I guess there really is no easy way to write this column today. The 10th anniversary of September 11th. It is still hard to believe, that 10 years have passed since that terrible day. The world changed forever that day.. . for all of us. And I do mean all who live on this planet.

There was a Hurricane off the coast that morning. Hurricane ERIN. There was not a cloud in the sky and I was excited about both shooting the swell and surfing it. I gathered my camera gear and kissed my wife goodbye and headed down to the coast. The swell was filling in nicely. Though not as big as I thought it would be.

Funny how Hurricanes can do that. Like this last one with KATIA.

ERIN was no different. Even though she looked to be a monster. This image below is ERIN. She looks pretty significant. I mean look at that thing. But like I said, it was only a foot or two overhead. Here in New Hampshire. I think it was bigger in the south facing beaches down south. Like it always is.



Still it looked really pretty, and I was so stoked because all of my friends were out.
Jacko, Tony, Phil, Billy, Joey, Markey J, Johnny Meehan, I mean there were so many familiar friendly faces that morning. Just a perfect day.

However, every single surfer who came out of the water that morning kept telling me how cold it was. "Really it's cold? " I'd ask. You would think that a Tropical storm would bring warm water. But no. Hell, just last week IRENE was the coldest Hurricane Surf I'd been out in since ERIN. Funny how Hurricanes can do that.


So I knew that before I went out, I'd need to go home and get my booties.

So I drove home and walked into the house around 8:50AM. My wife was watching TV and said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. "What? It must of been a small plane or a military fighter jet?" I answered as I pulled up a stool in the kitchen to watch the coverage. Looking at the North Tower smoking with all the paper floating down like some whimsical confetti celebration.

It looked surreal. And then the second plane hit. "We're at War!" I said to my wife.

I knew I had to get back to the ocean to tell everyone what was happening. But the scenes of both towers on fire, with that long billowing smoke trails were mesmerizing in the most unrealistic of situations. It was like watching some Bruce Willis movie. It was just so unbelievably tragic.

I don't know how long I stayed to watch, but it was at least 15 -20 minutes.

Finally I kissed my wife goodbye again and headed back down to the ocean. This time I had a knot in my stomach. I had the radio on, and Howard Stern was broadcasting a blow by blow description of what was happening. And say what you want about Howard, but that day he rose above the ashes and did a remarkable job. He was our only form of communication at the ocean and he had us all listening to every word and description.

We all stood there in our wetsuits, staring out to sea, and it was eerily silent.

Then someone mentioned that two of our friends Billy Hartford and Bobby Morgan were on a plane out of Boston headed for Mexico. The dread of not knowing was excruciating. We all were horrified at the thought. None of us would say what we were really thinking. The horror of that morning was already too much to bare.

For me personally, I kept thinking of our Military. Because I knew, as sad as it was for those who were dying in those buildings, and at the Pentagon and then later at that desolate field in Shanksville PA, I knew that our Military would have to shoulder the burden of finding those who were behind these cowardly attacks, and destroy them. But this new enemy was not like anything we have ever faced before.

This, it seemed, on that bright sunny day, was pure evil. The darkest of evils.

I remember thinking..."How are they going to fight this?" It just seemed so terribly dark and shadowy. And this was all before I knew who the real enemy was. Turns out, I was right. It was and is, dark and evil.

But getting back to that morning .Things seem to get worse with every passing hour.

By the time we heard about the Pentagon, I was really concerned. But the one thing I did do, was aim my camera at the scenario that was unfolding around me. I shot everything. And I kept a running dialogue as well. My only regret. I should of just shut up. But I've never been able to keep my mouth shut. Especially if something this significant is going on around me.

We all hung around for a couple of hours. No one wanted to surf.

We all headed back home to be with our loved ones. My son Max was getting out of school that afternoon and this day was going to be his first Hurricane Surf Session. He walked into the house as my friend Phil and I were gasping at the sights of people leaping to their deaths. They had not told him at school what had happened. He was only 9 years old at the time.

The words he spoke that afternoon, I'll remember to my dying day.

"That's great, my first time getting to surf a hurricane swell, and World War Three breaks out!" He was right. It felt like WWIII. Whenever we heard about Flt 93 it just seemed to never end. Phil eventually went home. I think everyone wanted to be near their loved ones that day. I was coaching football and cancelled practice. I did however, take my son out surfing. It just seemed, like the only thing I could do.

I guess the "Surfing Heals All Wounds" mantra was there again for me.

My son surfed well in his first Hurricane surf session. I just wish I could remember his waves. My mind was numb and I was just going through the motions of being a surf dad. At that point, I still did not know of where Bobby and Billy were. As we drove by Cinnamon Rainbows on the way home, I spotted Jacko in front of the shop with Dave Cropper. I lowered my window and asked..."Any word on Bobby or Billy?"

Jacko looked at me and his face was ashen. "Bob Hayes was on the first plane."



I was shocked. Bob Hayes was a local surfer. Married with two very young sons. I guess he was flying to LA for a business trip. Bob Hayes was the first surfer to buy my first surf movie. I remember saying..."But Bob you're not even in the movie." He said he didn't care. He wanted it because it had our waves in the movie.

I also had recently been talking to him about the joys of surfing with your own kids. I wrote about that last week. I was heartbroken. Bob Hayes was gone.

Later we found out that another local surfer, then Angela Velstos, lost her brother Tommy on the same plane. Local Surfer Jared Velstos was his nephew. That's two connections to our small surf world here in Hampton. The rest of that day and night seemed so surreal and foreign. And the days that followed. It all just seemed so numbing and empty.

There was some good things that came out of this. We were all united again.

That has since gone by the wayside, but for a brief time, we were all on the same page. There was no political divide. We were all one. Those attacks were against all of us. We were Americans and we stood together and were prepared to face this enemy and fight. Well, here we are 10 years later. The master mind behind 9-11 is dead and gone, and being eaten by bottom fish. But his message and his dream live on. And the never ending stream of rabid followers he has spawned, are as united as we were 10 years ago. They too have not forgotten.

And if left unchecked, the Terrorists who attacked us 10 years ago today, would unleash a 9-11 type attack on us every single day until we are no more. Do not mistake our enemy's resolve, and determination, to destroy us. September 11th was a wake up call for America. We would do well to remain ever vigilant. And to never be caught sleeping again. And to continue to take the fight to them. Until they are exterminated from this world. And there is only peace and goodwill.

For those who died on that day 10 years ago, may their souls Rest In Peace. And for those who have died since that day, fighting in the Global War on Terrorism,
may your souls rest in peace, in the Glorious Kingdom of God.

September 11th, 2001. A modern day Pearl Harbor. 10 years ago today.