GRAHAM EZZY
After a month of not windsurfing, I felt unfit. The German and French stops of the PWA tour were windless days spent waiting. No wind meant no sailing, which meant that my muscles felt stiff when I stretched and I had an extra half pound around the waist. Having lived in Europe the previous five months, I fantasized about a Hawaiian homecoming involving logo-high Ho’okipa. Unfortunately, the waves were massive. I started driving to the west side to sail a secret spot, but Kevin Pritchard called me and said to turn around and get to Polakow’s house ASAP because we would all go to Jaws on a pair of jet skis. Could I say no and still retain my dignity? Could I tell him that I felt too jetlagged and out of practice? In short: no way braddah! I borrowed a flotation vest from Polakow to wear under my rash guard, and off we went up the coast to that infamously big wave. At Jaws itself, catching waves was chaos because of the crowds and particularly north nature of the swell and wind. Oh, and that was my first day ever riding that board, a prototype DaCurve. Best way to get used to a new shape; drop down a mountain of water with chop the size of moguls?, probably not! Early in the session, Polakow’s vest irritated my neck so much that I took it off, hoping that my big wave experience would save me if I crashed in the wrong spot, or that my extra half pound would give me enough flotation to come back to the surface!