West Coast was a Surfer’s Winter Wonderland

By Evan Rhodes - photos Gutwrenching and Ansel

The enormous wave smashed through the serenity of the hot glassy water, as another fifty-foot wave smothered all the sunlight on the earth. That’s what it felt like as I watched another red swell pulse away on the West Coast. The waves have been perfect this year. As Surfers we have been waiting for a year like this for over ten years. But this year was different, than the last El Nino period. There has not been any “Slam-dunk Swells”, but mostly steady flow energy to the coasts.

Photographers have been shooting their Canon 5D’s silly and they have the shots to prove it. In this postmodern world when you can shoot five hundred photos in twenty minutes the photographers have been feasting like ravenous bears after years of hibernating.

The Sandbars have been fulfilled, the boards have been waxed and waves have been ridden. Here’s a few magic moments from a Winter Wonderland, that will go down in surfing lore as one of the best years ever. Enjoy

Shane Desomond is proving he is not scared of anything, time and time again and rumor has it he won the Mavericks Contest, then they made the final another twenty minutes and he ended up second place.Everyone is charging this year. Who is this madman?Three names that will are being written in the history books of Mavericks are, Kenny “Skindog” Collins, Anthony “Tazzy” Tashnick and Darl “Flea” Virostko, all three from the Westside of Santa Cruz. Flea is back and charging as hard as ever.

Peter Mel is a real Mavericks Champion. He has it all, style, grace and bravado. Pete on a beast of a wave.

The Pointbrakes were just plain perfect, day after day and smiles were easy to find.Tom Curren was beauty in motion.Pat Curren’s fruit didn’t drop far from the tree. Dane Reynolds, nuff said
Daniel Graham likes what he sees.Joel Tudor takes a clean wave and carves off the top with style.Demi Boelsterli is making a name for herself as a world class surfer. Tarko enjoys a new sandbar and decides to fly above the brown water. Unknown Surfer Jason “Ratboy” Collins and Mark Collins stoked on all the waves.Jason “Ratboy” Collins finds a clean wave to pull inside.
Shawn “Barney” Barron pulled out all the stops on the sandbar that was created from all the rain. Anthony Ruffo, The Legend of Santa Cruz slams on the brakes on this reeling little left while surfing with his good friend Barney. Kyle Buttman works the angles at a rivermouth in Northern California known for it’s fish and seals. Surfing has it’s perks, and Kyle likes stretching out the kinks after a long walk to an empty surf spot.Timmy Reyes eyes the exit of face racing tube in a Winter’s Wonderland.