Video by Brad Peens / Down The Line
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The Crew
Three young surfers, Leo, Slayde and Luc, joined Luke from The Store for an afternoon paddle at the right off the Anne Avenue groyne. The ocean had been unsettled earlier, but by the time they headed out, it looked manageable enough to give them ideas. It was one of those sessions that offered no guarantees.
First Pulse
The early waves arrived with that familiar mix of hope and mild disappointment. Some stood up and went nowhere. Others fizzled out before anyone could commit. Others shut down with no chance of entry or exit. A few had enough shape to make the lineup shuffle around. Everyone was trying to read the water.
Barrels and Bruises
Then the bank finally produced something worth talking about. A couple of decent lines wrapped around the groyne and ran along the sandbar with just enough attitude to make things interesting. There were barrels of sorts. Some rides looked promising until they did not. One board came up with an injury that suggested grom ambition had slightly exceeded reality. Some excitement and some drama, and enough beat-downs to remind everyone that the newly-formed sandbar does not know you, nor care about you, or your paltry little problems.
Signs of What Could Be
As the sun beat down, the session settled into a quiet rhythm. The groms were pushing each other without saying much. Edging a little deeper each time. Reading the water with more confidence. It was not heroic, but it was real. A small hint that the future might be shaping up; for the groms, for the waves, for the beaches.
A Moment That Matters
They eventually trudged up the beach with that super-rare muted grom satisfaction. Chunky sets. Tricky waves. Close-out bombs. A few makes. Very few. A wounded board. Nothing perfect, but enough to make them quite psyched for more, as groms can be.
Read more: Win a Billy’s Beach Season Pass and Help Local Young Surfer Chase the North Shore Dream
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