The Half Moon Bay Boys

Besides those of us who live here full time, the visitors that travel to CR only once, the ones who own property but live between Costa Rica and where ever their other home is for months at a time, are the group of surfers who come to EO at least once a year, like the Texas and Daytona boys.  This week and next is another of my favorite's - the Half Moon Bay boys.  I first met this group about 3 years ago.  It consists of Maui Jim....who now lives in Maui, Bruce who still lives in Half Moon Bay with his lovely wife YaYa (Yael - from Morocco), Johnny who lives with his wife in the valley outside San Fran, and Jason who also lives in Half Moon Bay but did not come on this trip.  Jason.....your absence has been noted and both you and Jae are missed :).  All these guys know each other from their younger days of living and surfing in the Half Moon Bay area.

Jim and Johnny arrived this week a day ahead of Bruce and YaYa.  Like every surfer I have ever seen or met, as soon as they can drop the board bag in a safe spot they are headed for the water and that is just what they did Wed. morning.  I knew they were here but had not yet seen them until about 1:30 pm when they came out of the water.  Right out the gate - they had an experience they will talk about forever.......

Yes......crocodiles!

A few blogs back I wrote about Gladys, the wonder dog that was attacked by a caiman on Monday.  About 9am, Tuesday morning I see Larry doing a wave check.  I am considering going out until he tells me he saw croc tracks on the beach about 5:30 am near the girl's expressway - my expressway for getting out.  I decide not to go and later in the day hear there were several sightings.  Early Wed. afternoon I see Maui Jim and Johnny coming up from the beach.  They had been surfing out in front of LowTide.  A quick hello and then the story begins.  Jim sees something in the water - thinks it is a log, maybe just his imagination. Then Johnny who is about 20 feet closer, knows exactly what it is....a crocodile looking right at him.  Then the croc opens his mouth and shows his teeth.  They both say it did not make any advance towards them but just wanted them to know....he was there.  Size....they both believe it was between 8 and 9 feet long.  I chose to not go out that day either.  The following day, more sightings both out front.....plus "the secret spot" - now were are dealing with at least 2 crocs.

I'm not really freaked out about this but on the other hand....whenever there are sightings I just can't go out and it takes me days to get over it.  Plus, I haven't been in the water for over 3 weeks now.  With Erin here and other things, I just didn't make it out.  When I have a long spell of no surfing, I can't even explain what it is......the first time back in is a bit worrisome until I actually get on the board and start paddling......then everything is alright and beautiful again.

Today???  I think I will think about this a little longer before I get back in.

The photos were taken last night at Brett's place - Soda Mary.  Maui Jim was the cook for the night, YaYa, who is an amazing artist was drawing a rasta pattern on Jims' " Jeff Clark" board.  Jeff  lives in Half Moon Bay and is famous for having surfed the huge, wild, very dangerous wave "Maverick's" for many years until others finally had the courage to paddle out and see what it was all about.

Shortly after I had my first surf lesson with Brett back in Nov. 2006, the first surf movie I ever saw was Riding Giants.  This basically gives a brief history of surfing, interviews with pioneer surfers, a few specific surf spots featured...one being Maverick's.  I have lived in CA for 30 years, have former in-laws that still live in that area and had never heard of this place.  But then.....even tho I had lived near the ocean for all those years, surfing was never a consideration.

When I returned home to CA in Dec. of 2006, after my first ever time in Costa Rica and that was for 3 months.....I was obsessed with the country, surfing, everything.  By the end of Jan. 2007 I had returned to Esterillos and have been here ever since.  But, before I came back, I actually made a trip to Moss Beach, just up the road from Half Moon Bay and stayed with my former brother and sister in-laws, Mark and Jeri Chidester.  I had a girlfriend with me and my mission was to see Maverick's.  So early the next morning after our arrival, there we went.  It was flat, nothing going on but it was truly amazing to be standing on that beach  after all I had read and knew.  Afterwards we went to Jeff Clark's surf shop actually hoping to meet him.  Instead, the nice girl working there helped us pick out t-shirts.  I was happy to just have been there.

Several months later, back in EO, I was telling this story to Tony who was managing the LowTide Bar at that time.  He tells me Jeff Clark was just here the week before!  I drilled him......Jeff Clark from Half Moon Bay......Maverick's' Jeff Clark???  He was positive.......I still don't know.

It is wonderful having this familiar group of people here that I love but will shortly be gone until the next time.  The tide comes in.....the tide goes out.  Such is this amazing life in EO.

Pura Vida