The TEMPORARY Home at 62 Lafayette Rd in North Hampton, NH Tel. (603) 929-7467

MORE NICA PICS FROM JUNE 2023!
SURPRISE FOURTH OF JULY WAVES!
CALL FOR SURF ART. BOOK UPDATE.



THE BMO NICA WATER PICS June, 2023

So on July 4th when I was down shooting the surf at the Wall, Shayne walked by me and asked me if I wanted the water shots from his GoPro of the recent NICA trip. "Hell yes I do! Send them off to me!" I shouted. First and foremost, I'm a big fan of the little GoPro. I own 5 of them. It's true. I love those little cameras. And I have to admit I was chuckling at Shayne and Cam (the two designated GoPro operators. You need to be quick to turn the camera off and on after every single ride. Otherwise you'd get miles of wasted footage. And when you're shooting 4k? That eats up a lot of space on those camera cards.
I speak from experience here. The image above was unintentional. It was after one of the boys fell and there was that extra footage. Neither Shayne or Cam shot any of the empty waves. And there is the difference between them and me. I love the empty wave shots. And they were focused only on their friends. And speaking of friends. The water shots really showed the crowds.



There were plenty of people in the water that day. So let me just give kudos to both of those boys for zeroing in on just their friends. That's hard to do when you're treading water. And I'll have to ask if they were using fins or not. Fins can make your life way easier out there. (Above) This is a great shot of James Morse. He's very deep on this barrel, and I'm not sure he made this..

And this pic above is Kody Grondin. Kody is a lot like his dad. He has a nose for the barrel. He's a Tube Hound just like his dad. And he typically makes more barrels than not. Problem with barrel riding is you have to be willing to take a few on the head. And you really have to have a strong desire to want to get into them. There are barrel riders and barrel dodgers. Which are you?



BMO dropping into a nice right with a nice tapered shoulder. These guys had waves like this for 10 days. Can you imagine? God I wish I was there to shoot.



Here's BMO again driving through another grinding barrel. When the water is as warm as it was in NICA, pulling into barrels like this is a lot easier than it is back here in the dead of winter. Still, you have to want it.

And here's Dan Reilly getting up close and personal. The thing about the little GoPro is, in order to get tight shots of the surfers you need to be really tight on them. Otherwise, the subject is too far away. Dan here is within striking distance of the guy shooting this. I think Cam shot this. Did he hit you Cam?



Mackey V doing the two hand drag as he closes in on the GoPro operator.
Say what you want about those little cameras, they get the job done. Plus you're shooting in 4K. I mean, that's as good as it gets.

Ed O'Connell was one of the most loved surf photographers in New England. A US ARMY Vietnam Veteran who saved the lives of so many ARMY Grunts in Nam in 68-69 as a Medic on board those Dust Off Hueys. He was a dear friend of mine.

When he passed on July 1st, 2014 I swore I'd keep his memory and legacy alive by giving him this weekly corner. He loved surfing and he loved taking photos of all the surfers. Not just those who could really stand out. He shot every one. As long as I shall live and breathe the salt air, there will be a corner dedicated to Ed.

ED'S CORNER July 9th, 2023



This pic was shot on July 3rd, 2009. That's me taking pics. Ed was always shooting me while I was shooting you guys. Hard to believe Ed has been gone 9 years. Damn I miss you brother.
Photo by Ed O'Connell
*Click the photo above to see a larger version of Ed's Pic.

FINALLY... COMING THIS FALL. The long awaited book that I have been writing the last 10 years or so. Yes there will be a book signing. And I will let you all know in advance, where and when. Meanwhile Click on the image below to see a larger version. The book will be available in both hard cover and soft cover on AMAZON, BARNES & NOBLE, INGRAM, and KOBO PUBLISHING. It's been a long time coming.



Check out the RETURN of the 2023 HAMPTON BEACH COMEDY FESTIVAL . Now there's 5 days in August you need to put down on your calendars.

The HIT THE BEACH DAY is on Friday August 25th, 2023.

Hard to believe it's been 15 years of HIT THE BEACH.
This is going to be a big day at the beach. We are currently working with the State to get the beach cleaned up the day or two prior to the HTB day. As most of you know, we have had huge amounts of seaweed on that beach every year. It would be nice to have it clean for once.

We're just trying to get permission to allow Anthony Curro to bring his backhoe down at 18th Street. Otherwise we have to remove it all by hand again. And that is NO fun.

HAPPY 4th OF JULY WAVES!



Getting fun waves on the 4th is always a treat. But getting fun waves and warm water? That's even better. And that is exactly what we got on July 4th, 2023. Funny thing is, last July 4th, the water was FREEZING and the waves were small. But the common theme this year was I shot Mikey Moran out surfing with his little hand held flag. Just like I did last year.

Hey, it's July 4th, we can drop all of our differences and come together to celebrate our Nation's Birthday. Unless of course, you're from Great Britain or an actual Native American. Then this day has little to no meaning for you. But for those of us at the beach on the 4th? This year was fun.



As you can all plainly see, there were real waves on the 4th. That's easily chest high (some would argue that it's bigger) and I would not argue with those who see it that way. We all have a pretty good idea how big a wave is by looking at it. It's when people put numbers next to those wave heights that get us all confused. I personally prefer the current rule of thumb.

Knee high to waist high, to chest high to shoulder high, to head high to overhead. If you can't follow that, I can't help you.



This guy drove by and I had to snap a pic. Hey it's the 4th of July.
All in all it was a great 4th of July. The weather actually cleared after the afternoon rain showers. And the fireworks up and down the beach went off without a hitch. Had it been sunny all day, I would have given it a better 4th, but as it is, it was still pretty damn good.

IT WAS ALSO A HAPPY JULY 5th!
How's that? Well, I'll tell you. I went down to 10th Street on the morning of July 5th and could not believe my eyes. There were still glassy little waist high waves. And not only was it glassy, but it was super warm. I'm talking about the water temps. It was 70 degrees. It was so warm I only wore my trunks and my 1mm sleeves. Man it was so much fun. I surfed with Britt Swartley and Brian Avantes and then I surfed with Ryan Ciolfi (Tony's son) he’s a great kid. And then I walked back down to 10th Street to where my youngest daughter and my youngest granddaughter was camped out, and I surfed these waves.



I paddled out to Ralph's Rights (Yes there's a spot named after me from the early 70's. Ask one of the older locals). There was a young kid out there on a soft top. I could tell that he was a beginner.
"How long have you been surfing?" I asked.
"Only a month and a half." He answered.
"How about you?" he asked me.
"Oh...this is my 60th year surfing." I told him.
"Wow. I bet you surfed better places than here." He said.
I just smiled at him, and slightly nodded.
Then he asked me, "Where is your favorite place to surf in the whole world?"
"Right here." I answered without any hesitation.
"Really? Right here?" he asked.
"Yup. Right here." I answered.
And as I paddled away, I said "Keep your feet together when you paddle. You'll paddle faster and truer. Have a good day brother."
I heard him yell "Hey thanks man."

Then I caught one last wave and rode it all the way up to the sand.
July 5th, 2023 was a nice mellow day.

LITTLE MAN BIG FOOT



So this popped up on the Facebook a couple of days ago.

The title was Okie Mountain Alabama 1888. Photo found in a buried mason jar in Cleburne County. First of all, there's no way this is real. However, the photoshop quality is as good as it gets. So kudos to the person who created this image. That's one Big Ass Big Foot. Or...that's one Tiny Ass Tiny Man.
In either case, it was worth re-posting.

“SURFING WITH BIGFOOT HEALS ALL WOUNDS.” 

This is GOOD NEWS For All Bruins Fans. Fingers Crossed.

ATTENTION ALL SURF ARTISTS



This is the 19th Year for the annual SURF ART BLOG. Click on the image above to see a larger version of this poster. If you are a surf artist or know of any surf artists please pass this along. This is my 19th year running this special SURF ART BLOG.

It's any medium, just make sure it's not something you have already sent in. I don't care how old it is, if it's never been seen before, that's perfect. Help me get the word out.

MICHAEL JACKSON TODAY. July 2023.



Had Michael Jackson lived long enough, without the cosmetic surgery, this is what he would have looked like today. This was generated by AI. You have to admit two things:. First and foremost, Michael looks really good here. He would have been a handsome man. The other thing is, how amazing is it, that Artificial Intelligence created this? I mean come on people. This is truly amazing. Oh Michael what have you done...Rest In Peace.




I'm assuming you all saw that horror last week on TV. Where the Wild Scary Roller Coaster ride in Wisconsin got stuck at the top of the ride and left all the riders UPSIDE DOWN FOR FOUR HOURS. Are you kidding me? It's shit like this that has prevented me from ever getting on one of those rides. However, that's not the same for KSM. Ole Khaliddy thrives on this kind of stuff. That is until something like this happens. Turns out he was on the ride and had to be sedated. He was threatening the firefighters and rescue personnel. At one point they had to use a STUN GUN on him to keep him from causing an even bigger scene. In fact, they made sure that KSM was the last one off the stricken ride. Bastard.



And so my friends, please take advantage of this weekly photo shop of the mastermind who planned 9-11 and resulted in the deaths of 3,000 innocent civilians by KSM (Khalid Sheik Mohammed). *Note to self -must pick up a case of vomit bags at Home Depot this week.

HAPPY 70th BIRTHDAY Rick Evans July 2nd, 2023!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA July 4th, 2023!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY John/Grandpa Rastl July 12th!
REST IN PEACE Daisy Mae Fletcher GSP 7yrs old.
KEEP FIGHTING Robert Gerard! You Got This Brother!
Please keep LOCAL LEGEND Surfer Norm Murphy in your thoughts and prayers.
Please keep Victor Capozzi in your prayers as he goes in for heart surgery on July 7th, 2023 Beth Israel.

Finally, I'm calling this a special request.
LOCAL SURFER/MUSICIAN PETE KOWALSKI NEEDS A KIDNEY. A TYPE A KIDNEY. PLEASE if you know anyone with a Type A Kidney please contact me at ralph@adlantic.com

SURFING HEALS ALL WOUNDS!
Please Support ALL The photographers who contribute to
Ralph's Pic Of The Week every week for the last 19 years.
** BUY a HIGH RES Photo from any of the weeks on RPOTW.
Remember my friends... Surfing Heals All Wounds.
Pray for Surf. Pray for Peace. Surfing Is Supposed to be Fun.

Ralph

59 YEARS AGO. THE BEACH BEATLES ON THE BEACH IN MIAMI.
I remember seeing these pics of them for the first time back in 1964. Only I believe they were in B&W. You know that they must have felt totally out of place on the beach and then to be dressed up like they stepped out of a 1920 movie set. They were whisked around and placed in such weird and strange photo shoot ops that their heads must have been spinning. I know mine would have been. But it was all so exciting and new to them all. In a few short years, they would be sneering at these kinds of suggestions. They were too busy creating masterpieces than to deal with this tom foolery.
Photo c/o Beatles Archives
*Click on the photo above to see a larger image

I kept a daily Blog on my CATCH A WAVE FOR MOLLY surf campaign, when I surfed every single day for 365 consecutive days. Click on the Banner above to read entries of my daily journey. There's some really interesting and true experiences
that happened during that year. Some of which are to this day, unexplainable. Some are just mind blowing. But all true.

I started on July 26th, 2010 and ended on July 26th, 2011.

Some rainy Sunday, pour yourself a cup and go through the journal. Pay close attention to the month of May in 2011. Read that month and let me know what you think of that. Be forewarned it will change you forever.

All photos taken this week unless otherwise noted.

Today- THE JULY 4th SWELL July 4th, 2023
Photos by RALPH



(Above) Can you say HAPPY 4th OF JULY?
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Click on the ad above to see the Menu and other
important info on their Somerville restaurant and all the
other AMERICAN FLATBREAD locations.

(Above) It Just like last year, Mikey Moran was out waving the little flag on
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Dougie FRESH Wright was in town and he scored on the 4th.
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Happy Glassy Fourth Of July! Tuesday July 4th, 2023.
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Best EAST COAST Coverage on the Internet.

Click on the ad above to find out more about
more about local surf artist Stan Chew's art

Clark Little's new book
Click on the ad for more info.

(Above) WELCOME HOME DOUGIE FRESH!
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) It's safe to say that Mikey Moran was the first real stylish Longboarder in Hampton. Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

The SURFER'S JOURNAL is in a league all of their own.
READ the Great piece on local photographer Brian Nevins

DIPG THE CURE STARTS NOW
To learn more about Evan and his journey click here  https://thecurestartsnow.org/sup.../view-heroes/evan-austin/

(Above) It's been a while since we got both warm water and fun waves.
Chad Ripley taking advantage of both. Tuesday July 4th, 2023.
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) I'm impressed with Richie's style and ability to turn it on with both shortboards and longboards. Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) I admit it wasn't that warm where you could trunk it. But young Spencer didn't care. He left his wetsuit at home but not his desire.
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

If you love the Beatles and you love the guitar
click on this ad above for an amazing instrumental
band playing all of your favorite Beatles songs with
the coolest arrangements. Johnny A is one of the
best guitar players on the planet.

Peter Stokes is one of the BEST guitar techs in
all of North America. He's the BEST guitar tech
in New England.

Produced by David Robinson of the CARS.
Visit our Facebook page

(Above) I have watched Dougie surf since he was a mini grom.
I love it when he comes home to visit and surf his homebreak.
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) "And the flag was still there..." Mikey Moran JULY 4th!
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Produced by David Robinson of the CARS.
Visit our Facebook page

Produced by Steve Sadler.
Visit our Facebook page

The VINNY Band was around from 1976 to 1984




July 30th, 1979 headlining the Paradise Club
In Boston, MA

(Above) It was good to see KD Durham out surfing again after his long absence due to his ankle injury. Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) FRESH Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) It stayed glassy for most of the morning. Just ask this guy.
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

The art of Donna Baldassari

Hannah Vokey is one of my favorite surf artists.

(Above) Richie getting a little liftoff on this left.
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) I love this guy and his family. Chris Zigler HPD.
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) It's Sugar Shayne getting a little July 4th love at the Wall.
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) I caught this doe and her fawn out of the corner of my eye on the 4th.
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

I love Erica's whimsical Gull art. So cool and unique.

ONLY THE DURHAM STORE IS OPEN.
Due to the massive fire back in August the
Hampton store is closed. We will let you all
know when SECRET SPOT is back in
operation on the seacoast.
Thank you.
Jon Gozzo and family.

(Above) It was a Good to Great 4th overall. Happy Birthday America!
Tuesday July 4th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Today- THE GOPRO SHOTS OF THE BMO NICA SESSIONS. June, 2023 Photos by MAS AGUA



(Above) That's BMO on a perfect left. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) BMO on a deep green perfect lefthander. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Big Cam trying not to kill Shayne who's filming him. June, 2023. Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Dan pulling up and into a heaving NICA lip. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Empty perfection. The NICA BMO sessions. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Click on this image to visit Driftwood Photography

"GIVE YOUR BUSINESS A KICK IN THE ADS"
Since 1985.

Everybody has a story to tell

(Above) James free falling into the NICA BMO sessions. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) James Morse. The NICA BMO sessions. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) Jesse Gould ducking into some NICA perfection. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) Joe driving into the NICA BMO sessions. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Kody Grondin in the barrel. The NICA BMO sessions. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) Max Fatello The NICA BMO sessions. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) Shayne coming in hot. The NICA BMO sessions. June, 2023.
Photos courtesy of MAS AQUA
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Today- THE JULY 5th SESSION July 5th, 2023
Photos by RALPH



(Above) The waves were really fun. July 5th, 2023.
Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) BLUE ON BLUE. July 5th, 2023. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Send your SURF Pics to me directly to: ralph@adlantic.com.
Need photos by 10 AM on Saturdays. Seriously.
By 10AM. Make sure they are 1300 to 1555 pixels wide.
If you have more than 10 pics please use wetransfer.com it's free up to 2 gig. Please DO NOT send me over 10 pics without first contacting and communicating with me.
Thank you.

Click on Archives link to see all the past Blogs and pics.

My friend Rick McAvoy from Maine is the creator
behind this unique Surf Company

(Above) OK this is one hell of a wave in NICA. Eric Schlosser driving hard off the bottom of a big left. Photo courtesy of Eric Schlosser
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) And this? This is a beautiful right. Eric Schlosser NICA beauty. Photo courtesy of Eric Schlosser
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

He's more than just a good photographer

(Above) All Rise: The 10th Street District Court Of Surf is Now in Session. The Honorable Judge RALPH presiding. Case # 731 BLATANT DROP IN OF THE WEEK. Click the image above to see the outcome of this Surf Crime and the verdict that was rendered.
Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the outcome

This is what happens if you are found GUILTY. You become invisible.

Click on this image above to buy this book
and more cool KING'S X merchandise and music

I see little waves on Monday and Friday

I'm picking Friday July 14th, 2023 as the best of the week!

July 9th, 2023

"Never tackle a loose board in a crowded line-up."

(ABOVE) It's hard to resist the temptation to grab your loose board when it's trying to get away from you. But you must resist the urge to tackle the beast.
Photo by RALPH.



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