GHOST BOMBS
by
Don Curry

The decision to ride Ghost Tree in favor of Maverick’s on Wednesday, the 4th of January, was made mainly because it may be one of the last times to legally tow-surf the spot; besides, it’s in my back yard. As information rolled in on the incoming swell, my main concern was with the wind conditions. The ocean had settled down quite a bit from the previous week of southerly storm winds and choppy seas with light winds forecast from the south. The buoys the day before hit offshore Papa oo6 at 36' 20 sec. and maintained a solid wave height and long interval for 11 hours—this is when you start to get excited and mentally prepare for what’s to come.

As a free agent (without partner) I managed to get Shane Desmond’s partner Tyler Fox to work with me. They had a PWC repair issue and had to find other means of capitalizing on the tow-only swell. The Smith brothers, Tyler and Russell, pulled up to the harbor at the same time as me, about 7 a.m. They have been consistently surfing out there since Ghost Tree came out of the woodwork. A smooth drive around the peninsula was a welcome start to the day’s session, normally a 45-minute bumpy ride; we did it in 30 minutes.

Tuesday evening, Shane called to let me know that he and Anthony Ruffo were heading up to Maverick’s first thing in the morning, but Tyler would still come down to Monterey and tow with me. Shane runs a tight ship when it comes to safety and is one of the best big-wave surfers out there. Our focus on safety allowed Tyler and I to relax and enjoy the day. First up was Tyler, a warm-up, two medium-sized waves and then the bomb. The wave was closing out on the wash rock as he straightened out, and I was right there to pick him up before the next wall of whitewater, trying to keep an eye out for his board. In a blink of an eye the board had disappeared under the two feet of foam on the inside and we searched 45 minutes without success. It’s either still floating in the bay or washed up on the rocks somewhere. Tyler was totally bummed because the board was Shane’s brand new Stretch 5' 11" bat-tail quad. I won’t even say how much it cost but I’m sure there’s a reward if returned!

We got back to the lineup to find another team in rotation: Alistair Craft and Adam Replogle. They are seasoned vets at Ghost Tree and have an uncanny ability to find the best wave in a set, or so it seems. After aborting the search for the missing board, I rode a few medium-large waves, then Tyler got me into a full-fledged beastly bomb. Everyone was riding lots of waves, trading off nods, laughs and priority.

Overall, the day went flawlessly with the exception of a lost board. The weather was warm sunshine, glassy ocean surface with slight ribs in the wave’s face and tons of power detonating on the partially submerged rocks. Spectators on the bluff could be heard shouting and whistling as a set approached, and after a successful ride. Just after 1 p.m. we called it quits and wrapped up the rope. We looped around the cove in front of the 18th hole for the MIA board, to no avail. As I dropped Tyler off at the pier I tried to make him feel better by half-heartedly suggesting his bomb could put him in the XXL running and if he wins, then he could buy a whole quiver of boards and even a boat. That comment was taken with a grain of salt, just as I anticipated. - Don Curry