I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that I've been writing or rather, "blogging" for the last 9 years, and the fact that I have never missed a single week. I mean, my last vacation was in 2004. Damn. No wonder I'm so stressed. I have not been on a vacation in 9 years? I guess so.

And by vacation, I mean an extended week or two, just laying around on some tropical beach and surfing warm water waves. You know. What we all strive for.

Even though, I have taken a few days here and there. Hell I've even jumped on a few planes and traveled for a few days surfing a few spots on the West coast, but
I was always back in time for the Monday morning brew. I have not missed a Monday morning deadline in 9 years. Is that possible? Yes it is. I mean the proof is in this blog. Just go to the archives page and click on any of those links that cover the weeks from 2004 to today. I have not missed a single week.

So who do I see about a raise? Or the very least, an extended vacation?

It would be nice to get away. And something more than a weekend to Hatteras. Those were almost as stressful because we were always there for the ESA Championships each year. I'm talking a real get away vacation. But I've got too many things going on in my life presently that will not allow such a scenario. Too bad. I bet I'd have fun doing absolutely nothing but surfing and eating everyday.

Think about how much has changed since I first started this weekly blog.

There were no smart phones. No I-Pads. No apps. No YouTube. No Twitter. And Facebook was still in the infant stages. There were no SUPS. Hell, a Supper was something we all sat down to around 5-6PM everyday and ate. Life was significantly different 9 years ago. I don't know if they even called these weekly and daily writings blogs yet? I was calling it a weekly newsletter when I first started. Then one day someone told me that I was a blogger. I had no idea what a Blogger was. I thought it was a derogatory term. In fact, I still feel as if it is at certain times.

When I first started "Blogging" I had three simple goals. And it's still true today.

I wanted to inform and remind you all of the rich Surf history of this small stretch of coastline here in Northern New England. And really, it is not that old in the big picture of New England surfing. The early 60's. I wanted to keep you all aware of what's happening in our world today. And, I want you to look forward to the future.

Yesterday. Today. And Tomorrow.

I wanted to provide all of you with the medium to read and see the waves of New England and beyond and to be able to allow anyone who knows how to surf, a chance to get on the BIG WWW. The damn Internet. And I think we've done that. And I mean "We". Because without the many photographers who submit photos every single week I would not be able to do that. It would be impossible.

I do not have enough time in the day as it is. I could never cover the ground that all of you do without the weekly help from some amazing, talented photographers out there. So from the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you who have submitted both stills and video each week for 9 years.

Each week I shake my head when my inbox on my email just fills up with more images from all over the globe. And I personally enjoy looking at each and every photo I get. I love seeing new spots and new surfers as much as I love seeing familiar faces at local spots. I've said this a million times in the past and it is so true. The waves are timeless each and every week.

I just spent the better part of this weekend looking at photos from the last 9 years and I was blown away at how amazing our waves are. And the waves that pour into distant beaches and reef breaks all over the globe truly are. The empty wave is a timeless piece of art. A empty wave reeling in at the wall in 1975 looks no different than a wave that reeled in last week. The only difference is our gear. Both in and out of the water. And the way we document these moments.

Digital images have moved in leaps and bounds in the last 10 years.

As someone who used to love and relish the world of film, I have a whole new appreciation for the digital world. It is truly amazing and we would all be lost without it. Brian Nevins recently posted some photos that he shot with his cellphone and he even remarked that in the future there will be no photographers. I'm not so sure about that Brian. Talent and creativity is still the main force behind any great photo. But seeing the quality that Nevins got with his cellphone was in
a word...ridiculous.

Hell half of what we see on the news these days are shot with cell phones.

I used to ask all you readers that you don't send me any cellphone pics. Those days are over. Send em off to me. I am well aware of the quality that these smart phones can do. Or as I am fond of calling them my "Smart Ass" phone. It is crazy what we are able to do these days with our little digital machines. Just Crazy.
And there's new stuff happening as I write this. Technology is moving at a faster rate than most of us care to think about. Each week it seems that something new is on the market. It's hard to keep up. But it's harder to look the other way.

I'm not sure when I started the weekly run thing either. I guess it's when I put out the first RUN movie. Back in 2009. It seemed like a neat way to keep track of the weekly swells. Of course I was also setting myself up for a huge amount of grief as well. Seems that surfers still love to argue about wave size. Even though the new way to claim wave size is so generic and not meant to be an exact science.

I'm talking of course about the scale of knee high- thigh high-waist high-chest high-shoulder high-head high. And overhead. Some people just can't accept that scale. It's always..."Waist high on who? Not me! Mickey Mouse maybe but not me!" You know, you've heard it. I still hear it every week. I try to paint the broad stroke picture by saying if a surfer that I know is approximately 6' tall and he stands on his surfboard and the wave face is higher than his waist or at least as high as his waist, I call it waist high. Seems simple enough.

Yet I've been ridiculed and berated for calling a waist high wave- waist high.

From Facebook to my ringing telephone, I've been slammed by naysayers.
Or as the SUPS call them, "haters." Some people are just never satisfied. And the funny thing is, most of them would have a blast surfing waves that I am calling waist high. It's pretty amusing when you stop and think about it. It is to me. Of course there's always the other side of that scale as well. When someone calls
a head high wave waist high that does no one any good either.

The last thing I personally need is to think that the surf is waist to chest high, and then to find out that it's head high and overhead. The reason is because I would typically be on a a Longboard if it's waist high. I would not bring my shortboard to the beach if it's only waist high. But I certainly would if it's head high or bigger.
So it's all on who's calling the size. Some guys downplay the wave size while others exaggerate. Like I said, it's not an exact science. But I like to think that I'm pretty accurate when making wave size predictions. You can trust me.

And you can trust that I will be here each and every week documenting, shooting stills and video, and writing about our lives here on the seacoast. My goal is to make it to next year. I want to see Ralph's Pic Of The Week turn 10 years old. That would be something. I hope I get a photo of you. Or one of the many other photogs do. I hope I keep you entertained for another year. And I hope I don't piss too many of you off with some of my offhand remarks. It is after all, only my opinion. And my opinion is not worth getting upset over.

Unless of course, it's about wave size. In which case, call it whatever you want.
Just remember my mantra works in any size surf. Thanks again for the last 9 years it's been a lot of fun for me. Please support your local photographers, artists, and surf shops. And please be good to one another out there.
Life is just too damn short to get upset over surfing.

Don't forget..."Surfing Heals ALL Wounds..."