Travis could ride anything with style(as shown in my video)but he gained notoriety through his noseriding- winning contests and being featured in magazines.
He was one of just a few riders who got free boards from the legendary surfer/shaper Donald Takayama, who just passed recently.
We had some great trips together.
On one trip to Rincon we loaded up our daily riders unaware that the Eddie Swell was on its way. On the fly. No internet.
When first light came we realized it was absolutely pumping. Many SB points were holding and all were crowded so we just figured we may as well join the shitshow at Rincon.
Our daily riders were 5'8" vintage(80's)twinnies. No cords.
Rincon was double overhead with a million seabugs and a mean current.
I made it out and just couldn't relax and have fun with the crowd and the bombs coming through, so I finally just burned some guy and got a sick one through the Cove bar, and got out.
I hung out next to the Pit where the crusty locals would sit and heckle all the kooks, and even the rippers, in the water and walking back up the point.
Trav finally caught a gem.
This was one of the finest waves, and one of the finest waves ridden, that I've ever seen.
Riding backside, where most of us would have been stalling in the barrel or running for the shoulder, Travcranked the sickest bottom turn into the smoothest most powerful S turn gouge under the lip, basically inside the tube. That move scrubbed just enough speed to let him stand in the tube for what must have been five seconds- all the way through the Cove.
The grumpiest locals stopped heckling and hooted for Trav.
We also scored El Cap (with TC out) and Pitas on that mission.
As a funny aside, I funded the trip, from my dole. We stayed in the Motel 6 at Ventura Harbor and all night there were tweekers playing with a dead seagull in the parking lot. WTF?
Walden Surfboards wrote:
"We are frustrated and saddened to hear that there has been another attack at "C" Street this morning, and the attack was on one of our dear friends. She is a beautiful person and passionate surfer. The bully is about 6'2, 200+ lbs., we know who he is because this isn't the first attack. What made this attack especially pathetic is this bully went after a women, and one who is about half his size.
An equally awful part of the bullying is the crew of grown men that watch and applaud the bully. It's bad enough that high school kids act like this but grown men? Where are the hero's? Where are the independent thinkers? Where is the honorable man that will come to the rescue of a victim?
For those of you who condone, support or even joke about violence in the water or worse do nothing..your followers. Not a leader among you! It's hard to be a leader, it takes guts.
To the followers... we are tired of hearing how much you hate SUP'ers, longboarder's, shortboarders, kooks, whatever your grip is....as if that justifies bullying. Save your hate for things that matter. Hate child abuse, hate poverty, etc. but don't waste your hate on a surfboard or a wave. To the haters..get out of your small world and your big ego and grow up."
We had some of that brand of drama here last weekend at Kanaha also.
i learned to surf at salt creek beach in 79 when i lived in dana point,i still surf,kayaks,but miss the real thing as much as bouldering jtree.the sports have very a simular buzz.
Let us know!