Never drive away from good surf

Sunshine and warm weather can sure help you have fun.  I spent the weekend in Cape Kiwanda on the Oregon Coast for the 5th annual Lumpy Waters Symposium hosted by Alder Creek Kayak & Canoe.  That crew operates as a true team and does a fantastic job delivering a fun & safe event for all.  On top of all their planning, the weather came together perfectly with abundant sunshine, warm air temps and fantastic surf building from 2ft on Friday to 10ft by Monday afternoon.  Couldn't have asked for more.

It was really fun spending more time in a sea kayak and seeing some friends I only see once or twice a year.  The students did a great job assessing their skills properly and were seriously going for it in our long boat surfing course on day one.  The ideal conditions gave people a reason to go hard and make the most of their weekend.  Sea kayaking felt young this weekend!

Monday is traditionally the coaches play day and this year there were about 15 people ready to charge.  A wise man from Portland told me 'never drive away from good surf' so I didn't.  I opted out of the coach paddle to three arch rocks and opted in to surfing the huge waves at Cape Kiwanda.  It was pretty intimidating paddling out into those monsters, but after riding the rip to the outside and getting a drop or two out of the way, I started to relax and focus.

By the end of the session, I was dropping in on 10 foot faces without hesitation and making them.  A couple got really hollow, a few beat me down, but overall I had an incredible session with only 5 guys in the lineup.  I feel like it was definitely a progression session for me and I'm pumped to get out on more big clean waves...

The view of the sea all weekend!  Haystack rock at Cape Kiwanda

Waves built to 6-10ft on Monday