Category Archives: Westport surf photos

Not Judging the World Surf League

Posted on by under "Swamis" the novel, northwest surfing, real surfers, surfing Westport Washington, Westport surf photos, writings of Erwin Dence

I AM SKIPPING anything and everything connected to today’s SUPERBOWL. Various reasons, including my lack of desire to see any fat fucks trying to get creepily close to TAYLOR SWIFT and/or sending in ideas for sure fire plays, and/or it’s not like the SEAHAWKS or my possibly new favorite team the RAIDERS are playing.

I am all caught up on the WSL Pipeline contest. I did watch it live on YouTube the other day, got to see John John Florence and Barron Mamyia battle it out. And then, because this is what we do, I watched it again, checking out the comments. It is a pretty expected thing to criticize the WSL, especially the judging. On site commentators increasingly, it seems, defend the judging. As such, the judges who gave Jack Robinson a ten for his backdoor barrel must have seen some slight ‘point of difference’ with John’s.

DEAR WSL OVERLORDS, I have no idea how this screenshot showed up on my phone. NO, wait a moment; yes, I was watching the contest live while waiting for the snowplow. No, not really; I was waiting for an online order to be delivered at the Fancy Store. One wrong click and, OH NO, I’m retransmitting without permisson. AND, yes; there is another step involved, but, in my defense, I will give the WSL full credit AND pass on ALL of the monies I receive for adding to your publicity. AND, yes; despite realsurfer’s WORLDWIDE AUDIENCE of tens of viewers, I do not receive any money.

PLUS, I kind of feel a connection. I ONCE wrote to JOE TURPEL when I hadn’t seen him for a while. AND he wrote back. Evidently he and his wife had a baby. OKAY, cool; OH, AND I did see and read an entire article about STRIDER just getting his home rebuilt when another fire took out other houses in the MALIBU area.

A judging panel for the 2015 (I believe) Cleanwater Classic Longboard contest in Westport. I’m the one in the reddish-brown hoodie. AND YES, I was rogue enough as a judge, calling them as I saw them, AND I was loud and disruptive enough that I was not asked to return, AND TOM BURNS, who recommended me for the position, also suffered a ding in his reputation that only took nine or so years to heal. Tom was a judge for the most recent incarnation of the Westport contest.

HOWEVER, watching the recent Pipeline contest, I was pretty ‘spot on’ (commentator talk), although, yes, I would have given John Florence a ten. He thought it was a ten, Barron thought it was a ten. There might be an ‘investigation’ before the ABU DHABI wave pool extravaganza. AND I am certain that Mr. Florence’s decision to not compete in any other ccontests this year was not a factor.

HEY, VALENTINE’S DAY is coming up. I have been working on some new songs to add to my “Love Songs for Cynics” collection, AND I have been trying to write a couple that are not blues, and are actual LOVE SONGS. So far, none that I’m stoked enough on to post here.

AND, OF COURSE, I continue to work on my OPUS, “Swamis,,” trying to get it polished to near perfection (9.79) before the painting season gets going.

NON-POLITICAL STUFF- A friend of mine who is pretty proud of pointing out how religious he is (not so much pride, probably, to constitute sinning-ness), recently told me he may have been fooled into believing the once and current president is in any way a Christian. “Oh, yeah;” I said, “I think I read that would happen somewhere.”

HISTORICALLY I have surfed or worked on Superbowl Sundays, and I might do so today. Whatever you do, ENJOY IT!

The Kook Judge hits the Surfrider’s Cleanwater Westport Surf Contest

Posted on by under northwest surfing, old surfers, surf adventures, surf culture events, surf stories, surfing, surfing in Washington State, surfing stories, surfing tales, surfing Westport Washington, Uncategorized, Westport surf photos, writings of Erwin Dence

It was Tom Burns who got me the gig, two days of judging at the Cleanwater Surf Contest in Westport. Oh, I knew it would be exciting, thrilling, and I’d get some food, a place to stay, and a hundred bucks. Professional. Professional-ish. Pro-Am. Yes, I could see myself moving up the ranks, hitting the World Surf League’s Qualifying Series, then the World Tour; France, Portugal, Honolua Bay; explaining to Joey and Potts why I gave Kelly Slater a 12.9 (out of a possible 10); talking them into supporting the number.

“I have to agree, Joey; it was an incredible move. Total commitment, risking… ” “Me too, Potts; and, sure, why not factor age into the mix of Speed, Power, Flow? Say, Erwin, it’s a lay day in another surfing mecca; what do you have planned?” “Well… oh, hi, Strider. Um, maybe see what’s on HBO, maybe a nap.” “I hear that, brother; but for me, the excitement is just about out of control.” “It’s flat, man, sideshore chop; raining like a cow pissing on a…” “So, folks; another lay day here, with new judge Elwin Dence explaining best surfer of all time Kelly Slater’s remarkable…” “It’s Erwin.” “Huh?” “Huh?” “Huh?” “It’s Erwin, boys; not Elwin.” “Thanks, Rosie; love how you say my name.” “And, Erwin, what is on HBO?”

That was my image. Here’s a shot of the actual conditions on Saturday at Westhaven Jetty, Westport, Washington:

clnwtrJetty

Gosh, it makes you want to suit up and run for the water. Actually, unprepared because I had to work my ass off to finish a job on Friday, I sort of packed, then got up before three am, threw stuff together, made sure I used the bathroom (this is sooo critical- for any surf trip) and headed down Surf Route 101. Then the McCleary Cutoff. Then Highway 8 (I think), then the twenty miles from Aberdeen to Westport, arriving only a little later than head judge Gary Milkie (not sure of the spelling) would have liked. The first heat was about to start, and the judging tent was set up about 75 yards from the main contest area. You know, where the out-of-the-water action is happening.

This is the head judge, Gary; quite a serious guy; and a spotter, checking his Facebook status

This is the head judge, Gary; quite a serious guy; and a spotter, checking his Facebook status

Despite Tom… wait, I should say that I originally met Tom while I was volunteering, trying to make a few bucks for the Olympic Peninsula Chapter of Surfrider, a couple of years ago. I did a crappy job as a heat check-in guy, and a shaky job as a flag changer. “Is it red and green; just green… what?” But, hanging with the judges (who mostly are about my age; I thought I did pretty well. “Red up; no, it’s orange… oh, and, way over there, yellow’s up. No, he’s down. Greennnnnnn!”

The next time I volunteered, two years ago, I signed up early, and put myself in the spotter position for all day Saturday. Evidently, it was revealed later, some other volunteers were a bit perturbed by my hogging of the position. As usual, perturbation noted, not dwelled-upon (they should’a signed up earlier). I did have one chance to judge when Tom had to go the 75 yards (imagine a triangle, bathrooms, main event area, judges tent) to go number one (he says). I was doing fine until two surfers took off on one wave, splitting the wall, three more on the next wave, one of those way down the beach.

“Errrrr! What?” “Put the pencil down,” Gary, whose normal position is stalking behind the row of five judges, asking constantly for a wave count, said. And I did.

clnwtrtent

Hey, look; I have to go. I’ll get back to this; wanting to do it right. Tonight, and I’ll upload some of my photos. These were taken by Tom Burns. That’s Sonny; Larry; me with the Seahawks cap under the hoody, concentrating (probably commentating); Gus, one spotter also concentrating, another spotter probably concentrating while trying to keep his parts warmed.

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Again, I’ll be adding more later. “No, I gave him a 5.6. Oh, it’s old guys in this heat? 5.9.”

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There’s no instant replay here. Just getting this from my GOPRO to here took about three heats worth of time. So, we have… no, I have to go. Now that the photos are on this site, I’ll move them around and tell a few tales that, if my performance as a judge doesn’t do it, will keep me from being invited back. No, nothing serious; but, well, you probably can see why judges and on-air talent are different (I wanted to say) animals.

Clean with offshores

Posted on by under northwest surfing, real surfers, surf photos, surfing Westport Washington, uncatagorized, Westport surf photos

Micah, a friend of Stephen Davis's, sent him this photo from an expedition to (the general vicinity of) Westport. Though the waves have been ill-angled and the swells too small for the Straits, the offshore winds and rideable-sized waves have been hitting the coast almost non-stop. Okay, maybe some fog.

Micah, a friend of Stephen Davis’s, sent him this photo from an expedition to (the general vicinity of) Westport. Though the waves have been ill-angled and the swells too small for the Straits, the offshore winds and rideable-sized waves have been hitting the coast almost non-stop. Okay, maybe some fog. Stephen said he thinks Micah is fine with the photo showing up on my site. If a bunch of surfers suddenly show up at Westport (and/or the general vicinity), it may be my, I mean Micah’s, fault.