Sometimes returning from a trip can be a wonderful reminder that you love your life, but that you also love going on vacation. Costa Rica is a magical place. I generally reserve the usage of the word magical for things that can only be truly deemed that. Andrew Molera Beach in Big Sur, Noosa Heads, Australia, a damn good surf session with all my buds on a sunny beautiful day, or the feeling in the crowd at a John Butler Show. My first good session at Playa Grande was like this. What can I say, I'm cheesy... I believe in things being spiritual from time to time, and magic is often the only way I know how to describe when everything just seems to come together and the air starts to buzz. That first session at Playa Grande was like that. Surf was head high, people were whistling, laughing and hooting each other into waves. It was hard not to get goosebumps.

Not all of my Costa trip was like this. It was trying at times. The surf was close to flat and barely rideable for three days. It rained every day. My mom and I bickered a little. The roads are a mess and I ended up with a flat tire. But it was still amazing. I'll take a rainy day there to any rainy winter day in SF. The food is mazing. The people are friendly because they live in their own version of paradise. The surf is sweeeeeett and the agua feels like bath water.

A couple observations:
The lineups are functional, and the locals share the stoke. Now I wasn't surfing Salsa Brava or anything, but Costa Ricans are damn friendly folks. If you ask them where the surf is good, they tell you. There is no stink eye, no secretive jokes, if they sense you get it then you're invited. And THEY SHARE WAVES. No matter how much better they are than you. Of course you better not biff the wave they give you.

Nobody rides flashy (read:pretty) boards down there. If some of you believe that we are losing the war to pop-outs, that may be the best evidence I've seen yet. All the surf shops are loaded with Surftechs and the like. Even local pioneer Robert August's surf shop didn't contain a single board that wasn't mass produced. Sad I know. Maybe it's where I was, maybe it was a generalization, but it's pretty much all I saw. Pretty much everyone is still in the potato chip thruster era as well.

The surf is super tide dependant, and the tide swings far. It seemed it was only rideable at the high tide, which rose to a whopping 8.5 feet and stilled peeled perfectly, then went back out to a 1/2 foot and resembled a lake. I doubt it's always like this--as most of the area is also somewhat seasonal...depending on solid souths for a lot of breaks.

It was an experience... a one of a kind trip. My mom's big birthday, a time to spend a good chunk of time together, me chasing waves alone...a little like OZ at moments, but unique and wonderful at the same time. I'd love to go back and venture down to the South Pacific. I'd love to go with my honey and hike the volcanoes and surf Pavones, the longest left on the planet with my chicas.

No matter what, it left me juiced. Stoked. To surf and see the world doing it.

Costa Rica was amazing, trying, beautiful, and in many ways felt like it could be a second home. More to come later.

Single Fin yellows.

My two favorites. Notice how Stewie is taking on water in the tail. He needs some serious surgery. Pray that I have the strength and talent to help save him. The Bob Miller on the left will be accompanying me on my Costa Rica Trip, of which I leave for in 11 hours. I hope he doesn't have the same fate as some of Chum's boards.

Awesomeness.

After milling about all morning and playing phone tag with my friend Amy, we finally decided to head out and give OB a shot. Surf has been flat, flat, flat, as I'm sure everyone knows. I dare to say I am sick of riding the longboard but too lazy to try anything else. Costa Rica should be a nice change of pace. Fingers crossed.

Coincidentally, after getting off the phone I dropped in on SurfySurfy and found a sweet little piece about Amy's husband, click here and here. So beautiful. I had no idea Matt was such an amazing and talented artist.

I've been on a new quest the last few days...to find a really kick ass surfboard to hang on my wall. It's gotta be cheap though. I doubt I'll find it because nothing is as cheap as the free 60s vintage I found on craigslist and then stalled on because I didn't want to deal with rush hour traffic. Oh well.

A lot's been happening, but I haven't been in the blogging mood. I'll admit I have to be juiced to get stuff up here. I want to stay conistant and post pictures, but lately I've gotten out of the habit of taking my camera to the beach. Therefore I post less. That'll change next week though. The surf has been good for the last few. A big south came and graced us with it's presence last week. Bolinas was fun and waist to chest high (on the outside sets I was never in the right spot for) on Saturday. Paddling was hard as the current in the channel is usually against you and the lineup is 50 yards offshore.

I love it there. After we exited the water we passed a skeleton of a boat (an arc possibly?) with a bunch of hippies selling organic veggies from their farm on the outside of town. Dirty potatoes. Filthy feet. Rosemary potato bread. I'm a sucker for a town that knows they've got something that good going on.

I've been strictly riding the Stewart leashless which has been great but I know I'm in need of a new longboard. He's suffering, several dings are slowly taking on water and I can't keep him out for long enough to let him dry out so I can fix it. I'm gonna try and stretch through this summer on him and see about replacing afterwards. The waves have been small save for the last few sessions. It's great to get that cruisin good feeling again. I've been forcing myself to work on my backside skills which has been pretty successful.

Lots of good stuff ahead. I'm getting excited about my Costa trip big time. I spent some time researching Tamarindo yesterday and it sounds like this time of year is going off. Surf has been 4-7 feet over the last couple days. Should be mellower for the first part of my trip then picking up a bit as we get into the weekend. I think I'm only bringing one board-my 7'6 Bob Miller diamond tail single fin...I'm excited to get into a little more size and hoping that bord will hold me even the small days. I just can't wait for some warm wetsuit free water.