August 30th, 2009 The Wounded Warriors HIT THE BEACH II
and TS Danny (that's 27 out of 28 weeks of waves).

"If I say it's safe to surf- it's safe to surf." I jokingly said to Nate Smith while walking out into the waist high slop on Friday. Smith was wounded in IRAQ in 2004 outside of Fallujah. He caught an AK round through his right leg. The exit wound was devastating to Nate. Tore most of his lower leg off. But Nate was here to Surf. And we local surfers, were here to help him make that happen. It's hard to describe what it's like to be involved in something as significant as this program, unless you've actually participated in it, or been witness to it. But if I had to sum it up with one word, it would be "Rewarding"

What we get out of the Wounded Warriors Project is as much, if not more, than what the Warriors themselves get out of it. But it was a rewarding, humbling experience, that many of us will never forget, for as long as we live. It is hard for those who have never served in the Military, especially in a combat zone, to fully comprehend what that life is all about. It's not something that everyone should experience, but it is something that everyone should recognize, and be thankful for. We are a nation at war. We have many brave Americans fighting and serving our nation all over the globe, for our very freedoms.

The War on Terrorism is a shadowy complex war, that is fought on many different levels in many different countries. The men and women who came to Hampton, NH on Friday morning to surf our waves, came with physical and emotional wounds from that war. But they all came with desire, and gut full of courage, to try surfing- despite their disabilities.

And when you partake in something like that. It is rewarding.

Seeing someone who should be mad at the world, and really down on life, overcome their disabilities, and take on something as foreign as surfing, and actually have fun doing it. That's what the Wounded Warriors Project is all about. And you can't help but feel good about your own lives, after witnessing something like this. We all take surfing for granted. We do. We never stop and think about what it might be like, to suddenly not be able to do it again. Seeing these wounded veterans out in the water yesterday, was an eye opening experience for a lot of local surfers.

I do want to thank all of the volunteers. And Lord knows there were many. You all know who you are. And you will be able to pick them out in the many galleries I have posted here this week. But all the Vets who are surfers like: Wes, Nate, Bill, Jeff, Tom, Ed, Mike, Harry and anyone else who is Vet that I may have forgotten. The non vets who helped like Lenny and Kevin, Max, Kody, Kai, Jimmy, Skip, Crop, Stevie, Zappy, Mike, Chris, Aaron, and anyone else who I may have missed. All the women and young surfers who volunteered. All the surf shops: Pioneers, Cinnamon Rainbows, Zapstix and Summer Sessions. And all the others who helped with donations. Flatbread. And a big thanks to my boys from POST 35 American Legion here on the Seacoast.. You guys are the best!

But, the biggest thank you goes to the man behind the scenes; Michael Taylor and his wife Linda. Without these two, none of this would happen. Michael is a quiet individual. But he has a heart made of gold. Trust me. The Taylors made it all happen. And if HIT THE BEACH I & II were a big success, wait until next year, when we do HIT THE BEACH III.

Like I say every week..."Surfing Heals All Wounds"

The feedback from the Lil Miss Molly Memorial Paddle was also a heartwarming series of special thanks yous and acknowledgments. So a big thank you, to all who helped make that day a special day. The whole extended Rowlee family and friends thank all who participated in this special event. It's truly amazing to think we had this short window of sun and small surf to pull that off and we did.
I have to think that Molly had something to do with it. It was such a surf community driven event that was powered by love and soul and a deep appreciation of what we do as surfers and how special our connection is to the ocean and nature. We are all truly blessed to be part of this lifestyle.

But all was not good from last week. As much as all of us, at the Paddle, had the positive vibes working for us, there were some, who did not attend, and as a result, brought their aggressive, selfish attitudes with them out in the line-ups during this special Hurricane Swell.

In short, the fallout from HURRICANE BILL, is still being talked about.

But none more so, than the BLATANT DROP-IN of the Week. Good Lord, that has taken on a life of it's own. I guess the Kayak Message boards are lit up with pros and cons, as well as the other Daily Surf Blogs. Truth is...the KAYAK was wrong. No "ifs, ands, or buts" about it. He was wrong in so many ways. But simply put...he broke the biggest Rule. DON'T DROP IN ON ANYONE. He and his friends were doing that all day long. I have visual proof. In fact, see this weeks Blatant DROP IN. These guys were complete dicks in the water that day. There's no excuse for that kind of behavior, at a spot that has been surfed since the 60's, by surfers who have earned the right to catch waves there by the simple fact, that they paddled for them with their own power.

Look I have friends who are good Kayakers. Jimmy Dunn is one. Now the difference between Jimmy Dunn in a Kayak, and the two clowns who were out with 50 plus surfers last week is....Jimmy was Kayaking by himself. That's right. Jimmy was by himself, or with one other guy. Why? Because it's easier with a Kayak to get any wave you want, than it is for surfers. The Yakkers who chose to surf with 50 plus surfers at a named point break, were doing so, for one reason only. They wanted their 15 minutes of fame. Period. No self respecting Kayakker, would of paddled out there for any other reason than that. And that my friends, is BullShit. 100% Bullshit.

There are plenty of other places for Kayakkers to kayak. Sitting down, with their big assed Kayaks, and their helmets, and life vests securely fastened, holding their long paddles, ready to tackle anything from the white water rapids, to a frothing ocean storm. The popular surf breaks is NOT one of them. Or, if you do decide to paddle out and steal waves from surfers, at least do it by following our rules, and by being a little more less aggressive, by trying to catch every freaking wave that comes through.

I know that surfers don't own the ocean.

But Kayakers have an advantage over the surfers. You can catch waves easier. But you can also be more of a hazzard. You can't control your crafts as good as a surfer can. Trust me, there's nothing more unnerving, than having a freaking Big Ass Kayak coming at you sideways, while the guy in the Yak is buried in whitewater, and has NO idea where anyone is. That is scary. And more importantly, that is dangerous. If I were a Yakker, I'd be looking for spots where there are NO surfers. Please. Enjoy the ocean, just do it away from crowded surf spots. The world will be a better place if you do. For all of us.

So open your eyes, my sitting down and bundled up explorers...and find your own lovely ocean experience without causing discomfort to all the surfers.

I really can't say that a few bad apples have spoiled this entire 4 day wave fest. Because it didn't. The swell lived up to the hype (sort of) on the big day, but I think the biggest surprise was that it hung around for 2 more days. Monday and Tuesday were still plenty fun enough. I was interviewed by Nick McGregor from ESM and you can read all the comments from a bunch of us there .easternsurf.com.
Plus you can check on the photos from up and down the entire East Coast. Pretty impressive stuff. So much for my coup on making a surf movie called HURRICANE BILL. YouTube is chock full of em (mine included). Oh well. No biggie.

So it's Saturday afternoon and I'm looking out my office window, and it looks like a dam Nor'easter out there. I know the remnants of DANNY are no where near the strength of BILL...but man it's blowing pretty dam good out there. There's gonna be surf tomorrow and maybe Monday. Can you stand it?

I would like to think you can and will. Please behave out there. Open your eyes and ears. Have fun.

This coming Saturday September 5th 28th is the 18th Annual SURF FAMILY ROBINSON Beach Party. For those of you who have been before you all know the story. It's from 10AM-4PM and it's based on fun for the youngest Groms. For those who are new to all of this. This is an event that we have put on for 18 years that is all about the Surf Families and Surf Community. The kids have fun doing all sorts of things from Crab Racing, to boogieboarding and surfing. To a Big Ole Treasure Hunt at the end of the day. It's lots of fun and it is open to the Surf Community. See the flyers and Poster for details.

Now for some of my weekly Global observances:

So the Obamas are vacationing on Martha's Vinyard and Ted Kennedy passed away on the Cape. Coincidence, or just another convenient happenstance for Baracky? H-m-m-m. So Rest in Peace Teddy. I didn't always agree with your politics, but I at least admired your conviction, and sometime stubbornness of your beliefs. I did like your three brothers and sister, who passed away before you. I'd say to say hello to Mary Jo Kopechne, but I have a funny feeling, you won't be staying in the same suite. In fact, you might want to bring extra pairs of Bermuda shorts, and plenty of sunscreen. It could be warm, where you're headed. No, not hell...Purgatory.

Please tell me why the ACLU has the kind of power they have especially the grip they have on the Liberal media. Who really gives a Rat's Ass if one of our CIA operatives interrogated Kalik Sheik Mohammed after his capture, and threatened to kill his children, if he didn't tell us, what we need to know, to stop another potential 9-11? Hello? Did anyone in the ACLU ever stop and think about the children of the 3,000 Americans who died on September 11, 2001? Or the children of the over 4,000 Americans who have died since 9-11 in the Global War on Terrorism? Including the most Americans killed ever, in Afghanistan this month alone? I swear, there are times, when I could just scream at the idiots who waste our time and our money with this BS.

Call me old fashion again...but I say, if saving one American life can be made, by scaring some scumbag Terrorist...I say- scare the shit out of him.

So should we be concerned about the SOX? I'm not that up on Baseball, but what I hear is not good. I did however sit and cheer like a bona fide Pats fan, as I watched Tom Brady hook up with Randy Moss for 2 TD's last night. And then I cringed, when Tom took a massive hit and may have re-hurt his shoulder. Please Football Gods and Angels...don't let this be bad news...I was just starting, to slowly come around to accepting what all the talking heads were saying about this year's Pats team. We don't have Matt Cassel this year. We have Kevin O'Connell. And I'm not quite sure what to expect of him. Except he looks like he's 16 years old. Help us Lord.

Happy Birthday Jaiden Ciarmartaro Sept 4th!
Happy Birthday Kristen "K" September 2nd!
A BIG GET WELL Soon to Gertrude "Gert" Keefe!

*DON'T GIVE THE PARKING METER MAIDS a Hard Time. They are just doing their jobs. It's a small price to pay for waves if you think about, what you pay for skiing and snowboarding
each winter. Bite your lip and pay the meter or the ticket. And PLEASE Pick up your trash! Or whatever trash you walk by. Just Pick it up. And yes...cigarettes are trash. Thank you.

PLEASE HELP THE NH SURFRIDER FOUNDATION.

Please Support ALL The photographers who contribute to Ralph's Pic Of The Week
every week for the last 6 years.

Remember my friends...Surfing heals all wounds....
Pray for Surf. Pray for Peace. Surf For Fun.

Ralph

Yesterday- 1975 Vince Shazam Summer Hurricane (Below) "Well I'm Vince Shazam-I've been to Vietnam-do you know who I am?"From the archives of the many surf reels of Super8mm footage I have stockpiled. Video Frame Grab courtesy of RALPH Today- 2009 Friday August 28th The Wounded Warriors HIT THE BEACH II Project. *Click on Photos Below To See Photo Galleries (Above) The Wounded Warriors came back to Surf the Wall. HIT THE BEACH II It was awesome. August 28th, 2009 Photo By Cory Fatello Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) The Wounded Warriors -the Wall. HIT THE BEACH II
August 28th, 2009 Photo By Cory Fatello
Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) The Outrigger team with Johnny Sav Hit The Beach First! August 28th, 2009
Photo By RALPH Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) The Wounded Warriors came back to Surf the Wall. HIT THE BEACH II
August 28th, 2009 Photo By Cory Fatello Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) Wounded Warriors HIT THE BEACH II August 28th, 2009
Photo By Ed O'Connell Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) Wounded Warriors HIT THE BEACH II August 28th, 2009
Photo By Ed O'Connell Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) Wounded Warriors HIT THE BEACH II August 28th, 2009
Photo By Ed O'Connell Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) "Buster" the Guide Dog even caught a wave. Wounded Warriors HIT THE BEACH II August 28th, 2009 Photo By Ed O'Connell Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) So we pushed "Buster" into a wave. August 28th, 2009
Photo By RALPH Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) Nate was shot through the leg in IRAQ. But he was determined to try surfing.
August 28th, 2009 Photo By RALPH Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) Tim kept saying to us "I want a Big wave. Make sure it's a big wave." So we
pushed him into the biggest wave! August 28th, 2009
Photo By RALPH Click on the image above to see LARGER Images and more.

Today 2009- This Morning TS DANNY by Brian Nevins
August 30th 2009

(Above) Brian Nevins swam out this morning at Cementland and shot a couple of empty wave shots.
August 30th, 2009

(Above) This is your home break. Take a peek. Thanks Brian.
August 30th, 2009

Today 2009- TS DANNY Comes to Cementland
Pics by RALPH Sunday August 30th 2009

(Above) Dr Brent unweighting for the lift and float. TS Danny. To see more click on the Photo.
Click on image to see gallery. August 30th, 2009 Photo By Ed O'Connell
Click on the image above to see more.

Today 2009-MORE Hurricane BILL Brian Nevins
Photo Gallery- Sunday August 23rd, 2009

(Above) Just another empty peak. Hurricane BILL To see more click on the Photo.
Click on image to see gallery. August 23rd, 2009 Photo By Brian Nevins
Click on the image above to see LARGER Pics..



(Above) Hurricane BILL was more than enough for Brian Taber .To see more click on the Photo.
Click on image to see gallery. August 23rd, 2009 Photo By Brian Nevins
Click on the image above to see LARGER Pics..

Today 2009-MORE Hurricane BILL KILL II
RALPH Photo Gallery- Sunday August 23rd, 2009

(Above) Adam Coates off the bottom and up and into the face of Bill.
Hurricane BILL .To see more click on the Photo. Click on image to see gallery.
August 23rd, 2009 Photo By RALPH Click on the image above to see LARGER pics.

(Above) Tow Ins? No takers. Just as well. The crowds are big enough without adding these to
the mix. Hurricane BILL .To see more click on the Photo. Click on image to see gallery.
August 23rd, 2009 Photo By RALPH
Click on the image above to see LARGER Pics..

(Above) Billy on Billy. Billy Ritchie has one of the BEST bottom turns around these parts.
Click on image to see gallery. August 23rd, 2009 Photo By RALPH
Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) Steve Rafferty. Hurricane BILL .To see more click on the Photo.
Click on image to see gallery. August 23rd, 2009 Photo By RALPH
Click on the image above to see LARGER pic.

RALPH'S VIDEO CLIP OF THE WEEK BELOW.

RALPH'S VIDEO CLIP OF THE WEEK CLICK ON THE PHOTO IMAGE BELOW
FOR a YOUTUBE VIDEO CLIP. Wounded Warriors Footage Friday August 28, 2009

(Above) Click on this image of For The WOUNDED WARRIORS HIT THE BEACH II YouTube clip. Shot Friday August 28th, 2009. Video By SMG.

Today 2009- The BLATANT DROP IN of The Week. 8-30-09
NOT another Kayak Surfer Mishap? I'm afraid so kids...but this
is a Video Clip on YouTube. CLICK IMAGE BELOW

(Above) This is another Yakker Incident. This time it's Mackey V. DON'T Drop IN. Please.
Click on the image above to see the complete Video on YouTube.
Video By RALPH Music By QWILL

Today 2009-REMNANTS Hurricane BILL KILL II Pics
Monday and Tuesday August 24-25th, 2009

(Above) Unknown in a sweet green wide open room with a view. Monday August 24th, 2009
Hurricane BILL .To see more click on the Photo. Click on image to see gallery.
Photo By Ed O'Connell Click on the image above to see a LARGER image.

(Above) Kody Grondin like father like son. Kody can find the hole just like his pop.
Monday August 24th, 2009 Hurricane BILL.To see more click on the Photo.
Click on image to see gallery. Photo By Ed O'Connell
Click on the image above to see a LARGER image.

(Above) Brian Taber.Monday August 24th, 2009 Hurricane BILL.To see more click on the Photo.
Click on image to see gallery. Photo By Ed O'Connell
Click on the image above to see a LARGER image.

(Above) Mikey Evans having some fun before the summer winds down and it's time for school. Hurricane BILL To see more click on the Photo. Click on image to see gallery.
August 24th, 2009 Photo By RALPH Click on the image above to see LARGER image

(Above) Tessa and Steve Magliano here in Hampton for a quick visit and surf.
Hurricane BILL .To see more click on the Photo. Click on image to see gallery.
August 24th, 2009 Photo By RALPH Click on the image above to see LARGER image.

(Above) Gary Ritchie one year ago this last week, his life changed forever. I have shared many
waves with Gary over the years. I hope to continue that trend for many more. Hurricane BILL
To see more click on the Photo. Click on image to see gallery.
August 24th, 2009 Photo By RALPH
Click on the image above to see LARGER image

(Above) These are my first ever water shots with my new Water camera. It's a CANON D-10.
It's pretty cool. You should click on the photo to see the whole Gallery. Hurricane BILL
Click on image to see gallery. August 25th, 2009 Photo By RALPH
Click on the image above to see LARGER image

(Above) My first ever water shots with my new Water camera. The CANON D-10.
Click on the photo to see the whole Gallery. Hurricane BILL
Click on image to see gallery. August 25th, 2009 Photo By RALPH
Click on the image above to see LARGER image

(Above) The CANON D-10 takes pretty good action shots too. Click on the photo to see the whole Gallery. Mackey V boosting one at 10th Street Click on image to see gallery.
August 25th, 2009 Photo By RALPH
Click on the image above to see LARGER image

(Above) The CANON D-10 Click on the photo to see the whole Gallery.
Click on image to see gallery. August 25th, 2009 Photo By RALPH
Click on the image above to see LARGER image

Today 2009- Hurricane Bill Photos From Photographers and Readers (like you)

(Above) This is Heather Day surfing Hurricane BILL on Day 4 in New England.
To see more, click on Photo Photo by CROP

(Above) Andrew Kellar on a NICE lefthander during Hurricane Bill. Aug 23-2009.
Click on Photo Click image to see gallery. Photo by Ginger Nelson Kellar

(Above) Corey's HUGE wake. Hurricane BILL8-23-09 Click on Photo for LARGER Image.
Click image to see the whole gallery. Photo by John Nuzzolo

(Above) Mike Moran. Hurricane BILL8-23-09 Click on Photo for LARGER Image.
Click image to see the whole gallery. Photo by Hannah Vokey

(Above) Unknown. OK I'm not really sure what the hell is going on here. This stance is kind of funky. To each his own I guess. Hurricane BILL8-23-09 Click on Photo for LARGER Image.
Click image to see the whole gallery. Photo by Hannah Vokey

Today 2009- ALL Other BILL Submissions found here.

(Above) Josh Cote's fancy footwork. Due to the overwhelming amount of photos submitted these past two weeks we had to pick and choose from hundreds. There are many posted here on this Gallery. Because there is not enough time in the day and enough room on our servers we couldn't post every photo. But your submissions are important to all of us. So keep em coming. Hurricane BILL8-23-09 Click on Photo for LARGER Image. Click image to see the whole gallery. Photo by Josh Cote

Today 2009- LAST Night Midnite Madness 8-29-09

(Above) Check out the haps at the shop. The wind, rain and cold could not stop them from coming. It was indeed Madness...Photos by RALPH

Today 2009- This week in Hawaii 8-30-09 by Bernie Baker

(Above) The SUP is not going to go away. It is hugely popular in Hawaii. It will be here
sooner or later. There will be more and more. Meanwhile check out theSUP action this
week at QUEENS.l Click on image to see Bernie's gallery.
August 30th, 2009 Photo By Bernie Baker
Click on the image above to see more.

(Above) Kim Moniz Queens...she must be related to Tony Moniz. Tony is one of the
world's BEST Longboarder's who rides BIG waves on his LB.
August 30th, 2009 Photo By Bernie Baker

(Above) THE WEDGE by Ben Ginsberg shot last week In California. August 2009
Photos By Ben Ginsberg

(Above) MORE Wounded Warriors. .August 28th, 2009 Photos By Hannah Vokey

Today 2009 PARTING SHOT- Guess Dogs Can't Read

(Above) Check what that Dog is doing...Hey I love Dogs. I just don't want to step in their droppings when I'm running out into the surf. Photo by RALPH