The Pipeline

"I'm walking on the beach right now...it's just starting to get light. There's about 8 guys out in the dark, and at least that many standing at the water's edge getting ready to paddle out..." Hammer said as he walked across the sand.

"Can you get a decent shot yet, or is it still too dark?" I asked.

"It's just starting to get light...as soon as I have enough light I'll start snapping away and send you the pics..." he answered. "This is so weird...can you believe we are doing this? I mean the technology is crazy. It's just wild..." I said to Jay as he walked closer to the water's edge.

I could hear the ocean. I could hear the voices of the surfers who were getting ready to paddle out. Suddenly there was a collective howl and groan. And the sound of an enormous wave unloading on the reef. "What happened?" I asked. "Oh some guy just ate shit big time...oh my God...he's still under...oh wait, there he is...!"

I was talking to Col Jay Hammer USA who was walking on the beach at Pipeline this past Friday December 9th, 2011 at daybreak. The same day of the Pipemasters. The brave souls who were venturing out at dark, were doing so, to get in a few waves before the VANS and Billabong crews shut it down to run the Pipemasters.

Like a lot of you, I had been watching it live on the Internet the last few days, and have been mesmerized by it. Not so much that we were all watching it live, but rather that we were watching insane waves, unload at second reef and beyond. It was big. Real Big. They were calling the sets 12-15'. That's big. Especially if they were using the Hawaiian scale. 12 to 15 feet Hawaiian, is like 20 to 30 feet everywhere else.

And you can say what you want about the other big wave spots on our planet, Chopes, Mavericks, etc etc...Pipeline is STILL the wave. In fact, that whole North Shore is still the proving grounds for a lot of surfers. And watching those waves Thursday thru Saturday rein enforced that for me. If you have ever stepped foot on the North Shore of Oahu in the winter, and seen a big swell, you know what I'm talking about.

I'm not talking about surfing it...I'm just talking about seeing it. Witnessing it. Feeling it.

Because "surfing it" is a whole other deal. I have never ever been a big wave surfer. I have been out in big waves, and have ridden a few big waves, but I am NOT a big wave surfer. I never liked paddling out on the North Shore when it was big. And most times we surfed there, it was big. Suffice it to say, I was uncomfortable most surf sessions back in the 70's and 80's.

So why did I go there? Good question. I guess because it was something at the time that most surfers did. We surfed at home on the East Coast, and then went to Puerto Rico and the Caribbean, and eventually to California and Mexico. The final stop was Hawaii. That was where we all went. Some of us stayed on like Lenny Nichols and Billy Ritchie. Others went to school there like Kevin Grondin and Harry Manzi.

That's still true today. There are younger surfers who attend school out there like Dougie Fresh, Julia Nichols and a handful of other New England transplants.

But most of us, just went for that insane experience, for a few weeks every winter.

I can remember seeing Pipeline for the first time, and how it was one of the most hypnotic waves I had ever witnessed. I sat down and just watched it for what seemed like hours. And the killer part was, there was NO ONE out. I have movie film of it. I could not understand how no one was out surfing. Of course, I learned later about the intricate mechanics of that reef. She can fool you, Pipeline. She will entice you.

Everything must be just right for it to work. Don't listen to her...resist temptation.

Watching the waves from the safety of my studio office, I found myself, once again some 30 plus years later, thinking the same thing. I was thinking 'I could surf it' if I was there. But that would be a mistake. A very big mistake. There's something about that wave that has that affect on you. I guess we all dream about getting that barrel. That Pipe barrel. We've all seen it enough times. In the magazines. On the Internet. In movies, on DVDS, you name it. Pipe is in our lives. We can't escape it.

And if you are a Pro surfer? Hell, you either want it or you don't . If you want it, you get to surf it with just a handful of others. If you don't? Well...you get to get your ass kicked in front of thousands watching live. And you can get really hurt. Or worse. You can die.

Watching the likes of Jamie O'Brien, Jon Jon Florence, Kelly Slater, Shane Dorian, Kieran Perrow, Joel Parkinson and a handful of others step up and paddle out into that arena and deal with that insanity, was hard to look away from.

Some of the surfing that went down was nothing short of spectacular. It was high progressive surfing at it's contemporary best. The regular foot rail grabbing into that pit was as exciting as it gets. And it was all in real time. And some of the wipes? Oh my God...if you saw Kelly eat it on that one big backdoor wave, you know what I'm talking about. Same with Shane's pearl on a similar backdoor beast.

Put it this way. Everyone who surfed that contest ate shit. Some more than others. But everyone who paddled out in those waves ate it. It was high drama surfing live on the net in HD. And as I sat there working, and being distracted by set after impending set, I could not help but feel that we have come so far in this sport, and yet we are still, like day one, at the mercy of mother nature. We have the technology to broadcast the action. But it's nature who dictates the real action.

So as I was chatting with my old friend Jay Hammer as he stumbled around the sand that morning at Pipeline, taking candid shots of the waves and the warriors who were about to surf them. We both agreed on one thing. That we are thankful that we are both too old to want and try to surf that shit again. I looked down at my knee, bolted into an uncomfortable brace, and smiled. Thank God...

Speaking of my knee. I know some of you are wondering what the results of my MRI's were. Well I guess it's good news and bad news. The good news is, it's not my ACL. The bad news is: I've torn my Quad Tendons, and I've torn my Medial Meniscus. The bones are also very bruised. So what does that mean? Well I'm facing six weeks of PT starting this week to get my Quad Tendons back in shape. And then I will have surgery on my Meniscus. The bottom line? No surfing or snowboarding for at least 2-3 months. Am I bummed? Hell yes I am. This affects everything I do.

The doctor got mad at me for trying to get away with not using my crutches. He got mad at me for not locking my brace. He got mad at me for not wearing my brace in bed at night. At one point, when he asked me, 'who told me that it was OK for me to do that' and I said..."I told myself..." he looked at me and said, "Do you even hear yourself ...? Look I know you know about surfing, and taking photos, but I know about knees, muscles, ligaments, and joints. If you think you can do all of that, then go for it, but you will twist your knee, and you will be in surgery later that day, or the next, and your PT time will be twice as long."

I said I did not want to ever experience that pain I felt last Thursday again in my life.

He looked at me and smiled and said, "Then please do what we ask you to do..." I agreed. Reluctantly, but I agreed. All I kept thinking about was last year. Can you imagine if this happened last year? It would be over. My surfing everyday would be over...as it is this affects my movie release and a number of other plans I had. Surfing the tropics. Snowboarding. I'm trapped again. Only, I can't even surf here.

I plan on getting my life in order, and doing the things I've been putting off. I'll make good of the down time...I will. I have no choice but to do good.

Speaking of good...The ASK CRACKIE SERIES is now into our 10th week. Crackie
is still very uptight about all things in surfing. This week he steps into the Holiday Spirit and lets the Holiday cheer fly. Don't forget CRACKIE has his own Facebook page. If you have a question for Crackie no matter how absurd you might think it is, please email him directly.

Crackie's email: crackie@adlantic.

I know personally that he'd love to hear from you and I know he'd love to friend
you on Facebook.

Remember my friends...if things get tough this Holiday season, or you're feeling down. Head down to the ocean. Go for a surf...or if you're (now) like me just listen and watch the waves.

Because my mantra still holds true, especially during this holiday season.

"Surfing Heals ALL Wounds..."