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OK raise your hand if you have ever had a Tropical Storm or Hurricane with your namesake. Anyone? My hand is down.

But not for long...there is a TS Raphael in the Caribbean and it looks like it's headed this way. "Now wait a minute" you are thinking. Raphael? Who the hell is Raphael? Look, Raphael is Spanish for Ralph. At least I think it is...

This is as close as I am ever going to come to having a damn tropical storm named after me. Please don't deny me this moment. Please. Come on man. My name is on the bottom of the freaking alphabet. And my nickname? It's even further down
that list. "Vince". Can you see what I'm talking about here my brothers and sisters?

Each year when the new names come out, I look and realize that once again I will never have a chance. Another Tropical Storm season will come and go, and I am left off the list. The curse of Ralph and Vince. And I know I am not alone.

But alas my friends...here comes Raphael (can we just call it Ralph?) And it's headed this way.

The irony of this storm? Well, our son Max left for Puerto Rico on Wednesday October 10th...he will be there until Christmas. How funny is it that a storm named after his father, is now bearing down on them? Too funny. You can't make this stuff up.

We took a family portrait at the Chapel where Cory and I were married 25 years to the day. October 10th, 1987. This was a half hour before Max left for Puerto Rico.

At the time we had no idea that my namesake was going
to be following his Goofyfoot ass to PR! Again...you have to
love this stuff. I just hope he has enough of my photographic genes to take photos and send them to me. Otherwise that
will be a waste.

That thing is supposed to track up the coast and give us good
surf in the later part of the week.

I hope Mackey and his buddies get some great surf from TS Ralph. And I hope we all score some as well..... So I wouldn't be putting those 3/2's away just yet. The water temps could rise again one last time before the real drops hit. TS Ralph is coming! Ha! I love writing that! Never thought I'd live to see the day...

Tropical Storm Ralph....Ha!

I hope you all got to see the New ESM magazine with our own New Hampshire as the feature article. Editor Nick McGregor came up for a few days in early September and lucked into a decent Tropical ground swell from Leslie. He stayed with Brian Nevins here in town and got a chance to sample some of the 13.5 miles of pristine coastline that many of us call home.

Writing a story on any surf community anywhere on this planet is a daunting task to say the least. But I think Nick did a great job. In fact, the whole mag has been getting better and better each year. The monthly ESM is the ONLY mag of it's kind that features the entire East Coast. If you have not seen one in a while, might I suggest you grab a copy at one of the local surf shops, or read it on line. Or better yet subscribe to ESM. I do. And I look forward to each issue.

They are the BEST East Coast Magazine on planet Earth!

Click on the cover above to see the whole article in all it's New Hampshire Glory. Thanks Nick!

Now for Some Of My Weekly Global Observances:

Not sure what your take was on the VP debate this week. But I do know this. Joe Biden is one creepy dude. That smile? Dang. And look, I know this is only the VP debate but remember how a lot of you thought about Sarah Palin. You were petrified. Well? If you feel comfortable with Crazy Uncle Joe Biden being one step away from pushing any red buttons.... well I am very uncomfortable. He should be in a home somewhere. Or getting that smile fixed. Creepy.

OK the guards at GITMO found Khalid Sheik Mohammed dressed in a Bird Hunting Outfit trying to slip out the gate to go on a bird hunting trip with ex VP Dick Cheney. When KSM learned that Cheney. was a terrible shot, he ran back into the compound screaming "Allah Arkbar Nevermind! Quickly open the gates and let me back in!"

Note to self: Must pick up a box of 20 GA bird shot at Home Depot.

Patriots lose to the Seahawks under the absurd coaching of Pete Carroll today. There's a 3 way tie in the AFC East. After last week's smackdown of the Broncos, things were looking good for the Patriots...but nooooo.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

HAPPY OCTOBER EVERYONE!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Johnny Meehan October 12th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Alex Orestis October 14th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Rob Jones October 15th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Melanie Veltsos October 16th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Arlene Nichols October 16th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Jack Danahy October 17th!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Allie Daly October 17th!
Rest In Peace Jerry -Dad-Grampy-Bunton October 17th!
GET WELL SOON Matt Denis WHS student!
Get Well soon Mr Cropper father of Dave and Mike Cropper. Please keep Mr Cropper in your thoughts and prayers.

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

JUST RELEASED and IN THE SHOPS and Online!!
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- An Unknown Surfer at North Beach. 20 Years Ago...
(Below) I received this photo via email from Steve Hillman. I guess he knows this old guy who used to walk North Beach every single day. A lot of those times he carried his camera with him. This particular day there was good surf. He snapped this photo knowing that Steve might want it. So here it is. I wonder who the surfer is. If you know, please let me know. Otherwise another Unknown graces this blog.... Photo courtesy of Steve Hillman.

Click on the photo above to see the larger version.

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

Today-Thursday- October 11th, 2012. Photos by RALPH

(Above) This empty peak was preceded and followed by dozens more. All empty.
Thursday October 11th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Mike "Zappy" Paugh is as good on a Longboard as he is on a short board.
Thursday October 11th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) An empty wave (again). October 11th, 2012.
Photo By RALPH * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) John Carden out on a clear waist high plus wave.
Thursday October 11th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Black on white. Zappy October 11th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Unknown woman October 11th, 2012. Photo By RALPH
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

Today-A Cool and Breezy October Morn. October 11th, 2012.
Photos by Ed O'Connell

(Above) I'm calling this the best Longboard photo of Hannah Vokey. Nothing forced, no posing, just a cool natural stance on a nice glassy wave. Thursday October 11th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Unknown on a nice tapered left. Thursday October 11th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) I'm not 100% sure, but I think this might be Nick Valhouli.
Thursday October 11th, 2012. Photo By Ed O'Connell
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) The legendary Peter Stokes. And he is legend. Thursday October 11th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Mike "Zappy" Paugh on a wave we'd all like to be riding right now.
Thursday October 11th, 2012. Photo By Ed O'Connell
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) OK Ed...please tell us how you got those birds to do that? Ed Hitchcock.
Hannah Vokey working with the Cormorants. Thursday October 11th, 2012.
Photo By Ed O'Connell * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

Today-Wednesday October 10th, 2012. Photo by Bernie Baker

(Above) This almost looks like a painting. Bernie Baker lives right there at Sunset Beach. The first sign of a swell he is on it. Like he has for the last 45 plus years. We are all lucky
to have Bernie in our lives. October 10, 2012. Photo By Bernie Baker

* Click on the photo above to see a larger version.

Today-Last Month's insane Trestles Throwdown September-2012. Photos by Steve Dillon

(Above) The Man of the century. Kelly Slater. Yes he is. September 2012.
Photo By Steve Dillon * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) The wave of the contest. Lowers at Trestles. September 2012.
Photo By Steve Dillon * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Jeremy Flores throwing some roosters for the fans. September 2012.
Photo By Steve Dillon * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) I remember when Kelly Slater's Black and White movie came out...boy
were they ever right about him. He is The Man of the century. Kelly Slater. Yes he is. September 2012. Photo By Steve Dillon
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

New England Blood from the Granite Stoke on Vimeo.

The life of New Hampshire surfers in the fall.

Voices:
Billy Ritchie
Casey Lockwood
Mike Sidebottom
Brian Nevins
Erica Nardone
Dave Cropper

Surfers:
Michael Emery
Adam Fraser
Skip Brunette
Mike Sidebottom
Casey Lockwood
Billy Ritchie
Erica Nardone
Casey Mullen
Mark Scura

Thanks to Dr. Gerry Smith for flying us around over the coast!

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 New England surfers and or of local New England 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. Trust me.
We can do this...people love the older stuff. So if you have any, please send 'em along. 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
them Smart Ass Phones. Shoot and ask questions later.

Just shoot them and send them along.

(Above) Stan Bocko is a good friend of mine. In the last qtr of our lives, Stan (like a bunch of us) still gets out surfing when it's good, and he still has style. We have shared many waves over the years. I hope to share a few more with him before we both punch out.
Photo By Mind Bocko. * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Jay Fink set up his own camera and took some time release photos of himself.
The results are...well you decide. At the very least they are unique.
Photo By Jay Fink * Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Stan Bocko surfing in New Hampshire. Photo By Mindy Bocko.
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

(Above) Jay Fink shoots himself. Photo By Jay Fink
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

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

(Above) Stan Bocko SURF FREE OR DIE...surfing in New Hampshire.
Photo By Mindy Bocko.
* Click on the photo above to see the Whole gallery.

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

(Above) All Rise: 10th Street District Court of Surf Justice is now in session, the
Honorable Judge RALPH presiding. CASE 183 BLATANT DROP IN OF THE WEEK-
Click the photo to see the outcome of this Surf crime and the verdict.
Photo via the Internet

Click above to follow the entire CATCH A WAVE FOR MOLLY Blog. From start to finish. In chronological order as it happened.

CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON on each clip to view videos

This is the latest trailer for the documentary SURFING HEALS ALL WOUNDS. This was the most labor intensive project I have ever worked on. Both emotionally and physically.
There were times when I did not know if I could finish it. Having to relive the whole year in editing was so stressful. After finishing this movie, I realized that Buck Rowlee is my hero. In fact, the whole Rowlee family are. I was just a vehicle to help tell this story. I really hope you get something out of this. It is available at the Local Surf Shops and online. surffreeordie.com Portion of the proceeds will go directly to the Molly Rowlee Fund. Thank you. Surfing, Community, and Love.

We found more Crackie evidence at the Fair. Who knew Crackie
would be working at Topsfield Fair this year!!
Meanwhile 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.

Tropical Storm Ralph is coming! Ha!

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

Shot 2 weeks ago by Lenny Nichols. Coming Next Week!

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

Shot 2 weeks ago by Lenny Nichols. Coming Next Week!

Click above to read the entire MOLLY BLOG in Chronological order

(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 the Internet

Today October 10th, 2012 "Hey I think it's coming up!"

(Above) From a few nights ago. Now that is one mean looking shorebreak. The North Shore 10/10/12
Photo by BERNIE BAKER

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