Lost Boys & Co.

  Lost Boys & Co... P ortagee says, "Hey Manuel!  Christmas is on a Friday this year."  Manuel replies, "I hope it's not the 13th..." #1  Weekly News Tonight with John McGuire.  Johnny Mac holding court as he runs down the events of the week from his perch at the Shade Hotel on King Harbor in Redondo Beach, California.  If Johnny Mac doesn't report it, it didn't happen... S o Johnny Mac reports that it's windier than shit out there and it's supposed to let up a bit mañana.  Hazy sun this morning and 7 miles visibility.  The aforementioned winds are out of the northwest by 10 to 20kts and the sea surface is riled.  The air temp was an unusually warm 59.3 and the water has dipped to 55.8.  Low tide was at 5:32am -1.1' and high tide follows at 11:54am +4.2'.  We have a west swell out of 267º at 5.6' and it was a roiling 5' to 7' and tearing up those sand bars...  Let's see if the wind gives us a break in the morning... 

  Lost Boys & Co... S o, let's kick things off with the man of the evening Brent Broza.  One of the top dogs of the South Bay pantheon of surf photographers, Brent was offering some of his stellar work tonight to benefit the Jimmy Miller Foundation.  In #1 he and Morgalini (who will be heading back to the South Bay next week) mug for the camera... T he wind has been playing hell with the surf all week long.  It was 3 to 5 kts this morning from the NW and has been increasing all day.  At checkout the air was 56.3 and the water has dropped to a new low of 56.1.  High tide was at 10:58am +4.5' and low tide will follow at 4:24pm +0.9'.  We have a wild west swell out of 262º at 6.2' and it was 5' to 8' with the occasional macker set... #2 features emcee for the evening Alex Gray, with Christian and LoLa.  One of the nicest guys you'd ever want to meet, Alex and LoLa decided that they were related through LoLa's first cousins-wife's niece.  No, we'

  Lost Boys & Co... S o we're sitting on the beach this morning with the class and this guy comes up and asks us about getting a wetsuit and maybe a board to ride while he's visiting the United States.  At first we're sure he's a Brazilian, but there was something too familiar about his accent.  He introduces himself as Hugo and we asked him where he was from.  He said "Portugal, but really some islands far off the coast."  "You mean like the Azores?" we ask.  Turns out he's from the island of our forefathers, Terceira and he lives in Port Martins, the town where our great-grandmother was from.  You've got to be kidding...  "So why are you here?"  He says he's in California for the WSL Big Wave Awards and he's a finalist for the biggest wave ridden this year...  So this isn't just any Hugo, but Hugo Vau!  His name is regularly mentioned with guys like Garrett MacNamara and Laird Hamilton as big wave chargers.  He tow

  Lost Boys & Co... Y eah well, it's spring and time to mow the Tiki Bar.  We're figuring there's about 300lbs of creeping fig that we cut off the top and we're only half-way finished!  Meanwhile, there's still a board up there that we haven't been able to cut down... yet... H azy sun and about 9 miles visibility.  Winds were calm and the sea surface has a bit of leftover roll from the windy outer waters.  The air temperature is 56.8 and the water is 61.5 and closer to 63 in the surf line.  High tide was at 8:32am +4.9' and low tide will be at 2:34pm +0.1'.  Tides flip on Friday.  We have a SW swell out of 236º at 5.6' and it was an honest 4' to a couple of feet over head...  Could be bigger tomorrow, but expect the winds early... S omeone finally got her braces off and now she's showing those pearly whites!  Way to go Alaina! A couple of placas in the head on the beach in Hermosa.  Okay, it's graffiti, but it's interesting styl

  Lost Boys & Co... F irst things first...  A Happy Birthday to LoLa as she skims around the sun for another revolution.  That's so her...  Looking for another revolution! H azy sun greeted our surfers this morning with 10 miles visibility and offshore winds at 3.1kts.  The sea surface had a definite roll and the air temp was 55.1 and the water was 59.7.  High tide was at 6:03am +4.2' and low tide follows at 12:50 +0.2'.  We have a building SW swell out of 196º at 4.6' and it was 4' to 6' with some bigger outsides.  But if you were in the water the big news was the sighting of a large dolphin with a chunk taken out of it's midsection and a gash in it's tail.  It was trailing entrails and body fluids and appeared to be the victim of either a predator bite or a encounter with a propeller.  Not taking any chances the water was cleared and the lifeguards were notified.  If we had to guess, we'd imagine it was injured in the outer waters and was tryin

  Lost Boys & Co... " H ey Coach, can we go get a Starbucks?  Oh yeah, can we borrow your keys?" That would be Keely, Austin and Kelly on their way to the local Starbucks...  That was before they realized that none of them could drive a stick... H azy sun this morning and 7 miles visibility.  Winds were out of the south turning to SSW early in the day.  The sea surface was sporting a slight bump.  The air temp was 57.7 and the water is logging in at 59.2, with patches that felt considerably warmer past the surfline.  High tide was early at 4:54am +3.9' and low tide will follow at 12:08pm +0.4'.  We have a building SSW swell out of 199º at 3.9' and it was 3' to 5' in Redondo and a tad bigger in Hermosa.  We watched as Brian the Beard cycled into an outside and as it popped he made the takeoff look like a Sunset Beach west swell peak...  Plenty of hoots... #2 leaves us wondering why it has to be "Frank?"  It could've been Fred or Fanny or

  Lost Boys & Co... #1 is what a ribbon cutting looks like from behind.  Specifically the grand opening of the Laurel Tavern.  There will no doubt be a slew of photos from the front, but we're betting this will be the only one from the back.  We like to think the Surf & Culture Report is big on art and short on substance...  H azy sun this morning and calm winds from about 6:30 to 7:30am, before it turned onshore. The sea surface was a tad bumped after that.  The air temperature was 61.3 and the water is 60.1 at the buoy.  Low tide was at 11:16am +0.6' and high tide was at 6:38pm +3.5'.  We have a 3.6' swell out of SSW at 210º and that was 3' on a lowering tide...  A little fuller in the mornings as we go into the second half of the week... M eanwhile, if you're going to have a ribbon cutting, then why not invite one of the preeminent stylists (in the world) to come and celebrate and maybe cut a ribbon or two...  Yes, this is Mike Karg and he joined the

  Lost Boys & Co... S ome times you just have to take the bull by the horns.  If a bull isn't available a cow will do... F oggies this morning and less that 200yds visibility. Winds were on by 3 to 5kts and the sea surface was roughed up.  The air temperature was 55.2 and the water is 57.6.  Low tide was at 10:07am +0.8' and high tide was at 6:04pm +3.2'.  We have a SSW swell out of 200º true at 3.6' and it was 3' to 4', but ac bit rugged and not very inviting...  Maybe tomorrow... E lvis in the weeds.  Isn't it like him to just appear when you least expect it?  Don't we know more about Elvis than we do about most of our relatives?  Unless you're related to Elvis, then you're probably pretty indifferent to his history...  Bet you even know his middle name... 2001:  A Space Odyssey ...  You didn't think anyone else was in that room did you?  Well, LoLa was there and she sneaked up on Dave barefooted...  When Dave made his way back to earth

  Lost Boys & Co... We forgot to include these earlier... ✠ "When the surf breaks, we'll fix it" The Professor!!

  Lost Boys & Co... "Hey Coach!  Trevor got a tattoo and he wants you to see it!" "Oh, great..."  Like the Professor is expecting crossed beer cans on a field of surf decals. "Look Coach, it's a tattoo of YOU!" "No kidding...  The resemblance is uncanny.  A little emaciated but the hair and mustache are pretty close." Is this a compliment?  Are you supposed to be flattered?  It's gonna be on there for a while... Meanwhile (#2) here's a shot of the Professor motoring into a nice one south of the Hermosa Pier...  There is a resemblance... Hazy sun this morning with 7 miles visibility.  Winds were on at first and then switched around at 8 am.  The sea surface was smooth.  The air temperature was 54.0 and the water is 57.6.  Low tide was at 8:46am +0.8' and high tide is late at 4:30pm +2.9' on a basically one tide day.  We have a SSW swell out of 212º at 3.0' and it was 1' to 2' and looked marginal at best... Come

  Lost Boys & Co... S uzi cruising in the in-between world.  Not quite air, land or sea, but a combination of all three... A real combo-swell for the South Bay this morning.  10 miles visibility under hazy skies and winds were out of the NE by 3.7kts.  The sea surface was smooth.  The air temp was 50.9 and the water is trying at 59.5.  Low tide was at 6:00am +0.2' and high tide followed at 12:15pm +3.5'.  We have a west swell out of 264º at 4.9' and it was 3' to 5' at most spots, but dredging on the low tide.  As per usual, it was wait until the tide came up a bit and try to avoid the wind...  Decreasing a bit mañana, but still looking like there might be some possibilities... I n one of our semi-annual doses of culture, we visited "Factory 14" and saw the art installation there.  It covers around three acres in an old warehouse near the LA River in East LA.  One of the installations was this one called "300 Pitchforks."  There's the Swo

  Lost Boys & Co... A girl and her dog and her parasol...  On the jetty at Topaz Suzi takes Peanut for a stroll and enjoys the evening sun.  We do live in an interesting place...  ( photo credit:  Joey Anderson ) W indy early and a bit morning sick.  Hazy sun and 7 miles visibility.  Sea surface was choppy and the wind was on by 4.3kts.  The air temperature was 55.2, but felt cooler and the water was 57.6 down a degree from yesterday.  Real spring-like temps.  High tide was at 10:54am +4.2' and low tide will be at  4:30pm +1.1', before the tide flips tomorrow and low tide starts the day.  We have a WSW swell out of 251º at 3.6' and it was 3' to 4' and a bit ragged from the breeze... J etski pushing over the edge on this one, in a perspective you don't often see.  Suzi swam out and caught some of the crew talking and considering their plan of attack.  She got Jetski just before he made the jump... ✠ "When the surf breaks, we'll fix it" The Prof

  Lost Boys & Co... Y ou've been with her at concerts, rock shows and the philharmonic...  Ladies and gentlemen may I present General Admission.  She was surprised that we recognized her in her civvies, but we said, "Hey, there's a sign!"  She was a good sport.  We have to admit we've actually known her since she was Corporal Admission... A beautiful morning as the Surf Famiglia hit the surf.  Talk about a crew!  Jah Morgan and Christian made the call and were quickly joined by Kirra Bones, Brendan and José Bacalao.  Up rolled Jetski and in short order Suzi, Joey and the Professor.  We met up with Tucker and Capitan Donaldo who was already in the lineup.  It was 55.0 in the air and 58.6 in the water.  Tide was high at 10:18am +4.5' and low tide was at 4:05pm +0.7'.  We have a steady SSW swell out of 209º at 3.6' and it was 3' to 4' with some fatter outsides if you were patient... #2 photo in a desperate attempt to gain a bit of altitude t

  Lost Boys & Co... J etski had a perfectly straight neck before the Professor hit the brakes... T oday's surf report was written with some of our less technical readers in mind (Fernandez?)  We had blah, blah blah 15 miles visibility and few blah, blah clouds.  Winds were blah, blah, blah light on shore and the sea surface was blah, blah, blah.  High blah, blah at 9:41am and low blah, blah, blah at 3:40.  We had a 4.6' swell out of blah, blah, blah and it was blah, blah, blah.  Or 3' to 5' at most spots blah, blah, blah... S o we asked our buddy Edgar if he could fit our gun with some jets.  Well, you know how things get lost in translation.  We wanted like jets, so we could go mach 3.  Well, he thought we meant hot water jets and the next thing you know, we had a shower... A s most of you know Don Swift had been battling an especially virulent form of brain cancer for some months now.  He passed away Saturday night and left our local surf community with a profound

  Lost Boys & Co... O ur first couple features Sonny Vardeman sharing some old surf stories with the Professor at Sonny's 80th birthday party.  In a spate of shameless hero worship the Professor sat down with Sonny and cajoled him into telling some stories about the early trips to Hawaii that he and his buddies made in the mid-fifties.  Sonny, Mike "Bones" Bright, Bing Copeland, Rick Stoner and Steve Voorhees were some of the first mainlanders to surf big waves at Makaha and Sunset Beach.  You always hear about Greg Noll and his crew during the early 60's but Sonny and his friends made the first inroads a full 5 years earlier!  He knew all the Hawaiian notables at that time including George Downing and Buffalo Keaulana.  One of the stories he shared was about going out at Sunset Beach the first time and imagining it was 6 to 8 feet.  It was so far out that when the got out to the line up they realized it was more like 20 feet!  When you consider the equipment they

  Lost Boys & Co... O nce again Redondo High had a stellar showing in the South Bay Surf League Allstar Event.  Like this: Girls Longboard (out of 24): 5th Place- Emma Waldinger Girls Shortboard (out of 24): 4th Place- Emma Waldinger 6th Place-Hali Honea Bodyboard (out of 18): 1st Place: Kyle Beatty Longboard (out of 24): 5th Place: Kyle Beatty Shortboard (out of 42): 1st Place: Kyle Beatty 4th Place: Ryan Hughes P lus Ben Oien, got Rookie of the Year and Kyle Beatty (note his three finishes) got waterman of the year.  In our photo (#1) we have Ryan Hughes, Ben Oien, Emma Waldinger, Hali Honea and Kyle Beatty. M ostly clear this morning with 10 miles visibility.  Winds were calm and the sea surface was smooth.  The air temperature was 54.3 and the water chilled a bit to 58.5.  High tide was at 5:37am +4.8' and low tide will be at 12:44pm -0.3'.  We had a SW swell out of 222º at 2.6' and it was 1' to 3' on a high tide fueled morning.  Supposed to get a little big