Slater Bro's Invitational

The best part about surfing? It's fluid, things change.

We thought we were going to the King of the Peak Competition down at Sebastian Inlet.

Nope. We get there and they inform us, it's been bumped to a Sunday start. Most likley to account for the Slater Bro's competition at Coconuts on the Beach in Cocoa Beach.
So we head up there. No big.

It doesn't start right away either. We have pancakes. He may have the speed on the wave but, I've got him here.
As far as eating goes, you have much to learn, my young Padewan.
Check out the break and it's windblown slop but out we paddle anyway, just as the first heat of the competition starts.Something changed in me. There may be hope yet. I actually make it out before he does despite the four foot slop-chunks which break everywhere, seemingly to the horizon. Also, the bench-presses, the leg presses must have helped, along with the miles on the bike. The snap works and I am up and surfing, catching two excellent lefts. But he catches four waves. I get dumped hard on a surprise set lose my grip and to the bottom I go, coming up swinging and gagging a little.

Back on the board I get another left, take it into the beach and put my shirt on.

He comes in and is convinced I've been blown south and out to sea or to my demise so he jogs south looking for me. Meanwhile I keep calling for him: I'm up watching the competition!
Finally he's back, relieved I'm not dead.

We run into Damian Hobgood on the beach. I introduce Sean to him. I asked Damian how he and his brother CJ can slide down 25 foot walls of water seemingly so cool about it.

"You get nervous, yeah, a little but you're doing something you love so, you just do it, forget about being nervous," he said.

About two months ago I ran into CJ at a downtown Melbourne restaurant and asked him this same question. Nearly identical answers.

What is sooo cool about surfing?

Imagine walking up to Michael Jordan and trying to ask him about basketball; how your kid might benefit from his wisdom having reached the top of the sport? Somehow, I don't think a basketball star, or a football star would make themselves as accessible to your young athlete, as a surfer would.

Maybe it's just the Hobgoods; just how they raise kids in Cocoa Beach; they say Slater is like this, an unpretentious guy, a decent person.

There were some tightropes near us, when my son and I approached Damian. He was watching the kids work on their balance skills. He was joking with them as we walked up. My county has a lot to be proud of when it comes to producing surfers.


What else is good about surfing? At competitions, the announcers get goofy, do comedy, accents, and crack on the surfers while they are competing, and it works.

You sit there in the sand with your kid and you watch. Who cares if the wind is blasting on-shore, the announcer breaks into Mexican slang, and Hawaiin pidgin and ends with London Cockney.


There goes a yellow bi-plane with an advertisement about Coconuts on the Beach; there goes another pro on a wave tearing a huge cutback, throwing spray. The background music is AD/DC one minute, Waren Zevon the next. It's fluid, it's whatever, and it works.


Sean and I watched the skaters for a while, then headed up to Ron Jon's for a look at both their larger standups, as well as the new Merrick 7'0' fish for big guys, perhaps for me. I am still torn. Stand-up? Or large fish?

A sales guy told me about McTavish's and Walden producing new stand-up paddlers which essentially are shaped like short boards. This will be a very interesting development. Big guys like me will get a rebirth in this sport, a new tool to keep up with our sons and daughters.

After some Mickey D's we headed south again. Patrick looked spooky, gnarly and empty so we settled on Indialantic for a second go-out.

Tide going back out, it was big dumpers all over the place. I got a massive right which Sean was impressed with.

I'm not totally back, but I'm getting there.

Until tomorrow. King of the Peak. All in all, a highly successful outing.

Dad's weight 247 lbs.