Endless Session, Day 301: The Surf Was Good, The Crowd Was Better
Photo on Day 301
The shores of Torrance beach had been teasing my phone with pictures from Brendan the past few days, the sandbars pulling in the small swell gracing the South Bay. I had to go see what the surf-fuss was all about.
As I drove down the Esplanade I could see it from a distance. The a-frame peak, speckled with boards and bodies and riders and swimmers and dolphins and rolling whitewater. Eyes on the water, I managed to mistakenly drive past the lot entrance, and doubling back, I spotted Brendan laughing at my directional error. I found my place on the hillside, suited up, and Brendan and I literally skipped our silly selves down to the beach and were shortly joined in the water by local and international legend Mike Purpus.
The authoritative nugs were rolling in with liquid force. I watched as Purpus, now on the end range of 60, drop in with bullish vigor, pumping down the line and occasionally switching stance — if you were to watch him regular or reverse, you can’t tell the difference. He’s wave-idextrious. Brendan, moving a little slow on land from his previous night of festive fun, was still unmatched in the water, stomping hard into turns with his little blue quad. Purpus and his stories of surf youth had me occupied in between sets, and when a good wave came his high-pitched cheers and dog-like hollers could be heard down the beach at Hags. I saw Chris Portugal, rapper of People Under The Stairs, who I hadn’t hung with since our February surf trip to Nicaragua. The surf was good, and the crowd was even better.
The wind found our little alcove, and although it was hard to skip back up the hill, I was skipping in my mind, thanking Torrance for its beautiful wave-churning sandbars, dolphin sightings, and goofball company.