Rather be surfing something besides the Web right now? Jerry Johnson’s way ahead of you with his new book The Old Timers Surfing Classic: Photo Highlights of the 2006 Old Timers Long Board Surfing Classic. These pictures of the Wellfleet Old Timers Long Board Surfing Classic show surfing at its most elemental: No wetsuits, no leashes, no fear. Jerry caught some truly classic surf moves: grabbing the underside of the board mid-wave, catching air on a wipeout, and the obligatory fist-pump at the tail end of a gnarly wave. As my friends from the Cape might say, “Wicked!”
True, some of those surfers do look suspiciously young to be old timers. But old timer classics are a big draw not only in Cape Cod but here on the West Coast too, with all ages carving up the waves and the competition on pre-1970s old-school boards. These boards aren’t exactly small or easy to maneuver, and when they smack you in a major wipeout, you’ll feel it.
While most of us might consider that fair warning, dedicated surfers take it as a worthy challenge. Jerry’s photos capture that thrill of facing the waves for those of us who remain deskbound … at least until spring comes.
Congrats to Jerry, and to all you old-school surfers back east in Cape Cod, hang loose.
