Santa Barbara Surfing
Frequent: Surf Reports. Surf Photos. Weather. News.
Rincon Classic
Friday, January 27, 2006
Word around town from Dubock and Gold Coast Groms is that the Rincon Classic is postponed until Feb 18-19. In other Gold Coast Groms news, it seems that the Bio for Matt Johnson matches the shredder we've been calling "Paddington Bear" because of his Blue/Grey camo wetsuit.
The Saturday night event is still going forward featuring some Dubock work:
The half time show is still on for this Saturday night at the Carpinteria Womens Club. There will be a live band and (Dubock's) Powerpoint show, The Rincon Review, which features digital photos of Rincon rippers from days gone by. It is a fund raiser for Hugs for Cubs, 10 bucks to get in, plenty of raffle goodies and food. Call Rincon Designs for more info.
link to this
Elephant Seals
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
In our January 17 report from Sands we include some tidbits about an encounter with a giant bull Elephant Seal:
(The Elephant Seal)
then watched us for 10-15 minutes, he was inside of us and to the East, big giant nostrils, very deep eye sockets, and a giant snout. No doubt it was a male elephant seal and it weighed over a ton. It's head was much bigger than a 5 gallon paint drum and it's body from nose to tail was perhaps 10 feet long. It kept watching us, sometimes submersing itself for awhile, but always coming back up.
Well it turns out via Corinne that a few days earlier a female Elephant Seal washed up at Campus Point:
I just wanted to let you know that a dead female elephant seal washed up at campus point a few days before your sighting at Sands. She was about 10 feet long and absolutely huge. It's really cool that you got to see a live one.
Long live the Elephant Seals.
Bobby Martinez got picked up by Smith Optics as a sponsored athlete. After leaving Oakley and having zero sponsors, Bobby has now picked up two sponsors since qualifiying for the WCT.
link to this
then watched us for 10-15 minutes, he was inside of us and to the East, big giant nostrils, very deep eye sockets, and a giant snout. No doubt it was a male elephant seal and it weighed over a ton. It's head was much bigger than a 5 gallon paint drum and it's body from nose to tail was perhaps 10 feet long. It kept watching us, sometimes submersing itself for awhile, but always coming back up.
Massive Updates
Monday, January 23, 2006
Ever since the big Winter Solstice Swell we've been behind on posting surf reports, as well as posting the pics some have posted. We start off with 20 reports going back to before the new year.
Surf Reports
December 27: Mesa
December 28: Montecito Coast
December 29: Mesa
December 30: Rincon
January 4: Gaviota Coast
January 5: Gaviota Coast
January 6: Campus Point
January 7: Deveraux
January 8: Rincon
January 9: Campus Point
January 10: Campus Point
January 11: Sands
January 14: Rincon
January 15: Montecito Coast
January 17: Sands
January 18: Sands
January 19: Campus and Poles
January 20: Deveraux
January 21: Rincon
January 22: Rincon
Many Local Updates
Marshall's brand new Rip Curl E-bomb is now only $200 in the classifieds. 
The 23rd Annual Rincon Classic presented by Surf Happens is going on this coming weekend January 28 and 29 at The Rincon. To surf in the 'locals only' event you can register here. Backdoor Board Shop, Solvang's downtown surf, skate and riding shop, has a newly updated website. The Goleta Valley Voice had an article about Goleta shaper Dave Johnson of Progressive Surfboards.
Bobby Morris Fan Club
Star struck groupies are regularly emailing into Santa Barbara Surfing wanting to know more about surfer Bobby Morris. Many claim to have seen him surf in far off lands and are enamored by his charisma. Bobby, if you want to get in touch with your young lady fan club email in and we'll see if we can't pass along the 411. In other Yellow Board Bobby news, he is currently #49 in the world on the WQS after tying for 49th in the first contest of the year at Sebastian Inlet.
Other Surf News
Golden Coast Surfing has a great story up, Carmel to Califia about surfing our series of great swells in late December and early January along the California Coast. TimmyTurner.org is a site dedicated to getting the acclaimed surf filmmaker healthy from his bout with a Staph Infection.
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More Stories From Sunday
Friday, January 20, 2006
Michelle's dad has put together a memorial website, Memories of Michelle, with photos, guestbook, and info on the memorial/paddle out and benefit fund for Michelle's daughter. The later two are reproduced below, followed by more details by another surfer at the rescue.
Memorial Ceremony and Paddle Out
Will be held on Jan 28th at 1:00PM at The Goleta Beach Park.
Kaili Falk Benefit FundI’m sure most of you are feeling as helpless as we are during this time of tragedy. If you would like to make any type of monetary donation in honor of Michelle, we have set up a fund for Kaili, in memory of her beloved mommy Michelle.
You can make checks payable to “Kaili Falk Benefit Fund” and send to: The Dalys, 21 La Paloma, Dana Point, CA 92629, or deposit a check directly to Wells Fargo Bank to "Kaili Falk Benefit Fund", Wells Fargo account #6222759620.
Max is another one of the magnificant seven helping out on Sunday at Campus Point. He offers more words:
I was one of the seven surfers who helped carry Michelle to the shore on Sunday, and even if I don't have much to add to the story I thought I'd drop you a line and say something, just in case it could be of any help to who's trying to reconstruct the events. I'm a beginner, just started one month ago. I was quite close to her (maybe twenty or thirty yards?) when she got stuck in the rock, that was exactly the point where waves were breaking and I was just sitting there waiting to catch one. As I saw her in trouble I started paddling towards her, but then I was caught in the current and smashed by the incoming waves. If I had paddled a couple of yards out of the mess before heading in her direction maybe things could have been different. Unfortunately it's too late now to know what was the best thing to do. I have no idea for how long I've been fighting against the stream trying hard to get closer to her, maybe five, maybe ten minutes. It felt like an eternity. As a wave came in, I could see her board floating on one side of the rock, while she was pulled below the surface. Between one wave and the other she had just time to bring her head out of the water at the price of huge efforts. I could hear her screaming for help, but her voice was almost completely covered by the breaking waves. Then, after maybe two minutes (not sure about the exact timing, but I remember that it happened FAST) she wasn't standing up any longer, and I could see she was unconscious while we were all still relatively far away, stuck in the current. I think it took at least two or three more minutes for the first rescuer to finally reach her, probably longer. I still can't believe that it happened. The images of that evening still keep coming to my mind and every time I think about it I want to cry. All my thoughts go to her daughter, her fiance and all her loved ones.
Several readers have written in 
about the "quick release" surf leash. Although it is impossible to know if it would have helped (it seems if the current is too strong to reach your ankle and remove the velcro the current will be too strong to reach your ankle and remove a pin) it probably wouldn't hurt to investigate them. We've heard from several readers that Surf Country in Goleta carries the XM quick release surf leash. More research shows Da Kine has a retrofit kit to replace the set screw in the swivel with a pull pin.
link to this
Memorial Ceremony and Paddle Out
Will be held on Jan 28th at 1:00PM at The Goleta Beach Park.
Will be held on Jan 28th at 1:00PM at The Goleta Beach Park.
Kaili Falk Benefit Fund
I’m sure most of you are feeling as helpless as we are during this time of tragedy. If you would like to make any type of monetary donation in honor of Michelle, we have set up a fund for Kaili, in memory of her beloved mommy Michelle.
You can make checks payable to “Kaili Falk Benefit Fund” and send to: The Dalys, 21 La Paloma, Dana Point, CA 92629, or deposit a check directly to Wells Fargo Bank to "Kaili Falk Benefit Fund", Wells Fargo account #6222759620.
You can make checks payable to “Kaili Falk Benefit Fund” and send to: The Dalys, 21 La Paloma, Dana Point, CA 92629, or deposit a check directly to Wells Fargo Bank to "Kaili Falk Benefit Fund", Wells Fargo account #6222759620.
Campus Point Story Unfolding
Thursday, January 19, 2006
Were going to continue posting about Sunday's Campus Post tragedy to get the story straight from those that were there. In no way are we trying to sensationalize the event, but a lot of people are sad, confused, and curious and want to know more. Father and son Don and Josh were also part of the surfers at the rescue, and write in to help us understand just how tough it was to help out there:
my son and i were also trying to help michele on sunday. as i was coming in i saw her kind of struggling. as she was about 20' closer to shore than i was i didnt realize the danger she was in until i got closer to her, the water was considerably deeper around the rocks. i think everyone that surfs campus pt is familiar with the current that runs down the beach so by the time i was at her position the current was pushing me past her. my son saw me trying to get to her and came over to help. This is the part that is playing over in our minds constantly. my son continued to paddle against the current and came within inches of her but couldnt reach her, he wishes he had dove off his board and tried to grab her and maybe things would have been different. i tried to paddle against the current and would make progress to her but then a wave would come and i would go under it, and in the brief moment of not being able to paddle the current would push me back. i thought that if i went around the rocks and came from up current i could drift into her i also thought that it might be easier to get to her w/o my board so i ditched it, i was never able to get out parallel to her i wish i had kept my board. Several other guys were trying their hardest to help and i dont know how long michele had been under before the surfer in the interview was able to swim to her from outside. he immediatly undid her leash and we got her onto my sons board , i gave her a couple of ventilations and we carried her to shore. we continued cpr until the fd arrived. i have no idea how long the entire thing went on.
Also, more information from Kyle for those trying to understand where what part of the point this happened at:
It occurred at the middle rocks of the 3 large rock groupings at Poles that get exposed on a lower tide...in this case it was a building tide after the late afternoon negative (I think) low. It all happened in about 2 to 3 feet of water. Maybe 4 when the sets rolled in. When I saw Ryan pulling her out he was maybe in knee high water. This is the part that I can't get a handle on. I'm thinking she washit in the head by her board, or her head hit the rocks and possibly she was knocked unconscious after she initially inhaled some water.
After catching waves to the inside I was continually walking out past these rocks and paddling either to the top of poles or catching waves off of the rocks.... After the wave before it all happened, I decided to paddle back to the top of Poles, rather than getting out and walking back to the top... which is what I think the other guys that helped were doing. I've heard that Ryan, or one of the other guys that got there first, lost his board, and was walking in to get it when he saw her board with no one visible around, then spotted at the other end of the leash.
It is still really a hard to believe that it happened in the conditions and surroundings.
link to this
After catching waves to the inside I was continually walking out past these rocks and paddling either to the top of poles or catching waves off of the rocks.... After the wave before it all happened, I decided to paddle back to the top of Poles, rather than getting out and walking back to the top... which is what I think the other guys that helped were doing. I've heard that Ryan, or one of the other guys that got there first, lost his board, and was walking in to get it when he saw her board with no one visible around, then spotted at the other end of the leash.
It is still really a hard to believe that it happened in the conditions and surroundings.
Campus Point Info
Wednesday, January 18, 2006
(Updated Info Below) The SB Newspress has another article on the tragic drowning at Campus Point on Sunday. Michelle Housego leaves behind her fiance and fellow surfer Ben Faulk, and their daughter Kaili. Currently a public memorial service is scheduled on Saturday, January 28th at 1 p.m at Goleta Beach Park. If a memorial fund or paddle out gets announced we'll post it here. A friend of Ben and Michelle offers a remembrance:
She was a great spirit and will be greatly missed. She died doing what she loved and should be recognized for it. Also the fellow surfers who came to her rescue and tried so hard to revive her to no avail, I would like to thank them as well for their efforts. Ben is left with a two year old daughter and the grief of losing the person he loved most, and best friend.
We've also received word from one of the surfers that helped out in the rescue effort. Hopefully we can collaborate to discover how to prevent something like this from happening again:
I was one of 7 that helped carry the woman out of the water after she was originally pulled up by the first 3 guys to reach her... I saw the entire thing happen starting at about 50 to 60 feet away, as I paddled over to assist in moving her to the beach.
I'm curious if anyone else that was closely involved in the ordeal has written you. I talked with a few of them that evening although most of us were in shock. I recognized almost all of them from years of surfing Campus/Poles, growing up in Goleta, and now living in Santa Barbara, but did not get names.... I'm also curious if you have heard from anyone that witnessed the horrific events from the cliffs, or somewhere on the beach, and if anyone has a realistic idea for how long she was held underwater before the first guys got there.
I'm replaying the evening over and over in my mind and still have a lot of questions.... I'm hoping to get a full picture together, to help pass on the knowledge of what steps to take if this should ever happen again.
Kyle, The responder quoted above, tips us off to a KKFX story on last night and an interview with the first surfer to arrive, Ryan Sportel, the video is available for viewing.
link to this
I'm curious if anyone else that was closely involved in the ordeal has written you. I talked with a few of them that evening although most of us were in shock. I recognized almost all of them from years of surfing Campus/Poles, growing up in Goleta, and now living in Santa Barbara, but did not get names.... I'm also curious if you have heard from anyone that witnessed the horrific events from the cliffs, or somewhere on the beach, and if anyone has a realistic idea for how long she was held underwater before the first guys got there.
I'm replaying the evening over and over in my mind and still have a lot of questions.... I'm hoping to get a full picture together, to help pass on the knowledge of what steps to take if this should ever happen again.
Campus Point Sad News
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Sad news in the local surf world this week as details unfold about the drowning at Campus Point on Sunday. So far a few details are offered in Monday's Newspress, and the Daily Nexus and more details are coming in from readers, but were not sure what is appropriate to post at this time. We'll start with the re-posting the newspress article:
A 29-year-old surfer died Sunday, reportedly after the leash on her surfboard got tangled in rocks, pulling her underwater near UCSB's Campus Point, fire officials said. Two other surfers noticed the woman in distress, pulled her out of the water and administered CPR, but she was pronounced dead about a half hour later at Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital. The woman, who was from Goleta, was not identified late Sunday pending notification of next of kin. She had been submerged for about six minutes when the surfers spotted her and pulled her ashore, police officials said.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department and officers from the UCSB Police Department responded to the 5:20 p.m. call. The woman was in cardiac arrest when emergency workers arrived, and she was pronounced dead at the hospital. Police officials said the woman was not a UCSB student and did not work at the university, but declined to identify her further.
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