Not Enough Luck of the Irish to Make Me Surf Irish Waves

St. Patrick's Day is one of those Holidays that never really hit home with me when I was growing up. Look, I'm 100% Italian. I'm not Irish. I wasn't going to wake up with Red Hair and a craving for corn beef and cabbage. I wasn't going to throw the green on and wear it like it means something to me. I've just never connected with the day the way others have. My late parents used to celebrate the day as if they were Irish. I always thought it odd. And please, I'm best friends with many who are of the Irish descent. Plenty of my close friends are Irish. I guess I get a kick out of seeing them all celebrate this day. But for me growing up, it was just another one of those days that seemed mildly amusing.

I have friends who think that Columbus Day is a day for Italians.

I can tell you that being Italian, we did not celebrate Columbus Day as if it were ours. In fact, I never felt any connection with Columbus Day either. As far as I can tell, Columbus Day is the day we celebrate the discovering of America. So it's a day for all of us. But it's not a day that Italians celebrate in honor of our Italian heritage. Hardly.

And I know the saying of "We're all Irish on St Patrick's Day!"

Before any of you start thinking this is some Ralph rant. Think again. Saint Patrick's Day changed for me when I got married. My wife is part Irish. And if my wife is part Irish, my kids are also part Irish. So I got a backstage pass to this holiday. My wife and kids are Irish. I have to wish them all a Happy Saint Patrick's Day if I'm to be any kind of decent father. Though I do remind them that there is more Italian blood in them than there is green. Same with my wife. She has more Italian genes than she does Irish.

But on this day? We're celebrating being Irish! So please pass the corn beef!

Speaking of Irish topics. My good friend Johnny Meehan (Yes he's Irish) actually surfed in Ireland. And let me tell you, there is nothing meek and mild about Ireland's waves. Good Lord. I think of all the Big Wave discoveries of the last 10 years nothing has freaked me out more than the photos from Ireland. Are you kidding me? I mean have you seen them? The slabs and ledges these guys are dropping into and being towed into? Nothing short of insanity.

I'm not going to go on about my lack of wanting to surf big waves. I've said it before and I'll say it again, lest any of you have forgotten. I am not a big wave surfer. I do NOT seek out the biggest waves on the planet. I have been out in big waves and have caught and ridden a few in my day, but I am not a big wave surfer. Having said that, the surf in Ireland is BIG. Scary big.

And Johnny surfed some big ass Irish waves. God bless him.

He spoke about Crab Island. I guess there's a whole bunch of breaks right in that area. Johnny said he was out on a good size day and caught the second wave of the first set of a dawn patrol session. The first wave went to one of the top Irish surfers in the line-up. Crab Island. Damn it even sounds scary.

I hear that Doolin Point is also notorious for big surf. *Note to self. Stay clear of both Crab Island and Doolin point unless you are going there to photograph the action. But under no circumstances are you to suit up and paddle out.

This week's column was a bit light in the local surf action. Though there was clearly three consecutive days of waist high or better. And look when I say waist high I mean just that. From the bottom of the face of the wave to the top of the lip. I'm measuring the wave face. And it was clearly waist high and bigger all three days. Clearly. Now it may not have been clean. But it was waist high plus.

I think it's funny how most of us look at waist to chest high surf with a different perspective when the wind hits it from the wrong side. If the wind is onshore and it's waist high, most of us pass. If it's waist high and clean with an offshore wind, it gets more attention. Recently I was surprised when hearing some of the traveling surfers say they prefer waves that are a bit onshore to practice their airs on. Again, like big waves surfing, I am not a high performance surfer. I do not buy into that whole concept of leaving the face of the wave to perform some wild acrobatic maneuver.

Though when it is done right it is impressive. If you are good enough to hit the lip and do a full on air, and land it on the wave face, then you are clearly a contemporary surfer and should be respected for being able to pull that off. The problem is that learning curve is frustrating for those who are out and trying to get a few waves and watch wasted waves go by them when someone falls on another missed landing.

So I get why those who want to commit to that kind of surf style welcome the onshore conditions to practice the big airs. You can fall all day long and not really waste a wave. Especially if no one is out there. And honestly? When you are able to complete and make more than you don't? That's impressive. There are only a handful of guys who can do them locally. That's going to change.

Let's face it, there are lots of up and coming groms who are just chomping at the bit to boost some big airs and land themselves right the hell out of New England and into the pro circuit. And with the wetsuit technology getting better and better each year, it's only a matter of time before the groms are out year round practicing. So keep your eyes open for flying groms landing in and around your local breaks.

I also decided to run a bunch of sunrise/sunset pics from the last few years.

That task was a bit more than I had bargained for. Sifting through the last few years of photos was taxing to say the least. Oh I found a few pics alright. Hell, I found more than a few. I found hundreds. Not sure how many of you can stand looking at beautiful sunrises and breathtaking sunsets, but I have a whole gallery lined up for you. And the way I figure it, you don't have to be a surfer to appreciate sunrises and sunsets. You just have to be alive.

Finally, I made another short trailer to the movie SURFING HEALS ALL WOUNDS. Years ago I wrote an article about what surfing really means to me. It's just basically pointing out how special surfing really is. How we are there to meet this wave at the end of it's life, and share in those final moments. It's always been a special encounter for me. I tried to explain it in my voiceover over images I shot from the "Catch A Wave For Molly" campaign last year. I hope it comes across like I had hoped it would. I guess each one of us that surfs, has their own interpretation of what surfing is.

It's certainly no secret what surfing means to me.

"Surfing Heals ALL Wounds...".




Now for some of my Weekly Global Observances:

So the reports from the pentagon this week were certainly something to take note of. The US NAVY SEALS that took out scumbag Osama Bin Laden last May found documents that OBL was actually planning to assassinate our president. It's true. Osama Bin Laden wanted to take out Barrack Obama while he was onboard Air Force One. And his reasoning was to put Joe Biden in place because he thought Biden would mess everything up. Poor Joe. Even the scumbag terrorists give him no respect. Thankfully Obama gave the greenlight to take out Osama. And in doing so, he not only unknowingly saved himself, but also the rest of us. Whew!

OK I admitted earlier on this year that my family and I watch American Idol. It's the only ridiculous reality TV show I personally watch on TV. I can't say the same for everyone else in the family, but for me? I only watch Idol. I tune in because I enjoy the talent and also the absurdness from the judges. Re: Stephen Tyler.

Well, one of the contestants this week got booted off because, well because he had four warrants out for his arrest! I guess you can't be wanted by the law and also be a Idol contestant. Good thing too because this particular contestant Jermain the Gentle Giant seemed like a loose cannon. Who wants to bet that some rap artist will get him a record deal claiming that the white establishment came down unfairly on the brother? He was arrested twice last year and gave alias names both times. And it was violent in nature. But I can see him getting a deal once he does his jail time. Hey it's America. This is what we do.

Speaking of getting arrested George Clooney was arrested along with his father this week while protesting on the plight of Sudan. Now before you think this some publicity stunt Clooney actually backs up what he preaches. He's been there at least 6 times in the last couple of years and is truly an advocate for the country and it's people. And seeing the news clips, it is sad. It's awful. But the UN is a joke and can do nothing to stop this bloodshed.

Good luck George. You're going to need it.