Bowling Alley

Boss was out of town, so I took the opportunity to steal away for the afternoon (taking official leave, of course) and catch a little bit of the small south swell.

As always the case when the clock is ticking and time is short, I hit a mean Friday afternoon traffic jam. Fuming in the car with my A/C on its last leg and suspension shot, I slowly limped towards Ala Mo, all the while imagining all the great waves I was missing in the process.

When I got there, I was disappointed (simultaneously a bit relieved) that the surf wasn't all that great. For the most part, it was chest-high and inconsistent, with good form and a medium crowd. I was out there.

Ala Moana Bowls is probably the most competitive lineup on the south shore, because of the quality of the wave and good location. I knew it would be an uphill battle snagging waves there, especially on a bodyboard, but even the scraps are usually way better than anywhere else.

Caught some neat ones, mostly the inferior rights. But still enjoyed what I got. Occasional sets would light the place up, but the locals quickly pounced on them. Despite my presession mindset that I would not catch sets, it was still maddeningly frustrating getting barred so often.

One of my last waves was typical. Took off deep on a smallish set but was immediately dropped in on by three surfers. Managed to skirt around one, accidentally knocking him down, but banged rails with the other two before getting left in the dust. Sigh.

After catching a few suck ups way on the inside, I decided to call it quits.

Despite the frustration, it was still an OK session. I guess that in city surfing, you can't get around the traffic jams no matter where you go.

Aloha from Paradise,