Surfing and Trail Running
Surfing:
I do most of my surfing in New England. The breaks I frequent the most are Jenness Beach (Rye, NH), "The Wall" (North Hampton, NH), and Nantasket Beach (Hull, MA). There are also many beaches along the Cape Cod National Seashore, particularly Nauset Light Beach, Marconi Beach, and local beaches to the north such as LeCount Hollow, White Crest, Cahoon Hollow, and Head of the Meadow. Jenness Beach and "The Wall" are the closest (1:15 from HC), Nantasket Beach is a bit farther away (1:30 from HC), and the Cape Cod Beaches the farthest (2:00+).
I have also surfed in other parts of the US and the world. In Florida, the beaches I have surfed include Cocoa Beach, Indiatlantic, Sebastian Inlet, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach and Captiva Island. California locations include Pacific Beach in San Diego, Malibu, and C-Street in Ventura. I have also surfed in Europe, including Portugal and Biarritz France, Nosara in Costa Rica, and Waikiki (Oahu) and Poipu (Kauai).
Surfing conditions in New England tend to be at their best in the winter, but the water and air temperatures can be quite cold. Typically, one wears a 6/5/4 mm wetsuit with 7 mm booties and 5 mm mittens. In the spring and fall, both air and water temperatures are a bit warmer and so one can wear a 4/3 mm or 3/2 mm suit with 3 mm booties. While surf conditions in the summer tend to be small, one can often surf in board short and a rash guard.
My first board was a 9'2" Driftwood longboard shaped by Tommy Maus (who now works for Donald Takayama, I believe). This hi-performance design is hard to knee-paddle, and so needs to be used in 3'+ conditions. My second board was a 7'10" Spyder Tigertail fun board that I often use in 5'+ conditions. It has substantial float capacity for smaller waves, but is light and highly maneuverable is bigger waves. My latest acquisition is a NSP stand-up paddle board, that is excellent in small condtions. I highly recommend it!
One of the great things about surfing is the cool people you meet along the way. So I invite you all to check out our friends:
- Dave Cropper at Cinnamon Rainbows
- Jen Baker and Thayer Sylvester at Carve Designs
- Robert August at Robert August Surfboards
- Kali " 'da Big Kahuna" Montero at Big Kahuna Surf
- Brett at Tamarindo Vista Villages in Tamarindo, CR
Thinking about what to do during that spring break? Why not go to a surf school:
Cams can be a great way to track surf before you head to the beach:
Trail Running :
Trail running is a great way to go running and subtract. Road running and racing are fine, but you really haven't experienced running till your covered in mud and every part of your body aches. The only equipment I can suggest are good trail shoes and socks. Brooks makes a good trail shoe called Cascadia and De Feet Blaze socks are excellent for comfort and blister prevention.
If you fall in love with trail running, here are some races to consider. You truly have to be completely insane to do the Ultimate XC Series.
Check out my photo gallery of the 2007 Jay Marathon (now the Ultimate XC).