Hannah DELIVERS!

[Steve-O]

I don't know if anyone else got a chance to rub shoulders with Hannah, but I have been waiting 20 years for a session like that.

Gabe and I left at noon on Thursday to be greeted by shoulder high waves and 15-20knots on the ocean. It started a little slow, but by a few hours before sundown the power of Hannah began to arrive. Winds were a solid 20+ and wave heights were approaching double overhead on the outside. Words can't describe being on waves of that size and being so close to all that energy. We did a 7 mile downwinder and about collapsed when it was all said and done. We knew the morning was going to be good.

Friday am, at sunrise surf was still double overhead, winds howling offshore, and no one was able to punch through. I couldn't believe some guys really thought they would make it, but everyone we saw try....was denied access to Hannah's waves. It wasn't till around 9 did the waves calm down to 6-8 foot that guys started to break through the surf. We hit it around 10 and had the session of a lifetime. The window for these kind of waves only last about 3-4 hours, but in that time I was able to catch about 30+ waves, a barrel or two, and a whole new outlook on surfing.

Jerry Lopez, a legend on the northshore had a great quote "The first 20 years, your just trying to get things figured out......it's the second 20 years that you really start to have fun."

Here is to the second 20 years!!!!!!!

Isn't anyone else freaking out about this hurricane season? As good as it gets IMO!

[SandiBottom]

steve o.. it was great over there on the east coast......Cocoa beach was off the wall.. good seeing you guys and thanks for help when I crashed in the surf.. an old man needs a little help now and then... Thanks Again

[rigger]

Its been amazing. I’ve rode 9 out of the last 14 days, and its looking like we are going to get another round here next week. To top if off, fall is right around the corner.. Guess all that praying to the wind gods paid off.

[bryanleighty]

I've got some water time in as well.. but please keep it in perspective...

"Tropical Storm Hanna closed in on the US east coast Friday on the verge of hurricane strength after leaving 136 dead in Haiti"

[RM3001]

They have some pretty good pictures of the East Coast on Gulfster http://www.gulfster.com/Daily/2008Pi...9508Hanna.html

Looks like Ike could turn out to be sweet as well with swell and wind(wind out of the East). Maybe surf and kite in the same day at Ft. Desoto?

are there any good surf locations in the st petersburg area?

[rigger]

Originally Posted by bryanleighty

I've got some water time in as well.. but please keep it in perspective...

"Tropical Storm Hanna closed in on the US east coast Friday on the verge of hurricane strength after leaving 136 dead in Haiti"

I understand your point, but Hanna also dumped disparately needed rain a long the east coast of the US. Thats another Perspective. Horrible what happened in Haiti and especially Cuba, which will be knocked back decades after Ike. I mean, should we not be stoked about cold front moving through that sparked tornados through out the mid west, because it damaged and killed, which they do every year. I’m feeling Steve-o's stoke too. We all have good reason for it. We have had some epic riding conditions right in the middle of summer. I think Steve o said it best, when he said, " its a great time to be a water man in Florida." Saying that, I do feel for the people in Haiti and Cuba, Bahamas, and all the other small islands that have been devastated by these natural disasters.

[bryanleighty]

understood completely..

wasnt trying to be a downer about the situation..

we've been damn lucky to only get some strong breezes out of the storms..

and from riding with folks, seems that everyone is doing their part to keep it safe..

[Steve-O]

Surf on St. Pete is Sunset Beach near Blind's Pass. Great on a SW swell typical with hurricane swell. very crowded though.

[Danimal8199]

Just to piggy back on this topic we had a discussion about this at the skyway yesterday.

I understand Bryans point, and your point, but I can't feel bad everytime I have a hot meal and people are starving in 3rd world countries.

The fact is that thousands of people die everyday from starvation, AIDS, cancers of all sorts and lots of other bad things so if we are going to put things into prespective, lets not just think about the people affected by the storms, there is a much bigger picture out there.

I can certainly appreciate the intentions and certainly appreciate your positive spin Rigger!

Keep rockin while this wind is here guys!!!

Originally Posted by rigger

I understand your point, but Hanna also dumped disparately needed rain a long the east coast of the US. Thats another Perspective. Horrible what happened in Haiti and especially Cuba, which will be knocked back decades after Ike. I mean, should we not be stoked about cold front moving through that sparked tornados through out the mid west, because it damaged and killed, which they do every year. I’m feeling Steve-o's stoke too. We all have good reason for it. We have had some epic riding conditions right in the middle of summer. I think Steve o said it best, when he said, " its a great time to be a water man in Florida." Saying that, I do feel for the people in Haiti and Cuba, Bahamas, and all the other small islands that have been devastated by these natural disasters.