The 2006 Body Glove Surfbout presented by Adio Footwear – Day One

Waves: Ankle-to-thigh-high with the occasional waist-to-chest-high set.
Weather: Overcast.
Action: “Welcome to Lake Lower Trestles,” said announcer Ryan Divel, 7-minutes into the first heat of the morning. “Any surfer who posts a .01 will take the lead.” A few minutes later, at the ten-minute mark, with no scores at all on the board, the contest organizers restarted Heat 1. “It looks like its going to be a long day,” Divel concluded, “but it beats being in the office.”

He did have a point. It’s tough to complain about a full day at the beach, especially at a spot like Lowers, but with the sun lurking behind low-hanging clouds this morning and an ocean so flat that a paddle battle for an ankle-snapper constituted a flurry of activity, it was difficult to stay optimistic. But, true to form, the boys in the water made the most of every scrap that came through today, and honestly, it’s pretty amazing what can be done by a talented surfer, even when the ocean is in an uncooperative mood. And judging just from the enthusiasm shown the little runners that came in, all the motivations of the competitors were intact. Clearly, qualifying points, cash and the prospect of better waves to come, plus a nearly empty Lowers lineup, were a powerful draw. So, even on a day where a waist-high bump constituted a monster ride, the boys stayed fired up, holding the future up for inspiration.

Still, Heat 1 was murderously slow, as was most of the day, but there were some intermittent flares in the action, all of which were associated with the best sets to hit the beach.

Heat 4 was a perfect example of this. Roger Eales posted an 8.67 and an 8.07 to take first by being quick on his feet. And while he looked smooth, it didn’t hurt that he managed to grab two of the best waves of the morning. Others who stood out in Round One, and worked the cream of the small surf to their advantage, were Chris Drummy in Heat 5 and Dennis Rizzo in Heat 7, who both managed to post solid heat totals.

The flipside of the coin however, came in match-ups like Heat 6. That heat saw Micah Burn win on the merits of only one scoring wave, a 7.17, despite several of his fellow competitors getting multiple rides. The waves just weren’t there for the rest of the field.

But at least the winds stayed light throughout the day, and the resultant clean faces, combined with a mid-afternoon tide push helped immensely, especially during first half of Round 2. The high-score of the day came in Round 2 when Justin Jones posted an 8.83. But that score, coupled with his second ride wasn’t enough to give him the win. Instead it was Jeremy Johnston, with a pair of mid-range scores who advanced into the next round in the top slot.

Beyond that, Heat 5 of the Second Round was the most hotly contested match-up of the day. It saw Santa Cruz’s Jason Collins and local Greg Long dominate for the majority of the twenty minutes. Long was on fire out of the gates, and looked to handily take the win, but then, just before the horn, Chris Drummy nabbed a buzzer beater and stole the show with a low 8. “Greg actually let me have that wave,” said Drummy. “He was advancing, and he knew it, so he sort of gave me the nod to go when that one came through.”

Drummy, who was in rhythm all day, took first in Heat 5 while Long advanced in second. Collins, who seemed safely in the transfer slot, was bumped to third by Drummy’s last minute backside attack.

“This morning, I think it was seriously the smallest I’ve ever seen Lowers,” said Drummy, “but with the tide turning it’s getting better out there. I saw a few decent waves in my heat and the boys were ripping.”

Drummy was right. By the end of the day the surf had picked up, and with a swell scheduled to arrive later in the week it was clear that those who advanced were relieved. “The guys are fired up to stay in this thing,” said event director Darren Brilhart. “They know that things are going to get better and they know that surfing Lowers when it’s on is worth digging in and doing everything to make their heats.”

Log back in tomorrow for the conclusion of the Round of 160 and the entire Round of 128 at the Body Glove Surfbout presented by Adio at Lower Trestles.