Mother Nature smiled down on us with a beautiful day to say goodbye to one of our own!
Today we came together as a blogging and surfing family to send our beloved Pabs off best we could. We all felt we needed to do something so we gathered together at Bolsa Chica.. Valerie from "Eat Surf Love" & "Mere-Made Surfboards" drove up from Encinitas and Surf Sista/Mary and her husband from "Intruder in the Surf", Klaude and his friend Hideki from "KK's Surf Kronicles", Matt from "El Porto Surf" Jeff from "Goofy Kook" drove from Los Angeles, My husband and I along with some of my surf gals from Wahine Kai and friends from Orange County.
It was an amazing day the sun was shining, water was not too cold and it was just so wonderful to gather and meet bloggers we have not met previously! I know Pabs would totally approve and be happy we all finally got together. There were a few missing today..but that is ok.. I know they were there in spirit.
The Paddle out was small and intimate, but went rather well and afterwards, we all caught waves(I don't think anyone left waveless)in the small surf and just enjoyed the camaraderie.
When we were done we gathered and nibbled on snacks and coffee and tea and water.. WE had so much snackage..especially an abundance of donuts..we even started passing them out to passers-by on the trail who were walking, jogging, and biking. WE may have sabotaged a few diets..but oh well!
Valerie brought a collage of Pabs we put on display and had everyone sign. I think she is going to attempt to send it to his family. After all was done Valerie and I walked to the beach and tossed the additional left over flowers one by one out to sea!
Even though it was not a joyous occassaion that brought us all together...It was a very enjoyable day!
I am posting just a small variety of pix from that day. I am sure surf sister and surf mama have a bigger variety they will be posting as well. I think with all the bloggers that attended there will be a lot of view points from that day..and I know they will all be very heartfelt as well.
I would like to share and end my blog post with what I wrote and read before we all paddled out...
I started with some words from Pabs Blog posts...only fitting....
ONE MAN CROWD, SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 29, 2012
"Into the early morning mists of NORCAL I ventured…seeking the elusive stoke while squinting through the soupy blanket that enveloped me, hoping that each distant dark mound of cold liquid rising from the primordial depths would send me cascading across its glassy surface…refueling my desire to be human once again.
This was the intro for a post that day. This is one of the reasons why I, and probably a lot of you here today were enchanted by Pabs. Before I ever met him, I fell in love with his words.
He wrote about surfing so poetically & romantically as he searched for, or on many occasions found the elusive stoke he spoke of so often.
I will never forget the day I met Pabs. He came down to surf with me & Valerie(aka surf mama)& a few of my surf sisters from Wahine Kai.
His words fit him to a tee!! He was very charming, and kind and funny. I have been fortunate to have surfed with him and will always have the memory & thanks to my friend Artie and her go-pro the video of me paddleing for a wave and Pabs swooping by extends his hand and offered me a lift, as he so gracefully glided right past me. I could not stop laughing. We had such a fun time in the water that day. Even though Pabs was in pain, he still managed to surf & have a good time! None of us knew the extent of his injury & even question if it has somethng to do with why he is no longer with us today.
Pabs will forever be in my heart & with me while I seek the stoke! Especially on the "cold" days.
I would like to read one more thing Pabs posted on his Birthday Surf Sesh #18 dated May 15, 2011 - It was a reference to why he enjoyed the stoke so much & why he said he neede it so badly. He admitted to being a stoke addict, though only in moderation. I think ALL of us surfers can relate to these words.
"But think about it...that's what makes it so rewarding for me: You're no longer in TOTAL CONTROL.
Moreover, when you surf, you're entering a realm that humans have no control over. An environment that can kill you at any time.
Though we would like to think we know what we're doing when immersed within the stoke-zone, we are in fact mere passengers upon a liquid carpet that can either unfold in glorious beauty, or be pulled out from under you in a surprisingly and humbling wipe-out.
Giving up and allowing yourself to abandon all control, including all of the life shit that we carry into water...is what makes it such a spiritual experience for many of us stoke seekers.
You have to simply allow yourself to "BE" in the moment...that also includes those times when mother water forces us into "going deep"...a metaphor for reaching into ourselves and finding our soul.
Pabs words have spoke to me on so many levels. But has also helped to deepen my love for surfing! I will very much miss his updates, his advice & of course, Pabs himself.
I am positive his presence is here with us today, & he is happy we have all come together to celebrate his "stoke addiction"!
SO today lets not be sad..lets celebrate STOKE in the name of Pabs!!!!
All Pictures courtesy of my friend Artie.. I totally was consumed putting everything together..I had no time to take pictures.. THANK YOU Artie!
