It had to be the summer of 1966. I went off for a day of surfing with my brother in-law... though he wasn't my brother in-law yet, just my sisters fiance. We went to Stables.

It was a Saturday, late morning before the wind got on it to much. We pulled up and stopped in front of the stables, walked between a couple of the horse stalls checked the surf, walked back to the car got our boards and went out. The surf was small... about waist high.

Why I remember this I don't know. But, it was a nice day, there was some clean small waves and not unlike any other day there were only a few guys in the water. Me and Jerry being 2 of the few guys.

The other of the few guys actually took off in front of me on a wave. I caught up to him and gave him a casual tap on his lower leg with the nose of my board to let him know I cared that he'd taken off on me.

No big deal. But odd that with enough waves for all of us and, the whole area with just a few guys to surf the guy would have a need to surf right where Jerry and I were.

After remembering this, a few days ago now... like at 3 in the morning when I was having a hard time sleeping, I thought 'what a difference almost 50 years makes'.

The stables are long gone, well, they're not on the beach but inside the Fair grounds. Yeah, the stables were relocated and now you can park facing the beach right where they once were. Lets qualify that.... you can park after you pay 2 bucks for the day or have a $75 annual permit to park.

As well, it's absolutely amazing how many people pay to park at stables on a nice sunny summer Saturday to surf the place when there is anything that resembles a wave. If there is surf.... yikes.

O well. I did get to surf the place a week ago with just a hand full of people in the water. 1. It was a week day, but sunny and warm.  2. The surf was waist high for the most part, with almost too much south bump on it to be surf-able.

Not quite like the old days.

D.R.

A view of the tri plane hull.