Karen K.
kooks,
Westcoast/northwest transplant to nyc about a decade ago . . . a felony sentence so I've been told; however the people here and this town have had a real positive affect on my life.So - an old friend turned me on to Long Beach this summer and I'm hooked. I dream of water and earth energy, living out of a cabana or villa on the water, water like Rincon in CA. or Costa Rica. A machine rolling wave, long rides for beginners like me.
I picked up a Gravity Board and spent many summer evenings surfing cars in the lower eastside around 1am - 3am. But I'm of warrior Spirit and will continue to forge forward with a winter wet suit, station wagon,kooks and freelance existence,and thanks to Brendan keying in my most important "surf" report stats, I will keep trying to surf. I have aways to go. It's one of the most humbling sports I've tried. I'm a bit frustrated; however I always feel fierce at the end of the surf day.
Pearls later!
Too, I thought this would be a great thing to develop with my son; he's five now and being physical is really important to balance with the mental. I hope he takes to it. With surf dudes like Brendan and Turtle as friends I feel Blessed.
Night Waves. Thanks for signing me up!
karen
Although I officially joined this elite group a few month ago, I'm only now sending out my intro now due to technical difficulties .
My name is Bud Littman and I began my kook career in my teens with a Tom Overlin twiny. For the next ten years I surfed more boards than breaks-MR, Line Drive, T&C , Micheal Barron, Brian Bulky, and all twin finsranging from 5'6 to 6'2. But at 20 years old I wouldn't exactly call myself a seasoned surfer (not that I am now) having surfed just one break in Harvey Cedars, N.J. in L.B.I.-- 69th St. beach.
After my spending my college days in the surf Mecca of the U.S., Selinsgrove, PA . I set out to excel in my snow kook career in Jackson, Wy. It was only the following year when I went to the other coast and began surfing Cali and Baja for a few weeks I became inspired again.
When I returned to Jersey, I began to hang out with fellow kook Karl P.. He showed me that there was more than one break in New Jersey (Loveladies-his home break). Through time he has weaned me off the warm flat summer waters, to enjoy semi-consistent Jersey winter surf. Since then we have traveled together, ( PR a couple times, Mexico, along with many Hatteras trips) and had some epic days along with many shitty days. Also honorable mention to kook Big-J who accompanied me in Costa Rica. I hope hit Costa Rica again this winter and France again the following summer (oh yeah been to Biarritz too). I'd also would like to hit RI during a hurricane this summer.
Well thats about it, If your ever in Harvey Cedars come surf 69th street with me! I've got it wired!
P.S. If anyone does any rock climbing during flat spells give me a call. I'm not much of a leader but can second up to 5.9"s. Also if anyone needs a ride from the city (NYC) to catch some surf (hurricane or whatever) I'll be glad to give you a lift.
Jamie L.
Dear Kooks,
Finding INTRO in my Email brought a smile and a fond remembrance of those journeys of the past. If we only knew then what we know now, (which is really nothing much and the illusion giving us more reason to fear the unknown) I for one realize what a lucky group we are. Kevin, my compliments to your eloquence and humor in your story, in addition that for some of those moments which I was party to, "Dr. Jimmy" was residing fleetingly in each and every one of us.
Art can be defined as an object or process that makes one smile spontaneously and lifts the spirit. Often the waveriding adventure has been defined and frowned upon by others obviously missing it's spiritual and experiential richness. However, those who can "do" and those who can't "criticize"(or according to Dilbert "manage"...same difference). In addition, we have all had to try to verbalize this to someone close to us, often marring the prelude to a great day and sometimes ending it with some form of emotional punishment. In my own experience, some form of emotional exile had been an integral part of my daily life, resulting in an uncanny ability to sleep or eat anywhere, and at any given moment. But, this ability to move beyond the limits, perceived sometimes as selfish and/or stubborn, is precisely where true freedom is,.. how else will you find the perfect moment? Fear is the mind killer. Let it go.
My mother feels that the times we spent in the loft(s) contributed to our respective individuality and to some degree deliquency. I don't think you can pin it down, after all it too is a process.Speaking of processes, I am glad to hear the search for the perfect break continues unabated. Generally, with the exception of tropical depressions or 'Canes, the waves on the West Coast (Naples-Ft. Myers) are suited to GIjoe. However, Sebastian Inlet, Wabasso, and Cocoa are certainly within striking and monitoring distance, between 2-3hrs drive time. With Hurricane Season almost days away, I appreciate the tropical locale in which I live, the East Coast (of Florida) with few exceptions is a nasty environment. If anyone makes it to my neighborhood, I guarantee an exceptional and memorable experience. Incidently, I am planning a Dive Trip to the UNEXO Facility in the Bahamas next May. If not certified, not to worry because a course is available in CDrom with instruction and certification dives at facility over three days. Afterwards, a Carribean Sail/Dive/Surf on a chartered boat, or from Costa Rica? Let me know and good to be in the loop.........Jamie(Lew)
Lex Maniac AKA the kOOk's Mom
Or for a real geeky website you can check out.
Born and raised in the wilds of southern Jersey I learned surfing from some of the local natives on a $10 homemade board picked up at a yard sale. Following a rather lackluster high school career and two years at a community college, I used surfing to propel me to continue my education at the University of Hawaii. Following two years of sun and fun, along with some educational experiences, I went back to NJ for graduate school. During that time a lot of sessions were to be had in north Jersey in the company of KOD. The next step in life, now propelled by the need to get out of the good 'ol USA, was a two year, surfless stint in Stockholm, Sweden. Now longing to get back to the good 'ol USA, I returned and spent the next four years or so at Harvard University, during which a enjoyed many a pleasant session in RI. Currently I am at the University of Maryland in Baltimore, which has brought me back to the surf of southern Jersey. Once again the cyclic nature of all things reveals itself....
Favorite surf spot: Grandmother's, Stone Harbor NJ
Katherine the GreatShe's From Kalifornia
Subject: The customary intro...Hello kooks:
First I guess I should say thanks to everyone for admitting me into your group. I heard from Kiko that many of you are located in the NY area which is great because that's where I will be in three days!Right now I'm at my parents home, in Palos Verdes, CA. (Anyone from there, or know where that is?) It's located in the "Defense Belt" of Southern California, a.k.a. the South Bay. I'll be attending NYU in the fall as a graduate student at Tisch. In fact, I noticed that a few of the e-mail addresses here are NYU addys, so it's nice to see there are a few other surfers from my school!
As for my surfing history, well, let's just say I'm a former sponger made good. I'm bringing one board, a 6'4" shortboard but will be continously on the lookout for a decent, reasonably-priced used longboard. If I can't find one over there I'll wait until I visit my family in the winter to board search here. But I'd rather avoid the transportation hassle if possible.
Anyway, I'm looking forward to surfing the East Coast. If anyone has any tips or info please feel free to e-mail me!
Take care everyone,
-Katherine
Hello all I am Brian O, aka brio, And this is my life. No seriously I have been lurking around here for a while and figured I ought to introduce myself. I am the brother of the evil Kevin O and brother in-law to John A. Others of you know me others do not.
My brother first introduced me to surfing by basically forcing me to surf...I was a bit reluctant. I was more into skateboarding in my early teens. I was one of those kids who lived with a skateboard glued to his feet. I recall days where my goal was never set foot on the ground unless I was on my board. I rode in pools and parks and ramps.. perhaps my favorite were the half pipes we built...they resembled medieval siege machines and were mounted on lawn mower wheels which enabled us to move them around and then raise the wheels. I still have my board in the trunk of my car.
I was also very much into snowboarding at an early age. I had one of those old snurfers, which was basically a water-ski with some staples for grips and a rope from the nose. I modified it with bent angle irons to form rudimentary bindings.
However, I did eventually learn to surf, with Kevin as my only brother I had no choice. I knew how to catch waves because I was always an avid body surfer and still excel in this form of surfing. I body surf face first and arms back.. which I find gives the best control. My first boards were hand-me downs from Kevin..the names of which escape me, 37 dead shows can do that to ya. However I still have the ancient mariner - The Surfcraft. This board has seen it all and it wears its experience like a badge...each ding and water rot mark has a history. Several of you have ridden this stick. Most recently my board has been an antique Caster with a fixed fin...still going! However Kevin has recently obtained a 9'6" long board for me which has yet to be tested. But it's probably just right for me. The only way I'd get hot rides on a surfboard would be if I were to mount a hibachi on the nose, (I'm considering it).
Y'all will hate me for saying this but I'm almost glad that its been a flat summer. I've had a very tough summer personally, if you'll recall the sacrifice of my wife to the great kahoona. Things are settling down now and I look forwards to getting wet in September.
I've known some of the kookier kooks. Perhaps the most bizarre year of my life was spent in a townhouse with LexPlex and Kevin as roommates....oh the stories I could tell.
Bio notes: fun fun fun.
I have a wonderful 4 yr old Daughter. She loves the ocean and I am teaching her to swim. I hope to gain full custody of her someday, but currently I am with her only every other week. so it goes...
More of Kevin's extreme childhood sports; When living in Fort Knox during the Vietnam era Kevin decided to build a hang-glider. This was in the early early 70's before the sport was even a sport I think. His goal was to fly it off a cliff, of course I would be the pilot as I weighed less. (He was always pulling this Tom Sawyer, help me paint my fence crap). I agreed to fly it if he would test it first. The glider itself was constructed of cardboard, tape, sticks and I think coat hangers. The test flight was to be off the roof of our 1 story army housing unit. We managed to get the damned thing on the roof and Kevin was able to mount it on his back. I went out into the front yard to witness the flight. He began his take off, flapping the wings violently. However, just as he reached the edge of the roof my mother appeared at the front step. "What are you looking at Brian?" she asked. Just then Kevin left the roof and I swear it flew for about six or seven feet. Eventually it folded up and he game crashing down at my mothers feet. I still ponder how this woman survived us.
Anyways thats it.
-brio
Illegitamae Non Carborundum
Kevin ODear k00ks,
My parents were 23 when I was born, and when I was three my father took us to Ottawa Canada where he went to Medical School during the early years of the Vietman engagement. Sure enough, after he graduated he got drafted and then worked a deal with Selective Service to enroll as an officer after his medical training. So he went into OB/GYN (otherwise if he was a surgeon he probably would have been in chopshops over in the Nam). For the next two years I lived out my Tom Sawyer days while Major Dad delivered war babys in Fort Knox, KY. His role model he swore was Major Henry Pierce of MASH... I have a picture of him in front of his British sports car holding a sign that said "Happy to be at Your Cervix" in front of our "Officer Family Quarters." We used to ride our bikes around following the DDT trucks for miles as they sprayed the Kentucky swamps with insecticides polluting our then pristine lungs, we thought it was great fun...
When my little sisters would get scared of thunder, we used to tell them not to worry because it was just the armored divisions in gunnery practice over the hills. My brother Brian and I used to practice ambushing the armored infantry patrols out in the bush using old broken gunstocks. We used to draw peace symbols and write "Make Love Not War" on our duffles and bookbags, and our mother always let us wear our hair in Beatlesque mop tops. I always liked to ignore the military wife school teachers who would tell me to get it cut. They would make us line up in against the walls of the corridors and put our heads between our knees in preparation for "tornadoes" in the schools on post... Yeah Right...tornadoes. Later I went to the same High School as Mark Rudd, the guy who took over the Dean's Office at Columbia University to protest the draft in '67. I guess you could say I've been an activist for a while now. One time after a day in the bush, my brother and I came back with a live artillery shell that we dug out of the mud in a creek, bouncing it off the pavement for kicks. When a local kid's dad who was a munitions warrant officer saw us doing this, he immediately cleared the area, evacuated several apartments and called in the bomb disposal unit. I guess I've been lucky...
When we got back from Ft. Knox we moved to suburban NJ and I started surfing when I was 13, first on foam or rubber rafts, then when I turned 16 my grandfather took me to Hawaii, where I surfed Threes in Waikiki, Lahaina harbor in Maui, and a reef in Kauai, on rental boards. Needless to say I was hooked the first time I stood on a huge old board at Waikiki. After that trip, I got my first surfboard, a 6'10" G&S Skip Frye Modern Machine, which a friend still owns. After that I had a couple of twin fins that I got rid of. I own 6 boards, now, from a 5'10" G&S to an 8' In the Eye triple stringer nose rider. Mostly 'cause I saved my old thrusters for the next generation of kids in my family to use, not 'cause I ride them all.
I started to get into surfing in adolescent rebellion with Radical Doug, Mike Mulvaney, and the Buddha Brothers with their WWII vintage longboards and beavertail wetsuits that seemed petrified. Doug Auld is probably the guy I've surfed with longer than anyone else. He does mostly knee boarding nowadays, since his rock climbing career took off. He is a serious sick unit when it comes to sheer cliffs. We also ski together in the winter and do Tuckerman's Ravine extreme skiing each spring. There was another surfer in my high school who was very very good, named Scotty Duerr. He still surfs and competes in the ESA winning his age group routinely and he's still a local at Manasquan Inlet, NJ. I went on to college and my choice was between Gettysburg and Fairfield, and Fairfield was at least on Long Island Sound, so thats where I went. in my college daze I spent the summers down on Long Beach Island, NJ where I met a surfing soulmate in Bob De Fillipo, who's always remained a good friend even as geography and life pulled us apart. Bob was the one of the first to bring me to RI 'cause he went to URI back in the early '80s, we did some really stupid stuff up there with Mike Mulvaney and others in those days. I also met "Surfboard Bob" Cancelliere in those days when he was also going to Fairfield, he introduced me to more of a locals perspective to RI, and we started going on road trips up to URI where we would meet Bob D. and get wasted on 'Gansett and other assorted goodies, then brave the cold New England waters the next morning.
After some massive beach parties I didn't have the grades to get into med school, and I was always fascinated by microscopic things, so I decided to go to graduate school. I got into Rutgers with a teaching assistantship, and later got a predoctoral fellowship. This is when I started to really get into surfing alot, actually whenever there were rideable waves. I became kind of a mystery local at the North End of Long Branch. My buddy "Lex" MacKerrell and I lived together then, and we still go down to Hatteras each spring together and rent a house in Frisco when we can on the South side of the Lighthouse. We almost ended up killing each other at one point, but now we get along again...
With all that surfing and my thesis advisor resigning half way through, it was somewhat of a miracle when I finally defended my Ph.D. successfully in 1988. With a stroke of luck I got a post-doc at Columbia University, and during those lean years, "Surfboard Bob" and I rented a house in Ditch Plains Montauk each summer in the early '90s. Montauk is a very special place to me, sort of like Matunuck is to alot of you, I suspect. All rock reefs and mysterious sexy waves.
After 5 hellish years of living in NYC, working all night in the lab and surfing in the days when it was good, I got an appointment as an assistant professor at Columbia. I'm lucky to be able to surf with my family including my two brothers in law, John (from the list) and Greg as well as my brother Brian. Now I work on rare genetic diseases of childhood, and most of my surfing gets done in the New York metro area on the weekends. Surf forecasting is a necessity for me to schedule sessions in good conditions, 'cause I just don't have the free time to goof around, and I live about 3/4 of an hour from the nearest break I'll be 38 this year, at least I can still stand up on my surfboard...
You know, life isn't easy but when you're out on a good clean day it gives you just enough illusion of joy, that it gets you looking forward to tomorrow, or at least happy to "savour the moment while you hold it."
Sincerely Yours,
-KevinO
- Columbia University: Earth Institute
Cool Weather Forecasting links
- NOAA Interactive buoys
- National Hurricane Center
- NOAA Wind and Wave Forecasts
LINKS for Current Surf Conditions