The result of the BOMBOGENSIS from October 17th, 2019 was nothing short of AWESOME POWER. So if you're like me, you are probably wondering just what exactly is a BOMBOGENSIS. Well, here's what I've gathered from the all mighty and powerful Internet.
"You may have heard or read about a "bomb cyclone" or a storm system undergoing "bombogenesis." What exactly do these weather terms mean?
In simple terms, bombogenesis is a storm that undergoes rapid strengthening. The vast majority of such storms occur over the ocean. The storm can be tropical or non-tropical in nature.
Other common phrases for bombogenesis include weather bomb, or simply bomb cyclone.
The term bombogenesis comes from the merging of two words: bomb and cyclogenesis. All storms are cyclones, and genesis means the creation or beginning. In this case, bomb refers to explosive development. Altogether the term means explosive storm strengthening.
A cyclone (non-tropical storm or hurricane) is essentially a giant rising column of air that spins counterclockwise over the Northern Hemisphere.
When air rises, it produces a vacuum effect that results in lower atmospheric pressure." This was all from ACCU-WEATHER.
Whatever it is they call it, the results are crazy weather for those of us who had to deal with it. I personally lost a large tree in the backyard. And thousands of New Englanders lost power. Some are still without power some 4 days later. I know there have been worse storms and damage, but when these Bomb Cyclones hit, they hit with a force that is unmatched except the annual tropical Hurricanes. In other words, it's pretty impressive. The winds alone are worth the price of admission.
On 10-17-19 I was out shooting from late morning until complete darkness.
The surf was huge and unmanageable at first. The winds went from NNE to WSW and they were gusting (30-60mph) to beat the band. It's hard to tell how strong the wind is from these still images, but
trust me, they were powerful. I did shoot video and that will be coming soon enough. But these still images will have to suffice for the time being.
If you look closely, you will see the surfer in the lower left hand corner raising his arms up over his head. He's freaking at both the size of this wave and the hollowness of it. Casey Lockwood described the two waves that came through that morning as two of the biggest and hollowest waves he and his friend Crowley had ever seen. They came in roaring like freight trains and nobody was able to pick one off.
I'm not sure that this is one of them. I am sure that this is a big freaking wave.
I need to mention this so it is
documented, but while I was sitting in my vehicle shooting the surf. *I had tried standing outside but the wind gusts were moving me in every direction possible. Making it very difficult to shoot. So I moved my vehicle so that I could sit in the passenger seat and shoot out the window without getting blown around by the wind and rain.
At one point I had both my cameras around my neck when the phone rang. It was my buddy Rich calling to talk about our upcoming trip up north. As we were speaking I looked up and saw
Casey paddle for and catch a big hollow right. He dropped in and pulled into the thickest and biggest barrel of the day. He was dragging both hands in the wave face. Much to my astonishment he shot out and got barreled again on the inside. Finally kicking out unscathed. It was one of the ONLY makeable waves I had seen all day. The whole time this was happening I was on the phone, I tried to fumble with the cameras while holding the phone but could not adjust in time. To add insult to injury he looked over his shoulder back at me to see if I was paying attention.
I honestly felt sick to my stomach. I just blew the wave of the day.
When Casey got out of the water and walked up the beach towards my vehicle I had to confess. I was very apologetic about missing that wave. he kept saying it was "OK and not to worry about it." But it was NOT Ok and I did stress over missing it. I wanted that wave on film as much for myself as I did for Casey. I mean, this is what I do. I shoot the surf and make little movies. That wave of Casey would have been on the HIGHLIGHT REEL of my life.
But writing about it now, it is at least acknowledged. I'm so sorry Casey.
As sorry as I was about missing that wave, I'm more sorry about missing my late father-in-law. Jerry Bunton died of a massive heart attack at the young age of 65 late Sunday night on October 17th, 2005. That phone call changed our lives forever.
The phone ringing in the night is never good news.
To this day when the phone rings past 11:00PM at night we get a chill that runs through our bodies.
I know that some of you can relate to those late night calls. Any way, we'd rather acknowledge his birthday than the day he left us. But human nature is like that. We remember the days that changed our lives forever. Losing a loved one like Jerry is etched into our minds for all of eternity. My wife lost a father. My kids lost a grandfather. And my grandchildren lost a great grandfather that they would never get to meet.
And the friends he left behind are in the hundreds.
His simple Veterans Plaque says it all. His service in the ARMY and the Intelligence agency for which he received the highest award given for valor is something to be proud of. The Intelligence Star is the equivalent of the Medal Of Honor in the military. He was proud if that award. And so were we.
The photo below is of him in the ARMY. He was in the 101st Airborne.
He looks so young in this photo. Hell he looked young at the end as well. The man never had a gray hair in his head. My kids are lucky that they come from such great genes. Between my father-in-law and my mother-in-law they have have a chance of maintaining youthful looks throughout their adult years.
We all still miss and love you Jerry.
And if the anniversary of Jerry's passing wasn't sad enough, so too was the birthday of my late kid sister Evamarie. Her birthday was two days later. October 19th. She would have turned 62. She passed away in November of 2015. We all miss her terribly. Happy Birthday Evamarie.
She was a beautiful mother and grandmother.
You know, there's something inherently sad about the fall. I always find myself getting over emotional and melancholy in the fall. I think of people and pets that are no longer with us. This typically happens when I'm up north along the Canadian border in my annual pursuit of the King of the North American game birds, the Ruffed Grouse. I will often stand on those mountains and gaze off into the valleys below and think of them.
I live for October. And I love these two game birds. The RUFFED GROUSE and the AMERICAN WOODCOCK. In our home, Our Thanksgivings are traditional in every sense of the word.
Whatever we harvest we eat.
My friends and I have a saying. "May The Grouse Be With You."
"Surfing and October Heals All Wounds."
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Because most of the pics I shot this week were from this stretch of coastline I figure why not run one of Ed's pics from this same spot. The surfer is unknown. But the date is October of 2014.
Photo by Ed O'Connell
*Click the photo above to see a larger version of Ed's Pic.
Now for Some Local, National and International News
You know the saying, "A picture is worth a thousand words?" Well here's two of 45 that can fill an encyclopedia.
He's gesturing about his Kurdish abandonment from last week.
The KURDS lost 11,000 fighters fighting alongside of our troops in the fight against ISIS. Look at this pic below. This is our president. Honestly?
These kinds of photos and his juvenile tweets are a daily comedy show. You can't make this shit up people.
These are KURDS living in the US. Ye Reap What ye Sow.
And now for something more honorable. The passing of Elijah Cummings at age 68 last week. I may not agree with most of his policies but I respect the man. There's grace and dignity in this photo. Show me a photo of 45 that comes close to this.
ESM (Eastern Surf Magazine) using a READY MAG format did the Best of Ralph's Pic. And while they couldn't possibly use everything thing I've ever done, they did manage to put up some 50 pics of mine, plus two videos. And I was truly humbled by their intro. Mez said some nice things about me. CLICK ON THE IMAGE ABOVE TO SEE THE WHOLE Spread.
COMING FATHER'S DAY 2020.
While I was making the GRANITE GIRLS video I came up with this project and concept. It's never been done before. As hard as that seems to be. I'm onto yet another never been done before Surf Movie concept. This will be an overview of Surfer dads and their sons. It's a work in progress and I'm hoping to get as many dads and their sons as possible in this movie.
The DVD's are available at all the local surf shops. Or by
sending me an email. ralph@adlantic.com or send a check for $20.00 made out to ADLANTIC and send it here:
ADLANTIC
c/o OC Studio Suites
703 Ocean Blvd Suite C-4
Hampton, NH 03842
Or RENT or BUY it Online. You have spoken and I have listened. You don't have a DVD player so I made it available Online. Watch it on your Smart TV, your computer, or your cellphone! I can't make this any easier my friends.
GRANITE GIRLS and The RIVER WOMEN from Ralph's Pic Of The Week on Vimeo.
NOW AVAILABLE on VIMEO ON DEMAND.
KSM Photoshop of the Week
There was a recent news report of one of these ladies having to serve "two weeks" in jail for her crimes. Who the hell serves two weeks? I see a Tell All Book along with a Made for TV movie about this scandal. Oh I tossed our boy KSM into this pic to add to the absurdity as well as to provide you all with my weekly KSM photoshop. It's funny how they seem to be looking at Khaliddy. Like he actually had something to do with it.
And so my friends, please take advantage of this weekly photo shop of the mastermind who planned 9-11 and resulted in the deaths of 3,000 innocent civilians by KSM (Khalid Sheik Mohammed).
*Note to self -must pick up a case of College For Dummies books at Home Depot this week.
RIP 14 years. Jerry Bunton October 17, 2019
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Evamarie Fatello October 19th, 2019! RIP.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY Eva Fatello October 28th, 2019 RIP
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JoEllen Bunton October 29th, 2019!
PLEASE Keep longtime NH Surfer Greg Smith in your Prayers.
Lenny Nichols & Colin Madden
Co-Directors, NNE District
Eastern Surfing Association
www.esa-nne.org
@esa.nne.surf
Please
Support ALL The photographers who contribute to
Ralph's Pic Of The Week every week for the last 13 years.
** BUY a HIGH RES Photo
from any of the weeks on RPOTW.
Remember
my friends... Surfing Heals All Wounds.
Pray for Surf. Pray for Peace. Surf For Fun.
Ralph
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(Above) I'm sorry to whoever this is. But, let's face it, this too is surfing. MELISSA. Sunday October 13th, 2019. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery
(Above) What a day for a picnic. MELISSA. Sunday October 13th, 2019.
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery
(Above) Fans of MELISSA. Sunday October 13th, 2019. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery
(Above) Perfection. MELISSA. Sunday October 13th, 2019. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery
(Above) From a sequence. MELISSA. Sunday October 13th, 2019.
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery
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