garry asked where I was staying for the night and invited me over. For directions he said, 'You will know it’s my place. Surfboards and boats everywhere’. He wasn’t kidding either. As I rolled up the driveway, I was greeted with two Longboards crossed in front of the palm trees at the entrance. Surfboards were everywhere in all shapes and sizes - most of them made by Garry. Out front is a 16ft trailer sailer. Behind the boat was the trailer in which I would be sleeping. And behind that is a fishing boat. Another fishing boat is out back, together with his wife’s summer convertible car. Oh yeah, they also have a 40ft yacht in the local marina. All craft a bit weathered and beaten. Signs of use. Next to my trailer is a driftwood beach hut with fire pit built by Garry. It is surrounded by palm trees and decorated with pirate flags and other beach artifacts. The house is of modest size with classic north west Pacific cedar shingles. Adjoining the house is the surfboard shaping bay – a dusty room full of surfboard blanks, boards in progress, a drum kit and other random things. Out the back of the house is a small cabin which features as the art/dance studio and music room. Garry is a musician, his daughter is a painter/musician and his wife is a dancer.
Garry was really specific when giving me a tour through my sleeping quarters. 'There is your pillow, there is your blanket. That’s a candle for the spiders, that’s a love heart made out of tin foil. And this is a little tin with a pipe and weed. You never know. Plus it’s legal tomorrow!’ He left to leave me to settle in. Ha!
Garry was a really kind host by checking that everything is OK. ‘Do do you have any washing? Here is a spot to dry your wetsuit. Are you hungry?’ For the rest of the afternoon we kind of just relaxed with surf and bike chit-chat. He gave me a run down of the surf spots ahead, places to camp and cool spots to check out. His encyclopedic knowledge of the coast is mind blowing. He recited off the top of his head what direction each beach faces, what tide is best, what swell height and period is desirable. Plus descriptions of what the wave is like to ride. His verbal long list of surf spots continued all the way down to Santa Cruz. I sat there frantically scribbling these details of gold. Occasionally this exchange was interrupted by dogs and cats going crazy. While Garry prepared classic tacos for dinner, his 12 year old daughter Anna, who also surfs, introduced me to a new website that’s currently all the rage with the kids. One of those sites where people post a whole bunch of random stuff and happenings. When I admitted that I had never heard of it, I instantly lost a few cool points with Anna but then regained some when I mentioned I have a tumblr page. Ha! The tacos were of course epic and washed down with a local brew. We all retired early for bed after a big day of riding and surfing.
As I settled into my little trailer for the night, I reflected on chance encounters and what they can lead to. Being curious and striking up a conversation with a stranger are important experiences that we need to keep participating in. These encounters also reinforced the benefits of time away from our phones and computers and talking face to face to someone.
Garry agreed to participate in the ocean stories project, so the next morning over coffee, he told me his story for more than an hour. I sat there absorbing every word. Amongst his anecdotes about growing up in Venice Beach California, his tales covered surfing all over the world including a period as a sponsored surfer, working as a journalist, sailing the high seas and becoming a father. His world is all encompassed by the ocean.
Just before I departed, Garry confessed that he even considered quickly fixing his bike up and joining me for a few days on the road. He said that our encounter reminded him of himself in his younger days. ‘You are chasing exactly what I was chasing at your age’. ‘All the best kiddo’.
