Some of you regular readers are aware of of group of NH surfers who meet every single September 11th. We meet at the very same spot we all were on that most terrible of days. Nobody says a word. We just show up minutes before the first plane Hit the North Tower. Then we stay until 9:03 when the second plane hit the South Tower. We speak about the day with deep reverence. We acknowledge of all of those who perished that day. We bring up two of the local connections. Bob Hayes and Tommy Percorelli.

The first year anniversary of 9-11 we all just showed up. It was incredible to see each one of us pull up to the curb and get out of their vehicles and just hang and talk. We all made a pact that we would all try to be there every year. There are life circumstances that arise throughout our lives. Work, doctors appointments etc etc. But we all make an attempt to be there.

I'm happy to say, the most unwanted of traditions is still in place. We are not forgetting what happened that day, and what is still happening in the ongoing Global War On Terrorism. With the Good Lord willing, we will all meet next September 11th, 2019.

The words being used to describe this Hurricane were "Catastrophic and the Storm of a Lifetime." And as the media is wont to do, they hyped it to death. The storm is still wrecking havoc in the Carolinas as I write this so much of the hype was warranted. But But more importantly the swells that FLORENCE generated hit here on Monday and are still here today. That's a very long way to go to hit our shoreline. I mean if you stop and think about the journey that these waves have taken, to provide us with more fun than we could handle, it should blow your mind. It sure as hell blows mine.

We are talking thousands of miles. Think about it. Thousands of miles.



The things we do to get to the surf never ceases to amaze me. People abandon all sorts of commitments. Work, school, girlfriends, wives, husbands, family, church, sports, and most importantly, common sense. Say what? Yup. Common sense seems to leave our bodies or rather the younger bodies. The older bodies like mine have a head on the shoulders that is full of common sense. I watched several carloads of surfers head north and south looking for the Holy Grail (FLORENCE). They do this while there is surf in their own backyards. What's the old saying? "The Grass is always greener..."

I saw carloads head north, only to turn around and head back here.



I jokingly call it "Checking it hard!" Drive here, drive there, checking each spot. And mind you, they all looked OK. But to leave surf to go find surf? I don't know. I suppose that's all part of being a surfer. You buy into the hype and you GO WITH THE FLO!

OK before we go any further I need to point out that the photo above is my version of FAKE NEWS. What's that you ask? I like to fool around with Photoshop. And I had taken two pics of these guys doing cutbacks. They both seemed so similar that I decided to photoshop them together to make it appear that they are both on the same wave doing the same maneuver.

They are not. It was all me and my active imagination.



Looking over my shoulder the other day while I was shooting I heard a familiar voice but not wanting to take my eye off of the action I didn't fully turn to see who it was. Turns out it was Mike Sidebottom. Have not seen him in at least a year. Maybe more. And what I've never seen is Mike on a short board. Not surprisingly he was just as good on a short board as he is on a longboard.



They can't teach you style. You either have it or you don't. Mike has it and then some. Man looking at this photo it's amazing how murky brown the water was that day. The water did clean up by the end of the swell (as seen here below).



This is Danny. He's a NH/Florida transplant. A friend of Duffy McCarthy. I hope he sees this pic. He's a fan of the Blog and of NH in general. Let's face it, locals who live and surf here and then end up moving away from here, always have a deep yearning in their heart to return. If New England and specifically New Hampshire is in your blood, you will return. We all do



I shot so much video and still this week, that I am drawing a blank as to who this is. Man, I'm either getting too old or I take too many damn pics.


I believe this is Mackey V sliding in the slush.



This is my main man these days. Kainalu Nichols is hands down the fastest surfer we have here in NH. He seems to have an overdrive speed that most people only dream off. And as I have said a million times before, surfing is all about speed. The faster you go, the bigger the move. Kai proving my point in Hurricane Florence on Day II.


" Hurricanes and Surfing All Wounds."

This week's ED's Corner is Ross Kunkel from 2009. Hurricane Bill was one of the good ones. It got big but remained clean throughout the entire swell. And I remember Ed getting some amazing pics. 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
The satellite shots this week looked crazy. It was like a measles outbreak of Hurricanes. The Atlantic was swarming with storms. Some already named and others gaining strength.

The three storms here were looking pretty formidable. It's wild how they all form off of Africa. And Africa was spitting storm after storm out last week like spitting out sunflower seeds. And the pacific was just as active. Look, I'm not sure what you all think about when it comes to GLOBAL WARMING, but you can't argue with the facts. And the facts are pretty staggering. Something is happening in the world. These insane storms, the wildfires, the floods, the unusually high temperatures all point to one thing. GLOBAL WARMING. It's real, and it's not going get any better.



It's not going to be pretty for our kids and grandkids. Something is happening right before our very eyes. Not so much these hurricanes perse, because we've always had them. But it does seem to me that they are more frequent and more powerful than ever before. Watching these crazy Hurricane hunters flying directly into these storms is not for the feint of heart. Not sure how one can stand up when the plane you're in, is dropping hundreds of feet at a time and rocking and rolling the whole way.

Nope. Homey don't play that game. No sir ree bobby!



This is an impressive photo. That is one ass kicking storm. They were all concerned that FLORENCE would make landfall as a CAT 4 or even a CAT 5. Luckily, she went down to a CAT 1. But it's the stalling and slowing down that has the experts concerned. Flash flooding , storm surges, and yes high winds.

This storm means business.



This has Florence churning up through the Carolinas and Virginia and then heading towards New England. We've already had 5 days of waves. Typically when these bad ass storms go inland like this, they tend to eventually get pushed back out to sea. And that my friends, is good news for the surfers.

*Click on the photo above to see a larger version

(Above) Kainalu setting up for the BIG turn. Thursday September 13th, 2018. Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) Kainalu from a multi shot sequence. Thursday September 13th, 2018. Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) Kainalu throwing some serious fan tail. Thursday September 13th, 2018. Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery



(Above) This is Brian. He has the funniest hat I've seen in quite sometime.
The hat is Red and it says, "STOP GLORIFYING RATS!" Thursday September 13th, 2018. Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) This is one of Phil Carey's staple moves. Thursday September 13th, 2018. Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

(Above) Kai in the dark murky stuff. Wednesday September 12th, 2018.
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) Richie Appel impacted in this frothy milk shake tries to shake
himself loose. Wednesday September 12th, 2018.
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery






(Above) This is one of those pics with a story. This guy was actually falling off his board. I pulled the trigger the instant before he fell. Looking at this photo and not knowing the story behind it, you'd think it was an intentional bottom turn. Of course I just ruined his stoke by telling you all this. Maybe it's best to keep these things between me and the rider. Sorry man.
Wednesday September 12th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery




(Above) The Quinn girls getting in a little Florence action on Day III.
Wednesday September 12th, 2018.
Photo by RALPH *Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery

Today- FLORENCE DAY 2 Tuesday September 11th, 2018. Photos by RALPH



(Above) Little Artie Seaman on a clean little left handed zipper.
Tuesday September 11th, 2018. Photo by RALPH
*Click on the photo above to see the whole gallery