It rhymes with pillows…

Author: James Booth

This Easter, I surfed the G Spot of NSW. Hoping not to get my head cut off by the sharp rocks, I donned my booties and light blue board shorts and paddled out. 

“You’ve got the right idea,” said one of the kids already out, pointing at the boots. 

There were four teenagers already out, trading waves. I decided to sit on the inside, to let them have the pick. A wave came through basically straight away though, and none of them paddled for it. 

I caught it. It was steep and sucky, but not too big. It was still nice, as Joe Turpel would put it, to “get the feet in the wax,” but it closed out.

^the next day, when the wind was better

I paddled back out. I got another similar runt wave, and then realised two of the four mates were pulling back on a lot of waves (and the other two were giving them shit for it). 

This emboldened me to sit up the top with them. I soon got a bigger one, got smashed, and went back to picking off baby closeouts.

One of the kids then got a sick one on a twin fin. Another one of them said “I’m going to go in and smoke a joint then come back out” and he did.

Skittery wave (but still doing better than me, despite smoking a joint)

The next morning the wind was better and I put my wetsuit on. When I got there there was only one guy out – a bodyboarder.

I sat respectfully and let him have his pick. But then I realised he was American (and wasn’t positioned right for the sets). So I paddled to the proper spot, feeling a bit like John John.

Shoulder dip city / who wore it better?

I then got two or three nice ones but managed to blow it pretty much every time (though I did get a “backpackers barrel” in my trademark Shrek Stance).

Oh and… after stalling for the barrel after already missing the barrel on an insider, I got sucked up and over the falls onto the rocks.

^Author realising a 6’8″ was probably “not the go” for 1ft waves

The booties saved my foot, but I felt something click in my left hip after my left foot smashed into the ground taking all the impact. So I’ve been walking like an old man for a week.

Fun times.