SUMMER TEASE Why The Month Of July Barely Kept The
Rightside Sane By Nick McGregor
With
short-lived Tropical Storm Colin fizzling faster than a dud bunch of Pop Rocks,
and a random handful of unorganized tropical waves limping through Hurricane
Alley and the Caribbean, all those apocalyptic forecasts for the 2010 Atlantic
Hurricane Season — 18 named storms! Record-high sea-surface temperatures!
Five major hurricanes! — now seem overblown at best.
Of course,
we’re just nearing the historical peak of the season, when the Atlantic Ocean can
throw sucker punches that immediately improve our summer surfing situation
— and scare the hell out of coastal residents. But let’s not forget that
little ol’ July, quite possibly the worst month for waveriding on the entire
East Coast calendar, actually packed a fun little punch.
Hurricane
Alex and Tropical Storm Bonnie both sent quick shots of chest-high joy to Florida
Panhandle and Texas surfers — and if anyone deserved some saltwater
therapy last month, it was our Gulf Coast brothers and sisters, who are still
suffering through an unprecedented environmental and economic catastrophe.
For the rest
of us, yes, there were flat spells interspersed with tummy-high teasers. But
the Southeast saw a fun little swell for 4th of July, before enjoying a
weeklong run of three- to four-foot waves mid-month. Florida surfers were able to
find solace from their state’s usual record-breaking heat, the ESA-Georgia
District successfully held its first contest of the year, South Carolina
shredders stayed wet from sunrise to sunset, and the 6th Annual Reef/
Sweetwater Pro-Am Surf Fest in Wrightsville Beach, NC, even had more than
enough ripple to get off the ground.
New Jersey
enjoyed a few rideable bumps here and there as well, while New York’s
south-facing coastline sucked in all the size it could. The Northeast was small
to middling most of the month, but beautiful New England weather and a few choice
loggable days kept everyone just sane enough to start dreaming about autumn.
So sure,
July wasn’t the most epic month for surf — it never is. But if you can
ride a shortboard several days in a row during the most dismal part of the
quietest East Coast season, life isn’t all bad. And as August’s days tick away,
rest assured that fall in all of its swell-endowed glory is right around the
corner.
THE OLD IN-OUT
The 2009 WRV Outer Banks Pro Presented By Hurley Is Moving Ahead Like Clockwork
Along The Graveyard Of The Atlantic... Let's Hope Hurricane Season Doesn’t Dish
Out A Bit Of The Old Ultraviolence
BILL OF SALE Surf Expo Comes To Town Early With Lower-Than-Usual
Attendance Rumors And Category 4 Hurricane Bill Zooming In. Will You Blow Town To
Bro Down Or Sit Tight And Get Right?
