Hello. My name is DanKo and I am a Surfing JONG.

[DanKo]

Alas,

After 6 fine years in Colorado I am trading the fat boards for a surf board when I move to the San Juan Puerto Rico area this January. The inability of me to log 30-40 ski day/season years will no doubt require me taking up a new hobby. I plan on looking to surfing to fill the void.

I am probably going to live beachfront in the Condado or Isla Verde area which should allow me frequent access to the beginner breaks in that area (like Pine Grove).

Any comments or advice on getting started would be appreciated. Some stories or photos about why surfing kicks ass would also give me some stoke and make me feel less sad about moving from Colorado during ski season.

Expect sun-filled JONG TRs once I get settled down there in '07.

Signed,

-A Surf JONG

[Superstar Punani]

Lucky bastard! PR has some good shit. The only downside is that like any Atlantic-facing spot, you'll need a solid storm to get good shit...

...but when you get a taste of a good swell you'll forget you missed snow in the first place.

Tres Palmas in all her glory:




I haven't been there, but from what I've heard it gets pretty tasty as long as you're ready to wait for the swell. Here's a link with more info:

http://www.wannasurf.com/spot/Centra...ico/index.html

Bring a supply of boards + accessories, as these will be harder to get and more expensive. Hooking up some locals with wax/stickers/surfwear goes a long way in making new buds and earning a spot in the lineup.

The good spots are all reefs, so bring booties, rashee, and a shitload of neosporin or other shit if/when you get reef-rash

Have fun man. I'm sure it will be a blast.

[Free Range Lobster]

Winter is the time when the trades kick into gear.
You have probably another 2-3 weeks before they're in full swing.
You'll have surf quite a bit.

[TBski]

[QUOTE=DanKo;971619]

Any comments or advice on getting started would be appreciated. Some stories or photos about why surfing kicks ass would also give me some stoke and make me feel less sad about moving from Colorado during ski season.

surfing kicks ass because it will make skiing seem like the easiest sport in the world. Surfing kicks ass because the mountain is moving . Surfing kicks ass because comittment/relaxation/aggression/flow are required all at once, kinda like dropping a big cliff. Surfing kicks ass because it feels good and the ladies wear very little in warm climes. Surfing kicks ass because every one can see who goes for it and who just stands around with new gear talking about how rad they are.
Advice: be patient,humble and get down with being a beginner, go surf with all the local 5 year olds for a few months, get pointers and google " surf etiquette". There are rules to the game.
Most importantly ENJOY, you lucky mofo!

[RyanSkiSurfSkate]

Man, lucky...lucky....lucky. That place is awesome! really really good food too. I stayed and surfed Jobos in the morning and drove to Rincon for marias and dogmans(right next to tres palmes) then ate at calypsos bar then had a another go then left ate dinner at happy bellies in isabella, repeat 7 times. Heres some shots I took:

http://curtis-photo.com/galleries/Pu...005/index.html

[Superstar Punani]

http://curtis-photo.com/galleries/Pu...005/index.html

That's some bad-ass fucking shots! Good shit!!!!

[Big E]

I don't think you'll have any problems using surfing to get your fix rather than skiing. The thing I dig about surfing is that, if you're living right there, it's pretty easy to get out for an hour or so whenever. I would think you could easily go from your 30-day skiing season to a 200-day surfing season.

As a total kook myself who just really got into it this summer on a Hawaii trip, my only advice is to never use those totally soft boards. They just suck completely. Once I went to an actual board (but still w/ a soft top), I started actually surfing.

Enjoy!

[tarkman1]

Get out and surf. When it's good, when it's bad, when it's mediocre. To surf well, you have to tune your eye to judge the waves. Most importantly, building up your paddling strength, endurance, and speed is key. If you paddle well, making drops is easier. Getting in position is easier. Basically, makes everything easier.

[Superstar Punani]

Look out to the ocean? What do you see? Waves. You may have heard the eskimos have over a hundred words for snow. The same can be said about the waves.

The reef affects the shape of the wave. You see, a wave breaks in water that's twice as deep as it is tall. But if you hit the reef, it affects the shape of your head.

[Shorey]

[QUOTE=Superstar Punani;978648]You may have heard the eskimos have over a hundred words for snow. The same can be said about the waves.QUOTE]

WTF? Eskimos have 100 words for waves too!

[DanKo]

Noice,

Thanks for the stoke...those are some killer shots of the Rincon area.

Yeah, I plan to get out as often as possible.

...Think I can be riding tubes like that after a year of diligent practice?

(Says the JONG)

[Mountainsurf]

I learned to surf in Costa Rica April '06. I moved to Costa Rica for the summer June 20th...to surf and work for a surf camp (I am the massage therapist/yoga chick). Of all the sports I enjoy, surfing is definitely the hardest and most humbling. I return to CR July 1st, 2007. Counting the days.

[warthog]

Can't help you much with the surfing, since I am a complete surf jong.
I did it for a year in Deerfield Beach,FL. Biggest wave was prolly 6 ft. It got to 6-8 ft one time, and I got so worked. Fun sport, would love to try it in a non-crowded area. Problem with Florida surfing, as with anywhere, is that when it is good, everyone is out there. I will suggest a "fun board" to start out, though. Helped me learn a little better on a little longer board. Of course, this is longboard country, what with the tiny surf and all.


As for Puerto Rico, read this book:http://www.capitolabookcafe.com/RumRing.html



You will like it.

I guess they are making it into a movie in '08, with Johnny Depp. Hope they stay close to the book, like they did with Fear and Loathing.

Have fun, and hope you don't mind burned out hulls of rusting cars as your scenery on the roadways. Puerto Rico is an interesting place.

[DanKo]

Man,

I love HST but I can see why he couldn't get the Rum Diary published for 30 years. I could barely make it through that book.
...Hopes that no gangs of oiled-up spaniards come for my blondie GF.

We hit the island Feb 1st. Steamboat is cold.

[JMO]

You didn't happen to front a band called Danko in Worcester, MA circa 1994 did you?

[willywhit]

kitesurfing-
surfing will seem like cross country skiing after some fast kiting

Australian diver has amazing shark tale

http://www.alaskareport.com/reu77493.htm

[fullers2oh]

leaving CO for PR eh?

been surfing 15+ years myself and riding snow all my life - just torn between the two!

never been to PR myself but my east coast friends say that PR is the "hawaii of the east" meaning it probably gets some of the best most consistent surf for that area.

i'm bored here at work so pls excuse the looong reply! but this got me thinking....

here are some reasons why I would be stoked if I moved to PR:
1. Lots of diverse surf breaks, beaches, reefs and points to choose from most pretty easily accessed from what I hear
2. WARM WATER and warm air temps - no need for wetsuits or cold dawn patrols - just throw on trunks and get wet! (beware of rashes from the wax tho!)
3. Good looking PR women - lots of em! im sure some of em surf.
4. Great food - after surfing hard for a couple hours nothing beats chowing down on some good food! Im sure you will dial in all the good spots to chow after a long surf session

reasons to be stoked about surfing:
1. you are taking up a new sport - it will challenge you physically and mentally. just like skiing! you gotta have the drive to want to surf well, and surf well in good waves. this takes time and practice practice practice!

2. i find the two sports - surfing and skiing will compliment eachother nicely.
if i have been surfing for a while i feel like my snowboarding strength has imrpoved as has my willingness to go for it in steeps, trees, etc. something about charging waves of any size in the ocean that really makes you mellow when in the mtns. dont know how to verbalize this but it just works like that for me.

3. the feeling you get when you can actually catch waves and ride them, is an amazing thing. it may take some time, it may come quickly but sooner or later it will click for you, like learning to become a good skier, then charging the mtns, you will be charging moving mtns.

4. the energy of the ocean is strong! it rejuvinates(sp?) and revitalizes(sp?) the soul. the same way i feel the energy of the mtns - the ocean has a different yet equally as strong pull. once you are into surfing it is hard to be away from the ocean for long periods of time

5. just as the mtns are a place of beauty - a refuge from the grind of modern life that reduces humans to the classic man against nature struggle - the ocean has this same feeling. being in the water washes away that feeling of modern life and all the sudden it is just you and the ocean.

6. in skiing there are somethings that really make a day good - like deep powder, steep couliors, big airs, super long runs down big mtns in the backcountry. in surfing you will find similar things - offshore or glassy conditions (how the winds affect the water), surfing uncrowded waves, a thumping groundswell, perfect shaped waves, long waves=long rides, barreling waves (riding inside the wave while it breaks over you for long periods), secret spots, boat trips (sort of like backcountry for surfing)

7. as a snow lover you learn to read the weather and conditions to make a judgement about what place to ride and when. surfing has that same challenge as well. you learn what swell, tide, and wind direction works at different breaks and judge the conditions to make a call about where and when to surf. the same low pressure systems that can generate epic powder in the mtns also have the power to throw out perfect groundswell.

8. the gear and technology - in skiing you have different skies for different cond. as well as a ton of gear to compliment a day on the mtn. well surfing is similar - yet less constrained by gear choices - but different boards work better in some cond. vs others. knowing where and when to use a board could make or break a good day of waveriding. p.s. start surfing on a LONGBOARD at a mellow surf spot with easy rolling waves! like a beginner ski trail you would be having probs showing up at the expert surfing spots on a big day.

best thing would be if you met some locals who could show you around the island. it is good to be observant. watch how others get in and out of the water, where they sit, how they paddle, stand up, and ride waves.

my favorite all time classic surf movie is "the endless summer" - get it and watch it over and over and over again. soon you will be living an endless summer in PR - good luck!

[DanKo]

Wow.

Great post. I fly out on Thursday.

THANKS!

[robnow]

Definitely one of my favorite reasons to surf. The view (look at the bottom).

What is your experience? Total jong? If so you will want to get a mal/mini-mal to start off on. Your first year will be all about catching as many waves as you can so don't go small on the boards thinking you can get away with it.

Depending on your size look for a mal, probably at least 7' 6" to 8'6" to ride for at least the first few months. From there if you want to transition to a shortboard, look for a fun board shape. Something that will be short board length, but thick, wide, and very full outline. Again, you will catch way more waves with this type of board and progress quicker and be less frustrated.

This is the one I owned as my second board and where I probably progressed the most in my surfing:
http://www.waterskatesurfboards.com/waterskate.aspx

Lots of people stay on these types of boards. If you want to progress to more of a performance shortboard, I would say it'll take almost a year before you are at the ability to move to a small board.

Don't ever feel like you should be on a typical shortboard so you "look" the part. Be humble and stick to boards with LOTS OF VOLUME. You'll only get better quicker.

And be diligent. You'll get your ass kicked but just keep at it and you'll figure things out. Watch good guys from the beach and the water and see where they sit, where they go in the water because understanding the waves is the biggest thing to learn.

One more thing. Most often best surf is early morning and into the evening. Most beginners sleep in and surf mid day when they are hanging out at the beach but that is usually the worst part of the day to surf. This is the time to hang out and pick up girls.

I'm envious and am looking to move some time this year back to the coast.

[DanKo]

Thanks for the input here.

I ARRIVED IN ISLA VERDE PR 72 HOURS AGO!

My apartment is SICK. I can watch kite-surfers ripping *far* out from shore from my window. That looks like SO much fun.

I am still putting my place together and getting ready to watch my Bears own face in the Super Bowl tomorrow. But, next week I am going for a surf lesson to learn some basics.

Once again, thanks for the input here. Some things I've learned...

-Learn on a longboard
-Learn the ettiquite
-Surf early or late (sleeping in won't be an option as I work and would love to bag waves for a few hours near dawn then go work)
-Get your ass kicked and keep at it (much like skiing Pali)
-Look for great asses on boards

I'm headed to Pine Grove on Weds/Thurs

More to come...

[Raps]

Good to hear man, good luck down there and enjoy learning the sport - those bullet points look right on

I Look forward to some surf TR's from you

[DanKo]

Taking a lesson at Pine Grove (*gasp*) on Friday.

This will be my first time catching a wave. Hopefully I get to stand up! I'll have a JONG-filled TR attached to this for y'all's enjoyment.

[DanKo]

Well,

I've traded Winter Storm Warning for High Surf Advisories (although I hardly need high surf due to my surfing Jong-ness). "Como se dice "Jong" in espanol"?

Let me say that these two days have been two of the most humbling of my life. I haven't been a beginner at anything in a while and I look forward to the challenge.

The more appropriate word to come up with would be "struggling". I was introduced to the washing machine yesterday morning...although I hear that this is normal and being spanked by the ocean is not to be taken personally.

Yesterday:

-Woke up at 6:50 with the girlfriend staying in bed and headed down to Pine Grove (the "beginner" break right down the road from my building). Swell was as predicted...bigger than what I had taken a lesson on last week, but "only 4-5 feet" according to the 12 year old kid that hangs ten a lot better than I do. Taboot, his english is much better than my god-awful spanish.

-Paddled pretty decently out to around where everyone else was waiting to catch waves. The art of where to sit and wait for the wave and when to paddle at the right point to be *right* where the wave takes you and doesn't a) go past you and not carry you, or b) breaks on top of you and beats the living shit out of you is not easily learned...I am told.

-BUT, I managed to stand up a few times. Not well enough to really get carried more than 2 seconds before wiping out and having to paddle back through the impact zone again, but not bad for my second day trying the sport. Not easily discouraged I paddled back out and caught a really nice one before wiping out and going under for what seemed like an eternity...The Washing Machine says hello, and I am exhausted, sporting a nice rash and licking my wounds (a scraped foot and a twisted neck, but nothing major).

-The rest of the day was spent with a few friends on strip of beach behind the building in which I live (see attached). The caption for the "action" shot should be: "El gringo blanco y gordo attempts to catch un ola poquito". Big-fat white-guy from Colorado TRYS to surf.

TODAY: Woke up sore, but with significant other in tow headed back to Pine Grove where the surf was even bigger than yesterday. I had better luck with my popup and managed to get carried a LITTLE further than the previous day. Handed the board over to the gf and went to a part of Pine Grove where the surf was significantly smaller. She was really getting the hand of standing up on the board although neither of us were going very far once the popup was over. THEN, we learned a lesson the hard way. ALWAYS HOLD ONTO YOUR BOARD. A tiny wave hit the board while it was dangling by the leash and managed to smack her in the jaw. It will leave a mark for a little while, but the lesson has been learned by the JONG couple.

-Not easily discouraged, I and my girl have thoroughly enjoyed sucking at surfing the last few days (our first crack at the sport). I am expecting to put some $ down on a nice used 8-1/2 to 9' long board for learning purposes later this week. Expect many painful TRs from me over the next few months.

(See attached) Please note that the shots posted are NOT from the actual break that put me in the washing machine, but from my backyard.

[comish]

Nice dood. Keep the TR's coming, but of course we are gonna need some picts of said GF.

[teleee]

Nice Danko,
I will be touring Puerto Rico in March form the 23rd thru the 29th. I am hoping to get a little surfing as well. Also if you and the GF want to hook up for dinner and share some insight into your island that would be very cool.