Ralph's Home Page

You know what's hard to fake? (No not that.) Talking about smiles. A smile is hard to fake. And by smiles, I'm talking the ear to ear grin. Not the smirk. Real smiles. Smiles that end with laughter. Those are the kind of smiles that I bore first hand witness to these last 3 days.

In fact, my face is still hurting from smiling. Seriously.

On Friday we held our 5th annual WOUNDED WARRIORS/Adaptive NE SPORTS HIT THE BEACH Day at 18th Street on North Beach in Hampton, NH. We had about 25-30 participants. And about 75-100 volunteers.

And I can honestly tell you all with 100% complete conviction, that I do not know who had the most fun. The participants or the volunteers? Because they were all smiling. Every single one of them. Laughing, hooting, and grinning all day long.

Like Chris here. Friday was his first time back in the water since his injury. His smile was electric. Just beaming. Lighting up the line-up. Same with his volunteers. LIke I said, it's hard to tell who has the most fun.

It's easy to get caught up in the day, as you witness people riding waves from standing up, to laying down on their stomachs. The sensation is the same. They are just like us. We are all "stoked" before and after surfing. That stoke is just as real for them. Perhaps even stronger. Think about it.

Imagine being confined to a wheelchair and then someone introduces you to surfing. Feeling that rush of salt water hitting you in the face as you speed towards the shore. That light is going to go on in your head, and you are going to be instantly stoked. And if you are there as a volunteer, and you get to see that up close and personal. It is truly a remarkable feeling that will stay with you forever.

Peter (above ) was a Special Forces coordinator for an AF Arty battery. He called in Air Strikes for the AF forces on the ground. He kept repeating my Robert Duvall line speech that I gave earlier in the day..."If I say it's safe to surf-it's safe to surf!"

And it was safe to surf. Especially with the many wonderful volunteers who show up year after year to lend a hand. Men and women from all walks of life who want to help in any way shape or form. They just want to give back. It's amazing to witness.

They stay in the water all day assisting those who need assistance. Never complaining. Always smiling, always hooting, always offering words of encouragement. It is infectious to be part of it all.

Then there are those who are first timers. Both participants and volunteers. And once again, they both leave the beach at the end of the day with a tremendous feeling of good will and a true sense of accomplishment. As well they should.

The simple act of riding a wave can be so profound for those who have lost the ability to walk on their own, or lift themselves up with no hands. Or the invisible wounds. PTSD.

But when the day is over and we all look back at the ocean and see the sunburned smiles and lingering laughter, we all nod and agree, that surfing does indeed, heal all wounds.

Thank you again ALL the Volunteers who gave back so much to these brave men and women. You have inspired many to become better people in their lives.

Speaking of volunteering and helping people. The second big event this weekend was the 3rd Annual MOLLY SURF Contest. The Surf Contest named after 5 year old Molly Rowlee who lost her battle with cancer in 2009. The contest was put together by her dad Buck, and has not only grown in both popularity in attendance each year, but also as a huge fundraiser. The contest is a complete hoot and it's just full of laughing/hooting/high fives and hugs and kisses.

And the people who volunteer their time to help make the event go smoothly must be thanked. And it's interesting to note, that a lot of the same volunteers who helped out at the Wounded Warriors also help out at the MOLLY. That's community for you my friends.

Surfing. Community. Love.

Now for Some Of My Weekly Global Observances:

This is a weekend of losses for the Armstrong name. First Lance Armstrong was stripped of all his titles after dropping his defense from the "juiced up" charges. Too bad. Not sure what to make of all that. But if I were to guess, there must be some truth to all of it. Otherwise I can't imagine that they would cut him loose. He was an inspiration for many cancer survivors.

But again, I do not know enough to comment.

Then we lost Neil Armstrong. The first man to walk on the moon. That's a pretty heavy title. July 20, 1969. For those of us who remember, it was and still is a big deal. Rest in Peace Neil.

Rest in peace Count Von Count from Sesame Street. And RIP Terry "Tube steak" Tracey from California who was one of the original Malibu surfers during the Gidget era.

Guards at GITMO give Khalid Sheik Mohammed a Pancake Helmet to protect his massive hairy head and beastly body from Hurricane ISSAC.
KSM is complaining that the Pancake will not protect his hairy neck.

Note to self: Must pick up a case of Maple Syrup at Home Depot.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Joel Feid August 27th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jessica Ritchie August 27th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Sashi Lyford August 27th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Terri Brunette August 29th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Natasha Rafferty August 29th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Mikey Detemple August 29th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY John Singleton August 31st!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kristen Dillon August 31st!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kristen Rodgers September 1st!!
GET WELL SOON Matt Denis WHS student!

Keep your eyes and ears open for this Stolen Tent from the MOLLY Contest. Yes it's true, someone stole one of the Ankle Tents from the MOLLY contest at 10th Street over the weekend. PLEASE Get that back to the Molly Rowlee.Org crew. Please. You do not want to have that kind of guilt haunting you.
RETURN IT and keep the positive vibes going.

Please Support ALL The photographers who contribute to Ralph's Pic
Of The Week every week for the last 9 years. **Think about BUYING a HIGH RES Photo from any of the weeks on RPOTW. Keep in mind the photos you steal from this site are low RES. You can't blow them up. Order HIGH RES photos that are suitable for framing. It's a GREAT Gift Idea. A nice framed photo of your favorite Surfer or Surf Break!

Remember my friends...Surfing Heals All Wounds....
Pray for Surf. Pray for Peace. Surf For Fun.

Ralph

IN THE SHOPS SEPTEMBER 1st, 2012.

Don't forget to go back and read the whole DAILY BLOG on My
CATCH A WAVE FOR MOLLY. (Click On the Banner below on this page.)
Started on July 26, 2010 ENDED July 26, 2011. A Wave a day for 365
consecutive days. Just click on the banner ads on this page.

To contact the advertisers below, simply click on the Ad space. Anyone wishing to find out info about advertising here can do so by emailing me directly. Ralph's Email I'll send you a template and other info on how you can become a paid sponsor

We highly recommend the various businesses and artists listed below. Why? Well simply put, each and every one of them is a Surfer, who lives the Surfing Lifestyle, and their business is a reflection of that lifestyle that we all love.

Yesterday- 1974 Late Summer in NH -Kevin "Doc" Grondin
(Below) One of many hurricanes and tropical storms that visited us back in the early
70's. Kevin is riding a short 6' single fin pintail with no leash. But man could he
turn that thing. Photo by RALPH.

Click on the photo above to see the larger version.

TODAY ... all the photos below were taken this week, unless otherwise noted.

Today- Saturday MOLLY (Kids) August 25th, 2012 Photos by RALPH

(Above) Saturday was the kids day. The MOLLY. Saturday August 25th, 2012.
Photo By RALPH * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) It's all about the kids on this day. Veda Day Cropper styling at the MOLLY.
Saturday August 25th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) I swear I thought I was watching a young Stevie O'Hara when watching
his son Gavin surf. The apple does not ... Saturday August 25th, 2012.
Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Pros and Groms. Saturday August 25th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) CJ surfing at 10th Street. Saturday August 25th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

KALANI ROBB SEQUENCE on Saturday August 25th, 2012 at the WALL.

(Above) I looked over my shoulder on Saturday morning and almost did a doubletake. There was Kalani Robb walking by me as I was shooting the Groms at the MOLLY.
So I followed him and shot this sequence when he paddled out at 10th Street.
Saturday August 25th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole SEQUENCE.

Today- WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH V.
August 24th, 2012 Photos by RALPH

(Above) One of those days that so many of us look forward to each year.
The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012.
Photo By RALPH * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) This is photo that really needs no caption. Jenny and Lindsay helping a
Veteran and her dog. The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH!
Friday August 24th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Salt assists Air Force Vet Peter into a wave. The WOUNDED WARRIORS
HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Says it all. The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH!
Friday August 24th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Four combat vets. One State Trooper and One Lifeguard. Some of the
Volunteers . The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH!
Friday August 24th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

Today- WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH V.
August 24th, 2012 Photos by Ed O'Connell

(Above) Check the smile on Chris's face. That's real stoke. The WOUNDED WARRIORS
HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012. Photo By Ed O'Connell
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) The wounded vets and the volunteers were all stoked. All day long.
The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Jerry lost both his hand when a mine exploded. How stoked is he and the
volunteers? The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) The HFD came down and hung this beautiful Garrison Flag,
The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012.
Photo By Dick Arnold * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH! Friday August 24th, 2012.
Photo By Dick Arnold * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

Today- Other Surf Related images from this week
August 23-25th, 2012 Photos by RALPH

(Above) Ryan from Summer Sessions. August 23, 2012.
Photo By RALPH * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) James O'Hara. August 23, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

We welcome all Surf Related pics from our Readers. Just make sure they are at least 900 pixels wide. If you have any OLD photos of local surfers and surfing we would love to see them and share them with our readers. We can scan them for you. And we get them back to you undamaged.

If you have prints/slides we can scan them.

And we don't care if you shoot pics with with your cellphones. I mean it. Most of the images you see on the news and on the Internet were shot with Smart Ass Phones.

Just shoot them and send them along.

(Above) Mike Sidebottom . Saturday, August 25, 2012.
Photo By Adam Fraser * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Great surf image. Mike Sidebottom . Saturday, August 25, 2012.
Photo By Adam Fraser * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Very cool...Mike Sidebottom . Saturday, August 25, 2012.
Photo By Adam Fraser * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

NEW QWILL Single JUST RELEASED on fathers Day June 17, 2012 GREAT SONG

Great NEW EP from local surfer/musician
Nick Checo download it for free by clicking
on image above.

(Above) This is someone named Leah. Surfing in NJ, it was shot by one of her parents.* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Annual madness event. August 25, 2012. By RGF.
Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON on each clip to view videos

In This Place 1974-1979 from Ralph's Pic Of The Week on Vimeo.

OK so I'm on a "Yesterday" kick. I can't help it. I admit, I have a soft spot in my heart for all that is related to our Surfing lifestyle, and our community. It is amazing to see how the scene at 10th street has evolved over the decades. The "local" surfers still hang there.

Some are gone. Like Joe and Moira. And my old dog Calley. Some have quit surfing all together. And some, like Kevin, are STILL ripping after all these years.

Though the surf and the sandbars are the same, that famous stretch of cement, is just now getting a face lift, some 30 plus years later.

The music is once again by my friend Robin Trower, and the song is called "IN THIS PLACE". We used to love that album, Bridge Of Sighs and this song, was my personal favorite.

Enjoy this little nugget from the past. I'm glad I had enough sense to shoot this stuff back then, because if I hadn't, it would of just been faded memories today.

Remember, Surfing Heals All Wounds.

Ralph

The Summer of 1983 from Ralph's Pic Of The Week on Vimeo.

My then girl friend Cory got up early one summer morning back in 1983, and offered to shoot some movie film of me surfing my brand new Quad. It was a 6' four fin made and shaped by Ric Aho at NOMAD in Florida. It had the USMC emblem on the bottom, and it had (at that time) a list of all the places I had been to in my life.

The waves I am surfing in the clip are at the Wall. I was out by myself. Can you imagine getting waves this fun looking alone today at the Wall? Ha! Dream on...

As you can see I was not that good on the QUAD. It was too stiff. The old Quads had the fins to close together. It was super thick though. It ended up being my son's first board. He could actually knee paddle it.

The other footage is of Steve Watson up at the Rivermouth, and Kevin Grondin and Paul Hamblet back at a spot called BEAR CLAWS. I shot all of that footage.

Using my old GAF Movie camera. I still have it.

The music is by my friends the Cars. Dream Away...

Enjoy this look back into the not so distant past.

Ralph

SURF ART Exhibit at The Provident Bank in Hampton, NH
Now Thru September 30, 2012
Now through Aug 31 as part of the Provident Bank Lobby for
the Arts Program exhibit of surf art and photography by Ralph
Fatello, Ed O’Connell, John Carden, Ryan Denning, of Alpine
Live, and Ryan Scura and Dylan Ladds of The Granite Stoke.

The bank is located at 321 Lafayette Road Hampton NH and
the lobby is open Mon-Friday 8am-7pm, Sat 9-1 Sun 10-2.

Crackie's still MIA. Last known sighting was at the MOLLY SURF Contest . If you have a question no matter how stupid, or absurd, please send it here...crackie@adlantic.com

Crackie has his own Facebook Page. You should Friend Him...though there are no guarantees that he'll be nice to you.

Recorded in 1978. Click on VINNY CD
art to see a larger version and how to
order this CD and others for sale at
GAF Music. www.gafmusic.com
A Division of Adlantic

(Above) All Rise: 10th Street District Court of Surf Justice is now in session, the
Honorable Judge RALPH presiding. CASE 176 BLATANT DROP IN OF THE WEEK-
Click the photo to see the outcome of this Bryan vs Brian Surf crime and the verdict.
Photo By RALPH

Recorded in 1983. Click on VINNY CD art
to see a larger version and how to order this CD and others for sale at GAF Music.
www.gafmusic.com
A Division of Adlantic

CLICK ABOVE to read the WHOLE DAILY"Catch A Wave For Molly" BLOG. I started the campaign on July 26, 2010 and Ended July 26, 2011. I kept a daily digital blog, of each and every day. There's tons of photos too! It was an amazing adventure. And yes you can still donate to the MOLLY ROWLEE Fundraiser. Click it.

Click above to read the entire MOLLY BLOG in Chronological order

MORE MOLLY DAY 2 COMING NEXT WEEK!

CRACKIE surfed in the Molly? COMING NEXT WEEK!

Doug Hamsley with his brother Dwight's ashes, Paddle for Dwight.
COMING NEXT WEEK!

(Above) Put the cursor over the images above to see happens when you DROP in
on someone. You become Invisible. Simply put the mouse over the photo to see the
original photo and then marvel at the results of what happens when the criminal
becomes invisible.*Put the cursor over the photo to see the Real image.
Photo by RALPH

Today 2012 "I told you guys I saw a shark out there!.."

(Above) Tim O'Shea surfing in the MOLLY.
Photo by RALPH.

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