An Excellent Sendoff

This week, ultra-core Golden Triangle member Eric ( EY_\ ) Yeisley trades the ocean for the mountains and heads off to a new life in Colorado. Got me thinking back to my first session in the Park. That day, I wrote:

"Just entering the water, a blue-hatted dude drops into a nice little, but long left...one spinner...two spinners...three spinners...close out. Pops up and sez, "you Hank?" Great intro, EY! Way to show the first timer how SCSB is to be ridden!"

Hank...meet the king of the smallies! Yeah, we all know that EY_\ rips, large and small. But he earned the sobriquet, at least from my view, not only because of the length and spinners he milks out of the little ones but also because of his tendency to hang inside, catching at least triple as many waves as I and, most likely, the better, if not bigger, ones.

Crawdaddy's send off video - link here - is a great exhibition of EY_\ at his finest, mid-week last week.

Today was no exception. Yeah, he got his share of set waves, but most of the time, there he was, inside, milking the Park for all it had to offer today. And it had a lot to offer, today, especially early!

EY_\ and Mark (Sailfish) Ghattas had arrived early and were by 7:15. Hugh preceded me, briefly, at 8:00. Park was at its best, at the main peak: lefts & rights peeling off a pitching peak, hollow and fast - but not too fast - with solid juice. Sets were consistent and regular, combed by a steady but mild offshore. A small crew of local sticks - good vibe - were camped on the main peak, but the pod of the body claimed the stretch between the main peak and the rocks, and had it to ourselves until after 9:30.

Sailfish exited to drive EY_\ home about 9:30 while Hugh and I tried to maintain our exclusive peak. By the time Sailfish rejoined us, we were staving off an increasing horde of not-so-local, not-so-aloha surfers, now picking over surf that had lost some size and power and was getting a little crumbly. Hugh exited not long after, and Sailfish and I swam down to LG1 where we had a little more space and snared a few, last good rides before exiting about 10:45. A very satisfying, 2-1/2 hour session, especially when I really didn't expect much today.

Drove home, thinking back over the number of times over the last five years that EY_\'s put out the call for the Park. Over the years, the most consistent company in the water. Always up for it & always psyched. His in the water enthusiasm earned the Golden Triangle the appellation of "talking heads" from the local stick population. No doubt, he made his contributions to our earning the "chatty cathies" title from #9 as well.

EY_\ - look forward to the next time we see you in the Park! Meanwhile, good luck in Colorado!

[Crawdaddy's sendoff video is also linked to the title, above.]