March 21st, 2010 55 out of 57 weeks, or 5 for 5?

So what is this? Are we going to get a 100 year storm every two weeks now? Is this our new weather pattern? You can't really call this Global Warming now can you. If anything, it's another El Nino year. And that seems to make the most sense of all. El Nino. But to the local New Englanders who are still dealing with no power, and wet basements, it's certainly no consolation. Hardly. It is however, a good thing for the local surfers though. And I for one, couldn't be happier. The past 57 weeks has been one for the record books.

I can't say this enough. If you are one of the jaded surfers (Trust me there's a handful), who think this whole RUN concept is not happening, might I suggest, you browse through the archives on this website and look at the photos from this week, right on back to February 18th 2008. It's happening. I'm not making this stuff up. It's all freaking documented. Waist high or better.

Take a look and make the call yourself. If you can't see it. I can't help you. Take up Golf.

The swell this week lasted for 5 days. Easily. Actually someone told me there were waves yesterday but I did not see them due to my work schedule. I heard it was small but fun. So, you could of surfed for 6 days this week alone. Granted the weather was nasty on Monday. Little bit of wind mixed in with a whole bunch of rain. At one point on Monday I was down by the Main beach looking at potential protected spots when I noticed one of the strangest natural phenomenons. The sea foam was blowing so hard, and gathering itself all over everything it could attach it self to. It was wild. I shot a couple of pics but it really does not do it justice. My buddy Johnny Meehan showed up and he saw it as well.

It was wild. It looked like a snow storm. I swear. Big giant, sea foam flakes, were filling the air.

I wished I had my video camera. It was worth shooting. The quivering, shaking mass, of sea foam. Blowing all over Ocean Blvd. That would of made a great video clip. In hindsight, I should of rushed back to my office and grabbed the camera. Instead, I opted for stills. But this was one of those times, when you really needed the video camera. Doh!

There were other interesting developments happening out in the water, once the swell started to clean up. And I guess, the buzz talk around town, and on the surf blogs, was that of Mike Stanek and Tobey Clarke zipping around the outer reefs on their JetSki. You know. Tow-Ins. While this was not the first attempt to try this locally, it was nonetheless, something to take note of. Were the waves that big, that they needed a Jet Ski? Oh hell yea.

It was big enough on the outer reefs for sure.

The question is, was this dynamic duo of Mike and Tobey functioning well enough out there? Well, that all depends on who you ask. If you were to ask one of the jaded. The answer would of been obvious. They would of sneered at you. But, If you were to ask some of the others who saw it all go down. Like me. They would of acknowledged their accomplishments. Look, anytime someone "steps out of the box" around here, and takes up the challenge of something daring and exciting, it is worth noting. That's what this was. I thought it was noteworthy. It looked exciting to me. I just wished I was close enough to the action to shoot it.

They were just two dots out there. Bobbing around in those huge open ocean swells.

They would drop down into the trough and disappear, and then just as quickly, they would reappear. I only saw Tobey ride one wave. He appeared to be going fast. They were not strapped. And they were towing in without a sled. So if one of them got in trouble, they really were in trouble. Exciting? Yes. Functional? Who gives a shit? I say let them have at it. As long as they don't clog the lineups with the gas spilling machines. But those outer reefs are prime for this kind of action. Go for it.

Speaking of trouble. I was driving South on Rte 95 on Friday at around 6:15PM. I hit traffic between the toll booth and Seabrook. It was the kind of traffic jam that you just knew, could not be good. And it wasn't. Some teenager driving a pickup truck, with two other passengers, swerved in front of a tractor trailer trying to exit Rt 95 near the Seabrook Rt 107 exit. The Pick up got clipped by the big rig, and it sent the Pick up flipping over and onto the median strip.

One kid was killed. He was 15 years old.

At the time I was stuck in traffic, I did not know who, and why this happened. It wasn't until today when I read the paper. I felt sick to my stomach. I couldn't help but think of the family of the boy who was killed, and the family of the young 13 year old girl who was medevac'd by helicopter into Boston. And of course, the boy who was driving the Pickup. His family was certainly suffering as well. But the irony of this all was. As I was sitting in my vehicle in the traffic jam, I was thinking about a very close friend who had just been involved with a fatal accident on Tuesday Night. That accident happened no less than 5 miles from the very spot this new accident occurred. It's all too much to think about.

When death comes knocking on your door.

I know enough police officers, and I know, that one of the worse things they have to do as Police Officers is, to knock on someone's door, and tell them, that their child or family member has been involved in a motor vehicle accident. It is every parent's worst nightmare. Or at least one of the most feared. I know. I'm a parent. We worry every time our kids head out with their friends. We know that in the blink of an eye, something terrible could happen out there.

Every parent lives with that inner fear.

But aside from keeping them under lock and key, you have to constantly remind them of things like what happened on Friday. But then again, if someone else is driving your teenager, you are at the mercy of their skills and judgment. You can only hope and pray, that they return safely each time they go out. It's never ending. The fear we parents live with.

Another major fear of parents is, dealing with your children who get sick. That has happened to close friends here on the Seacoast. We all know about the Molly Rowlee story. A sweet beautiful child who was diagnosed with cancer last year, and in less than six months, Lil Miss Molly lost her battle to the disease. It was a terrible blow to our surf community. But this sort of thing is happening right now all over the world. Families and parents, whose child has become ill with cancer, are going through the suffering of both emotional and physical tolls. And on top of that, their medical bills are stacking up. That coupled with the loss of work, to both parents dealing with the disease. It is in short, a heavy burden for the whole family. And it seems like your whole world is crashing down.

Well my friends, sometimes good things are born from tragedy. And that was the case with Molly. Her loving parents Buck and Meg Rowlee have taken the cancer bull by the horns, and with the help and support of a huge loving community, are fighting back against the cancer demon. The MollyRowlee Fund was born and is now growing in numbers, both with members, and with finances to help other families who are going through what the Rowlees went through. It has become a living legacy to that sparkling soul that was Molly. If you were one of the lucky ones to have met this child during her short 5 years you will never forget her. I know I won't.

So Today March 21st, 2010 at 4:00PM at the RINKS in Exeter, NH... in memory of Molly, there is another GREAT event to help fight this disease. It's the Boston Bruins Alumni vs The SURFERS charity Hockey Game. All Proceeds will go to the MollyRowlee fund. You better get tickets quick cause thing's gonna be sold out. And if you're thinking that the Bruins are gonna roll over the Surfers...think again. 90% of the Surfers from Northern New England are hockey players.

Hey, we live in a place, where our ponds freeze over for four months. Water and ice. That's our life!


Now for some of my weekly Global observances:
Don't forget to watch the HBO series tonight called The PACIFIC. It's about the the US MARINES in the South Pacific in WWII. The series is done by Stephen Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Last week was all about the battle for Guadalcanal. There are two Hampton residents who fought in that battle in 1942. Jerry McConnell and Ed Linstrom. The new series is like the BAND OF BROTHERS. We all knew someone who served in WWII. Your father, mother, uncle, aunt or grandparents. The PACIFIC is a true story of three Marines. Leckie, Sledge and Basilone. Tonight picks up where they left off last week. On the Canal. It is really well done. It is part of our history and worth watching.

So, they are voting on the controversial Healthcare Bill today in Congress. By tomorrow, we will know who will have a job in November. This thing is as nasty as it gets. Both sides are not budging. And if it happens, everything will change. Forever. So I guess, that "change" that a lot of you voted for, will finally happen. But it's going to cost us all. And that's the kind of change, I can't afford.

Tiger Woods is coming back! But Jesse James is heading out! I always thought that Tiger should come back. And as far as Jesse James? I don't know his story. But I'm sure a lot of you do. I do know he's married to Oscar winning star Sandra Bullock. And I heard she's pissed. Well I guess so. WTF? Is it me, or are these nasty celeb stories getting harder to keep up with?

CONGRATS to the WHS Basketball team for an OUTSTANDING season. They lost to Pinkerton in the State Championships in double OT yesterday, but they had an amazing season. Local Surfer Jesse Gould is an outstanding athlete and he will go far in college.
KEEP Getting Stronger Kim Grondin! We ALL Love you!
Happy Birthday Noelle Fatello! March 27th 2010. We love you!!!
Don't Forget to THROW YOUR CLOCKS out the window this weekend. (I'm kidding...I hate the turning the clocks ahead and back each year.)
GO BRUINS! GO SURFERS! GO MOLLY!
March 21st 4:00PM The RINKS at EXETER!

Please give to the RED CROSS or some other trusted organization to help the people in Haiti and Chile. Like the RED CROSS. www.redcross.org Help these people. Please.

*Check out the NEW updated DROPPING IN ON RALPH blog Section. *This is the blog section of this website where you can write in and comment. The only downside of this blog is, you actually have to use your REAL Name. No hiding behind some fake handle and name. If you want to comment, you have to man up, and be yourself. I will post all comments, both good and bad. You just have to be yourself.

*Molly Paddle Video by Joe Carter has been moved to the Community Page.

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every week for the last 6 years. **Think about BUYING a Photo from any of the weeks
on RPOTW as a GREAT Gift Idea. A nice framed photo of your favorite Surfer!

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

Ralph