"That looks ride- able. You could surf that. " And the words had no sooner left my mouth when I thought about what I had just said. "Good Lord", I thought to myself. I'm watching a Tsunami on TV on Friday morning and I'm talking about surf. I mean I was literally watching people possible dying on the big screen and I'm talking with another surfer on the phone and I'm thinking that Tsunami is a surfable wave? What the hell is wrong with me? Turns out I was not the only one who thought that.

Several others I spoke with during this last swell all thought the same thing.

I felt better knowing that I was not the only one who thought that. But man, it really made me think. Are Surfers really that obsessed with waves and surfing? That some of us would look at a Death Tsunami, and actually see if it was a surf-able wave? I guess so. Look, I felt terrible knowing that people were dying and lives were being ruined forever as I watched that thing on TV. I felt sick to my stomach. But when I saw that almost perfect wave pouring into the bay in Japan, my first thought was..."I could surf that."

The real question is, how many Japanese Surfers thought the same thing?

There are millions of Japanese surfers. Millions. I wonder how many of them thought the same thing? In fact, I wonder how many of them who lived nearby actually tried to surf that thing? Let's face it, Surfers do crazy things. They always have. Is it it unlikely that someone tried to surf that thing? No. But if they did, you would think they shot it on video. If someone rode a Tsunami, you would have seen it by now on YouTube. Or Vimeo.

And that thing would go viral. Surfing the Tsunami.

And isn't it ironic, that once again, something that we all live for in our day to day lives. Waves. How could waves cause that much horror and destruction? Back in 2004 I wrote a column about that Tsunami that hit the beaches and resorts in the Indian Ocean. Hundreds of thousands of lives were lost. Because of...well waves. Waves killed thousands of people. And I hate to say it, when the final death toll comes in from Japan, there will more than likely be thousands lost.

Once again, thousands killed by... waves.

I was out surfing on Saturday at the Wall, and was in the process of getting my ass kicked by a set, and I thought about what some of those people felt like when that Tsunami hit them. As I was dealing with ice cream headaches, and cold water rushing into my suit, and finally losing my breath in the 6 foot surf. I thought about what some of those poor Japanese felt like in their final moments on earth. As surfers we can handle most of what mother nature throws at us. But those civilians were dealing with something out of the ordinary. They are not used to the power of a wave.

But the Tsunami? That thing was moving at over 500 miles an hour? That's crazy. That's hard to fathom. 500 miles an hour? Plus throw in the debris that is embedded in that thing and Good Lord, it is a DEATH WAVE. An absolute horror. There was just no escaping it.
I thought about that as I watched on TV and then again when I was in the water on Saturday caught inside on a relentless set . I finally had to come in because my head was so cold. I went right back out. But I needed a rest. There was no resting if you were caught in that Tsunami. None.

It had to be a full on survival mode day for so many of those people.

Watching motor vehicles trying to out run that wave was like something I've never seen before. Those aerial shots where you could see the wave moving across the farmlands and cities, just engulfing everything in it's path, was hard to turn away from. I found myself quietly rooting for those who did manage to out maneuver that debris filled wave. It was riveting TV and to watch it live was mind boggling.

And the whole time, I kept thinking about the opposite ends of our spectrum. Our love of waves verses the death and destructions caused by the Tsunami waves.

There will always be Earthquakes. Always. So I guess there will always be Tsunamis. And if you live on a fault line well, it's only a matter of time. It's going to happen. It may not be today or next year, but you do know it's going to happen. It is a fact of life. Plain and simple. If you live on a fault line you already know that. I hope and pray it does not happen to you. I'm hoping it never happens. But then again, that's wishful thinking from someone who hopes and prays for surf able waves. On the beaches. Not downtown.

On Saturday before I went and caught my waves I ran into the McInnis clan at one of the surf breaks. Their mother and Matriarch of the whole McInnis clan had passed away this week. Mary McInnis was in her 90's. She had so many children and grandchildren and great grandchildren, that it would be impossible to name them all here. A good chunk of the McInnis clan are surfers.

I was there shooting photos when they all showed up.

Some came in from Hawaii and some...came in from Japan. They were all here to honor and remember this amazing woman. Another irony that does not escape me is the fact that one of the kids came from Japan. He missed the earthquake and Tsunami to attend the service. of his grandmother.

A handful of them went out for a surf. I got some pics of them and was so pleased to see the McInnis clan rally around the ocean. They had planned to meet here. The Ocean. The surf was on their minds. Here was a family mourning the loss of the Matriarch of their family and they had settled on this rallying point. On the ocean to both greave and celebrate the life of their beloved Mary.

So I witnessed in less than 24 hours. The absolute horror of what the ocean can do, to the absolute joy that it is equally capable of doing. And I left the McInnis family that morning feeling better about life. And more specifically, the ocean and surfing. And I was reminded once again, the healing process of what surfing can do for your soul. My own words echoed true in my mind. As they always have in times of sadness and celebration.

"Surfing Heals All Wounds." Rest in peace Mary McInnis and all the souls who passed away in Japan this last week.

Now for some of my Weekly Global Observances:
Qaddafi Duck is still killing his own people in Libya. That's fine. The Rebels are dispersing with each new day. They have no air power and when Quacky's Jets come roaring in they have nothing to defend themselves against them. We need to order a NO FLY ZONE. Or deal with the outcome later on. It's embarrassing. DON'T FORGET the PAN AM 103 Lockerbie Bombing. Kaddaffi ordered that Terrorist Act.

Americans died that day at the hands of that ruthless dictator. Please Don't forget that.

Last week we all watched the Meltdown of Charlie Sheen, and this week we are watching the Meltdown of a Nuclear Power Plant in Japan. What a week. I wonder what Charlie is up to this week? I don't want to miss out on any press conferences that Charlie gives.

So the NFL is possibly on hold for next season huh? Oh that's great. That's fine. You know what though? After that last game the Patriots played against the JETS I'm not that interested in getting back into that grind. Not that I will watch Soccer. Cuz that ain't never gonna happen. Ever. I'd rather watch Golf...

So there are Bacteria laden Disks floating on our shoreline this weekend. These disks came in off the Merrimack River from a wastewater treatment plant in Hooksett and are highly toxic. Wait, were they around on Saturday? When I was taking in water and sucking down heaps of ocean water at the Wall? This past Saturday? DOH!

Now why do the wastewater Treatment Plant disks have to be so hurtful?


ANNOUNCEMENTS: THE RUN REDUX IS OUT! Pick one up in the shops or email me and order one directly or go to www.surffreeordie.com
HAPPY SAINT PATTY's DAY March 17th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my sister Gale March 20th!!
Rest In Peace Mary McInnis mother/grandmother/great grandmother of local Surfers.

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Ralph