Monthly Archives: February 2005

Riding Giants.

By Ed Fladung | February 4, 2005

Last night we watched RIDING GIANTS, a surfing documentary directed by Stacey Peralta. He’s the guy who directed DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS (an excellent skateboarding docu-film). RIDING GIANTS was wonderful and really captured the surfing spirit without attempting to beat the viewer over the head with the whole “why surfers are not really surf bums” story. This docu was mostly about 3 guys from three different decades, surfing insanely large waves. we’re talking 20 to 70 foot waves. BIG WAVES.

Since I learned to surf about 5 months ago, the surfing bug has most certainly gripped me and not let go. My love for surfing is the same I had for skateboarding, when I was 8. It’s almost unconscious. It’s like I’ve always been a surfer and will always been one.

At one point in RIDING GIANTS, I think it was Greg Noll, a late 50’s surfer who first conquered Waimei Bay in Hawaii. He said that the thrill of surfing was dropping into the wave and the motion of carving up and down, that there was nothing like it. Obviously I’m paraphrasing here. That description stood out for me, because it made me think about why I really like to surf.

For me, surfing is the whole package. I love everything about it. Sometimes there won’t be any swell going on and I’ll just paddle out to Burros and wait there, floating in the water for an occasional wave (luckily even when there isn’t much swell, Burros is still pretty reliable). It’s just as much fun as actually dropping in on a 6+ foot wave, well maybe not as much fun but just as much a part of the whole surfing experience. I love the burning sensation from paddling for position on a wave, getting to that sweet spot where the wave is breaking just right and out-maneuvering the overly brash local kid next to me, who’s been snaking my waves all day long. I love the huge adrenaline rush of the life or death paddle as I see the large set coming in and my only chance to avoid being crushed is to paddle directly for the wave. In times like that, you forget about the burn, your mind goes blank and the only thing that drives you is to avoid being pounded. I love the feeling of dropping into the wave and feeling it break just a few inches behind me. and the precarious dance, riding the board up and down the cresting wave – not too fast, not too slow. For me it’s the trek through the jungle and coming out onto the vacant beach, seeing the bulging lines of the incoming waves. It’s the dawn session in Sayulita with all the senior citizen snow bird long boarder couples, telling tales of run-ins with the potty mouth locals. It’s the summer sunset thunderstorm session with not a single soul in the water. It’s the final paddle in to shore, arms and shoulders burning, unable to pull much further. Sitting at the water line, it’s the zen calm in anticipation, watching someone drop-in to an excellent ride and then hooting and hollering as they finish and they look up and give the thumbs up sign, a good ride is universal and everyone knows it.

I guess I could go on and on, but this seems like a natural place to stop. you get the idea.

Next up, I have the Jack Johnson documentary SEPTEMBER SESSIONS, if his cinematography is anything like his music it’ll be awesome. I’ve been trying to get my hands on a surf film by Thomas Campbell called SPROUT, but it’s still in the theaters and impossible to find on BitTorrent.

can anyone help a brother out?

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Movin’ on Uuuuu-Ppppp!

By Ed Fladung | February 3, 2005

Big News! Marcia and I decided to move in together and so for the past week or so, we have been looking in the local Bucerias area for a moderately priced apartment to call home. Recently we found a cute little two bedroom place with a nice little terrace about a block away from my parents’ house. We just spent our second night here and we are settling in nicely. The cats are a different story. Yesterday they were clawing at the walls to get out, so being the pushover that I am, I let them out to explore the terrace. After I left to go to work, Marcia called to tell me that Chloe had crapped on the bed, right in front her, and taken off over the terrace wall. I used my special “Chloe calling” signal and sure enough, 10 minutes later Chloe showed up at my parents place, came over to me and said hi and then promptly ran off so as not to be caught again. The cats are back here at the apartment now and I’ll have to keep them pent up inside for a few days until they get used to their new home.

Now I am setting about figuring out how to get connected to the internet. No former web design / derelict internet addict should ever have to go without having at least a 512k connection at their wireless fingertips. I’m resisting paying the 60 bucks a month it costs to get genuine dsl from Telmex and there are no other people in this building with wireless internet (believe me – I checked that first) so I’ve been brainstorming how to use a long range antenna to jump my parents’ wireless signal which is about 500 yards away and to my luck, in plain site. I’m currently being foiled by the lack of external antenna jack on the wireless router/modem that my parents have from 2wire (how convenient?!). As time goes on, i’ll probably just bite the bullet and get legit service. oh the horror. Marcia says that it’s a waste of money, since we can go over to my parents’ place to use the internet and I happen to work out of their house, so I’m there for a good portion of the day anyway. I kind of agree with her, but I haven’t lived without the internet since, well, since my second year of college, that would be 1994.

So here I sit on our couch writing on my powerbook, wondering if I can live with out the internet at home. It remains to be seen. and I’m not even gonna go into what it’s like to live without Tivo (or tv for that matter). That is most definitely a whole ‘nother story.

Posted in life in mexico | 1 Comment

Dennis Morton.

By Ed Fladung | February 3, 2005

This is our good friend Dennis Morton.

Dennis is the sweetest most lovable bitter person you’ve ever met in your life. He was probably an acerbic british ex-pat whereas in this life he is an acerbic american ex-pat. Our family loves Dennis and welcomes his awkward charm and sense of humor.

Dennis is the back bone of the Bucerias Gossip Pool. If there is something going on in our little town, chances are Dennis has the dirt. But don’t think that Dennis kisses and tells. oh, nooooo! it’s never that easy with Dennis. He’ll only tell you what he thinks you need to hear. and he likes it that way. He often portrays himself as being a rebel and a loner but really he’s always there, connected, underneath it all.