December's Mild and Clean Days

And a big boy dose of closeouts, but no complaints here.

And Merry Christmas Y'all!

Eastern Point Sunset

Some things never get old

Clarence Carter Back Door Santa: 'I make my runs about the break of day'

Merry Christmas, Everyone!

Joy (Division) to the World

Cape Cod 1966: Skip Frye himself at Nauset

Team Jacobs Trophy Winners

1965??  In any case Hap Jacobs had quite the team back in the day

Late Autumn Small Kine

Nothing to write home about, really, but enough to make a small blog post.

Mountain Bike Monday - lost in Willowdale

Euskal Herria - a few last pics from Basque Country, San Sebastián, and Paris

It will be ages before I can boast such an amazing title for a blog post and not be bullshitting you. So here are just a few last pics from the trip:

Bodegala Plancha, Saint Jean de Luz - just go here.

Chez Renauld - Saint Jean de Luz - super fun for post surf Eki (local beer) and some mussels

More Chez Renauld

The rockin' ride for the trip in front of the amazing Fati Tattoo in Biarritz -
 authentic Polynesian ink - Marquesan style

they really care here - way to go folks, keep up the bon travail!

San Sebastian: Hye Tyde in Spain!- this city is just too cool

Bittersweet return to Passy to catch up with old friends, this is where I lived 1986-87, and stayed with an absolutely charming host family. Sadly the host mother died 2 years ago, life goes on, and she left behind 15 grandchildren, dis donc! Mme Launay, you were a class act 100%, with love. But catching up with my host 'father' was amazing - recounting life under German occupation, the air raids, his time as both an engineer and soldier in Algeria. This completed the trip.

Plum Island: just Shootin' pics with my new rig

The Sony a6000 is an amazing little rig - so far so good, but there's so much to learn. I'm just sorry I didn't have this camera for the trip to France. Next time!
These were taken on Plum Island, Mass.

A la France éternelle

France Flashback - Legendary Lafitenia

Lafitenia: The blurb on Surfline sums it up best
A beautiful righthand pointbreak, complete with steps in the steep take-off, that leads into a long wall and occasionally hollow inside section. After the excitement of the first steep section, the wall fattens up and allows repetitive cutbacks into the hook before the final race to the shorebreak close-out. Frequented by multi ability surfers on various craft, it's a fairly friendly wave, unlike the psycho outside left that Slater has towed in seasons past.

That said, this is probably the best wave I've ever surfed. Ever.

steep takeoff leads to a very fast section 

trawlers in the cove

later that afternoon, the swell backed off and there was a slight wobble on the water

stoked French groms

post surf chillin'

the actual board I used, it's creator, Guilhem Rainfray, and its conceptual father, Bing Copeland
picture stolen from Swaylocks.com - more on this later, and thanks Jeffrey for lending me your baby!