Santa Cruz Surf Festival Update

By Devon Barker

My first day in Santa Cruz was a big day with waves only off the point at Steamers Lane. I was pretty intimidated to take the waves off the point that surfed very close to the rock out cropping and the cliff. I got a little bolder as I watched board surfer and kayaker surfer avoid all of the obstacles with ease. This new confidence built each day, each heat, until my final heat in the International Class in Finals.

Santa Cruz was sunny and I was competing in three classes. I was in World Cup in my new Reaction from Murky Waters, International Class in my Mega Trident or as its nick named (Tried n’ dented), and my Jackson Kayak All Star in the Expert production plastic class.

In my All Star I competed against a XXX, X, Riot, and a Necky Glide. These guys, I was with the men, had a lot of speed going for them in their long boats which forced me to take steep and late take offs and to stay right in the pocket. It was awesome. In semi-finals Eric Conner told me a guy said, “That guy in the pink All Star is good” Eric said, “She’s a girl” and he said “she really rips.” It was a great time to be in my JK in the ocean and it forced me to be a more aggressive surfer by taking late take offs where my All Star had perfect drops and would skip off right into the pocket.

My new Reaction is shinny red with silver glitter stars is so beautiful and light! Thanks Papa Murky. I made it to finals and surfed into 3rd. I was also in finals in my Trident along with my newfound confidence.

My Trident and I had just gotten back together after the last time I broke it in NC. It is so fun to surf the long boats as it reminds me of all my days in a Dancer on huge waves in Idaho. I had to win my heat by 11 points, which would put me ahead. I new I needed really great wave selection and aggressive surfing. I skidded out on one really big wave so I was racing back to the line up with 8 seconds on the clock. The only wave in sight was on the point break and with my new confidence high I knew I could catch it but I just had to make sure I got off in time.

I will just say right now that I am better at catching really big waves than I am at getting off of them. I did win my finals heat but only by four points, not enough to take the overall but it came at a high price.

I could not get off the wave and surfed right into the boulder patch at the base of the cliff. Just before I was about to hit I turned my Trident a little to the side and took a boof stroke to lift my bow and closed my eyes. The wave jacked up and set me down without a scratch to me. I landed at the feet of a photographer. We were both stunned. I had a second to breath before I realized that the next set wave was about to throw me into the rocks, I took a J stroke caught the water and paddled like mad as I had a grapefruit size hole in my hull and my seam was split open about a foot long from my hip toward my knee. As I was paddling away from the boulders Morley came tumbling into the crash zone with me. I paused to let her roll up and then took five strokes to where the jet ski could see me. I waved to him, he zoomed right in, swung around, I paddled on to the sled as I was sinking, and he jetted me out from the cliff and boulders.

I am still shocked at my misjudgment. I am thankful that I was not injured and am a little wiser. I cannot thank the safety jet skier enough and everyone who was supportive of me as I was pretty shocked.

I am home back in Idaho, with my Tried n’ dented in route to the boat builder. I am writing this to you riverside at Rodeo Hole on the Salmon River where Erik Miller and I just finished surfing. It is cold here and we both miss sunny Santa Cruz. Results can be found at http://www.jmh.com/scsc07.htm and photos and video can be found at www.boatertalk.com under Surf Zone.

Surf Kayak Video (3.8 MB You will need quicktime to view the video)

Surf Kayaking Video Links from Santa Cruz:

Devon in opening kayak shot in green & white kayak

Devon in red kayak

Happy Wave Paddling!
Devon