Pam does strange things to a man. I couldn't stop thinking about her. My friend was so moved by her that he wrote some Seussical poetry about her. It was out of character. Even for him. Pam dominated office email banter right around the country. Yet, as I stared and stared at the North Coast cams there was no sign of her. She had delivered some magic moments during her fling with the Coromandel and Northland coastlines the day before, but standing at Aramoana watching 100 surfers scramble over some small peelers I had that awkward feeling that maybe we would be out of luck.
Around 4pm a lone set of two or three waves wandered in about three, maybe four foot. Then nothing again. About 15 minutes later another, slightly bigger, a few more waves. Then nothing. Then another set a bit more promising and the taps were beginning to open. By nightfall the outer shoals were feathering and sending plumes into the air as each new set arrived.
The lulls meant access was easy and the volume of surfers just grew and grew. There were some stars out there. Famous for his ridiculously fluid surfing style and his devotion to environmental issues Kiwi-born Aussie Dave Rastovich was leading the charge in the barrel riding stakes along with the rest of the New Zealand Billabong crew. I counted five photographers in the water and at least the same on the beach. Usually there is just one or two of us.
Lots of the locals were also stepping it up in the clean, chunky conditions: Jamie Civil riding most of the biggest and deepest barrels and JC Susan getting barreled and boosting some incredible punts off the warped walls.
I saw one local surfer pull in and ride so deep with his hands brushing the roof. He came flying out and held his head in hands. "That was the barrel of my life," he told me with wild eyes. "The barrel of my life."
Walking back through the carpark on dark the chatter was at fever pitch as more stories of "barrels of my life" came out along with broken boards, leashes and bodies. Pam had delivered.
Thank-you, Pam.
See you at the beach ... Derek
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