GAGA FOR GILGO Phlogging The 2010 Atlantic Hurricane Season With Tom Dugan And Dick “Mez” Meseroll Words and photos by Tom Dugan
Going back to
New York to chase Hurricane Danielle and then Earl was a great assignment. Not
only did I get to catch up with friends, but I also got to meet new ones and
see firsthand how the surfers are progressing up north. The waves did show and
so did the surfers. I sort of put together a plan of attack as to where I would
like to be on what days according to the swell forecast, and first up was good
ol’ Gilgo Beach.
When I was a
grom growing up, Gilgo was basically my homebreak. This is where the annual
contest brought up all the surfers from Virginia Beach, New Jersey, and the
stars from Florida — the East Coast Surfing Championships actually
evolved out of one of these early events in Gilgo. I remember one day when a
hurricane was pushing six-foot-plus surf in and Dick Catri had brought up the
Hobie team and everyone got out of the water to sit and watch them rip the
waves. We had never seen such good surfing in person, and we only got one,
maybe two surf movies a year to look at, so as a grom, seeing this exhibition
at my homebreak was a dream come true.
A lot has
changed since the ‘60s, but surfers are still flocking to Gilgo and the
sandbars could not be better. Once you sift thru the kooks, there are some
really strong surfers who today call Gilgo home. Chris Tomlin and Alex Fawess
lead the pack, but nipping at their heels are Joey Gallino, Graham Eickelberg,
Andrew Brooke, Matt Wunderlich, and Rich Breen, just to name a few (we know
there’s more of you out there). These guys are leading the charge for central
Long Island, and you will be seeing more of them soon if the high caliber of
surfing I witnessed during my stay was any indication.
Yep, the times
they are a’changing at Gilgo — it now costs $30.00 to use the beach on
weekdays and a whopping $40.00 on weekends and holidays, so there’s some built-in
crowd control right there. If you can get there early and miss the parking fee before
your session, stop by the historic Gilgo Beach Inn, say hi to Eddie, and tell him ESM sent ya. But if you get hassled
by one of the locals there while you’re surfing, don't say shit about ESM — we don't know you and have
no idea what you’re talking about. Buddy, you’re on your own… happy surfing.
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?
