August 29, 2010 Hurricane Danielle, Hurricane Earl, and maybe TD Fiona...
The Surf Count of Waist High Or Better is 26 out of 28 weeks...

Please accept my most sincere apology. Not that I really need to, but...I'm sorry this is late. I know some of you like to tap into this weekly as early as Saturday night, or early Sunday morning. But this has been one of those busy weeks. And by busy, I do mean surf wise. And really? If I'm having a busy surf week, well, that's good for all of us. Am I right here people? Oh hell yea I am.

So where do I begin? How about last Sunday?

For those who came and saw it, and participated in it...The MOLLY was a huge success. And not only was it successful as a money making Fundraiser, but as a community gathering event, that had everyone smiling from ear to ear. It was one of those events that will have people talking for quite some time. The MOLLY as it shall now be forever called. The MOLLY. Like The EDDIE.

And really, the comparisons are pretty similar. Oh yea I'm going there. The EDDIE as most of you Surfers know, was in memory of Eddie Aikau. A big wave surfer and all around waterman that lived and died in Hawaii. The EDDIE is a special surf event that the organizers have put together each year, to honor the memory of EDDIE.

The criteria is, the surf has to be at least 20'. That's twenty feet.

The MOLLY is in memory of a 5 year old who never really got to surf, but lived in a surf family, and surf community lifestyle. The MOLLY is an event that honors the memory of this little girl, who was just beginning to surf and have fun in the waves. And the criteria is, the surf has to be at least 2'. That's two feet. And you have to have fun, and not take this contest stuff too serious. Sound good?

The EDDIE and The MOLLY. Two similar events honoring two loved and respected human beings who loved the ocean and surfing. The EDDIE and The MOLLY.

The MOLLY was a non stop laugh fest and it was MC'd by local Surfer/Comic Jimmy Dunn. There were a few moments with Jimmy's relentless zingers coming in at every level that had me holding my side from laughing so hard. And no one was immune to his jokes. No one. Not me, not Buck and not the Canadians. And can I just say how great I thought TEAM CANADA was during this. They were so good natured and really funny and they play'd right into Jimmy's routine.

It was almost as if they'd rehearsed the bit earlier.

The costumes and antics from the participants was really a freaking hoot. Everyone got into the act. The local standout heat of Nevins, Grasso, Lockwood, and Coates was all time. In fact, check the video clip of that heat. It is all there in all of it's absurdity and fun. Hell, I even gave those guys the honors of being in this week's Blatant Drop In and subsequent Invisible Surfer box. Oh yea, they all earned it. Funny stuff...


Yet, it wasn't just the men who played the game. It was all the Groms and the ladies too. There were so people coming and going that it was hard to keep track of who was there and who was not. It was great. This surf community came together again and did something fun while raising money for the Molly Rowlee Fund. Helping kids battle cancer and helping families who are trying to cope with the hardships that are associated with that terrible disease. At the end, I even joined in by attaching Molly's Pink Balloons to my wetsuit.

I caught my daily wave with Molly's balloons flying high behind me.

It was a fitting end to such a wonderful day. The MOLLY will be an annual event. If you were there this year, I know you'll be back, if you missed it, I'll see you there next year. Start working on your costume now. The judges like creativity.

The second half of the week had some serious surf and then on Friday the local Surf community and veterans hosted the 3rd annual HIT THE BEACH III with the WOUNDED WARRIORS program. If you want to talk about inspiring surf moments this has got to rate high on your radar. These men and women who served our country honorably, who were horribly wounded in some our nation's wars, came to Hampton to try surfing. We call it HIT THE BEACH. And this was the 3rd year running where we've hosted this amazing event. And each year it gets bigger and better.

Michael Taylor and his wife Linda along with members of POST 35 and all the local surf shops helped make this yearly event another successful outing. This year was no different. Meeting some of these Vets and hearing their amazing stories of survival really puts things into perspective. It's hard to feel sorry for yourself after meeting some of these Veterans.

Some of them are missing legs, some are missing arms, some are paralyzed from the waist down, and some are hurting deep inside, where there is no evidence of physical wounds. But the wounds they carry, are just as painful. But each and every one of them leaves the beach with a smile on their face. Every single one of them. You all know about my line "SURFING HEALS ALL WOUNDS" well that is never more true then seeing these brave Americans dealing with their wounds and forgetting about their wounds while surfing. It is never tiring for me personally, to see the look of jubilation on the face of a young Veteran after trying surfing for the first time.

They have taken being stoked to a whole other level.

I made lots of new friends again this year. And not just with the Vets themselves, but the volunteers. And make no mistake about it, the volunteers all get more of this than the Vets themselves. And that is saying a lot, because the Vets are having an absolute blast out there. But so are the volunteers. You could see it in the faces of all. Getting someone with no arms to stand up and surf is a pretty amazing feeling. Getting someone with one leg to push up on their one good leg and surf is another amazing feeling. And getting someone to who is without feeling from their waist down to ride a wave? Well that just about beats it all.

There were so many wonderful giving volunteers this year that I can't name you all, but know from the bottom of my heart, that I thank and salute each and every one of you. You guys are the best. And I think you would all agree that stopping to help someone along the way, is a reward in itself. Putting a smile on someone's face is a reward. Sharing this intimate lifestyle of ours, with wounded veterans. That's love.

And honestly? Getting those young Warriors who have no physical wounds, to open up and laugh, and catch waves,-was equally rewarding. I loved talking with those young Veterans. I think they at first thought I was some old vet who could not relate to them. Once they knew, that I was where they were at one point in my life, and how much surfing had helped me with my own War experiences, they opened up to me. And I felt good sharing my own experiences with them and how much surfing had become a therapy for me and dealing with my own personal demons.

The bottom line here with these two events is simple.

Cancer and War are terrible things that human beings have to deal with. If we can do something to help someone who is dealing with either one, and make their lives better, then we are doing some good in this world. Giving a part of yourself to make someone's else's life better is the kind of sacrifice we should all be willing to take. So thank you to all the volunteers and participants on both the MOLLY and the Wounded Warriors. Sleep good tonight my friends, you have made a positive difference in someone's life who really needed it.

Once again, Surfing has healed more wounds...

Now for some of my Weekly Global Observances:
So you've heard the celebrity news of the week. Lindsay is out of Rehab and into some other program. Thank God all of her twitter fans were twittering in the breeze without those updates. And Tiger Woods and his wife Elan are officially divorced. So much for working that out in therapy Tiger. He wasted all those Golf tourneys and potential one night stands for nothing. I thought the reason he went to the rehab for sex addicts was to make his marriage work. No? Damn...I guess I'd ask for my money back. I do hope that everyone involved get their lives back in order.

There are two children involved (and maybe more...)...bam!

So President Obama and his family is off the Island, and back into the shit storm he left a week ago. Why do people want to be president again? Man you really have to have some thick skin to put up with the abuse you take as our Nation's leader. And it makes no difference who you are. Bush or Obama...no thanks, you can have that job.

On the sad news department, the man who came up with the infamous line "COWABUNGA" passed away this last week. Edward Kean also wrote the theme song to the Howdy Doody show. OK, so most of you have never heard of Howdy Doody, but clearly you've heard little Bart Simpson use the Cowabunga line. Well that man is gone from this earth. That's a pretty good legacy to leave behind. COWABUNGA!

You know how I can't get too excited about pre-season football, however, I will say that I am impressed with Patriots Rookie Tight End Ron Gronkowski. He was really good the other night. I mean really good...wait am I sounding excited? OK it's just preseason. No reason to get excited. But that kid was tough and he has Ben Coates old number...87 is back catching those balls that Bledsoe used to throw. We'll see.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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Ralph

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