Waiting In The Rain
Hoping For Swell With NJ Godfather, Sam Hammer
by Zach Weisberg

I knew it was raining when my boardbag full of clothes was completely soaking wet. I had left them in the bed of our monster truck during dinner at Sam Hammer’s family restaurant, The Crab Claw, and as we slushed through the flooded roads of Point Pleasant, NJ, I realized that I had a problem.

I wasn’t too perturbed for a couple reasons.

First, Sam’s restaurant, which his parents have operated in Lavalette, NJ for over thirty years, is awesome, and two deliciously gratis crab cakes will put a smile on anyone’s face.

Second, we all had good reason to believe swell was on the way – mostly because we just checked Casino Pier and angry onshore slop was gurgling, waiting for an offshore wind to comb its hair. Once again we were playing the optimistic waiting game, and doing so happily on a rainy day in New Jersey with the scene’s godfather, Sam Hammer.

Before leaving Ocean City, Andrew Gesler had described Sam as a conductor of New Jersey’s surf scene.

“Sam’s got his own operation going on,” said Gesler. “He either gives you a call or he doesn’t, and you just wait by the phone and hope you get that call.”

His cell phone never stopped ringing, and while he showed us around and fed us and shared stories about his home, he seemed a tad concerned.

“It’s hard because you want to be nice to everybody,” said Hammer, "But who wants to surf with fifty people when it’s good? It’s like anywhere – like Virginia Beach guys going down to Hatteras – it’s the same thing. Regardless, I just really want this swell to set up for tomorrow,”

After compulsively checking the swell forecast as the raindrops tapped on the window, and without breaking the Omerta he said: “We’re due for some barrels.”

Let’s go pay our dues.

- Zach Weisberg
Online Editor

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