Jamilah ripping

Wow. The New Year is off to a spectacular start, perfect waves, peeling
sandbars, and glorious color-filled sunsets. On New Year’s Day, I rolled
out of bed still feeling the bout spirits from the previous night’s
celebration.

I rushed to the harbor with my Blue Emersion Surf Team, and was immediately spellbound by the incredible sets. Perfect waves firing off the midtown jetty stacked the horizon. The sun beamed as silver light reflected the happiness in my eyes. What seemed to be one million hot professional surfers lined the newly remodeled harbor beach. The once sand covered beach now shows the remnants of the forgotten old railroad pilings that seem to call out for change. The newly exposed rocks tell stories of the wild winter storms and the amazing wave action those particular storms created. Now the warmth of the moment dries up the last drops of rain. My surf buddy, “Ratboy” gave me the “heads up.” “Hey, it’s ON, friend!” he says.

Locals know that it’s a legendary event for the harbor and river mouth to
break. If you don’t get it at the right time, you may not get the chance
again for years. It’s been years since the last time the Harbor Mouth
formed such a great surf break.

I ran to suit up with my new “Psycho” O’Neill wetsuit. Earlier, my Japanese friend, Yoshi, a consistent surfer at Steamer’s Lane had informed me that “psycho” means “it’s a beautiful day.” Just putting on the suit gave me a feeling of joy and dedication. I shouted, “psycho!” I charged out to the line up as fast as I could.

Timing is essential as you scurry down the huge cement “jacks” covered with barnacles that line the jetty. Two boys climbed down into the water and paused. One commented as we all looked out into the amazing surf, “I’m scared, this is sketchy.” I smiled at him, laughed, and replied, “I wish I was scared.” I then hopped over the white water off the “jacks” into the ocean. “Wow, the new year!”

Paddling into the take-off zone, which is located exactly under the new
Walton Lighthouse, I noticed that the gentleman catching the best waves were the ones who were utterly floating on top of the cement jacks. Challenging as it seemed, I felt an overwhelming urge to copy exactly what they were doing.

Wave after wave rolled through creating a huge white foam ball that engulfed the cement jacks. The foam ball would then bounce off the jacks and transform into an insanely “rippable” wave. As the boys cheered for each other in the ideal conditions, they expressed their talent with incredible aerial maneuvers and power turns. I felt blessed just to be there.

That day, the first day of 2003 gave me a new sense of pride realizing how fortunate I am to have grown up in one of the most beautiful places in the world with perfect waves, a clean environment, and countless surf stars including my “rad” dad, Reve Fuse.

My last wave on New Year’s Day was a focused explosion of twenty years of effort: two crazy off-the-lips and a pull-in to close-out barrel finale. What girl could ask for more? I rode in on my knees and cart wheeled across the sand feeling nothing more than pure New Year Inspiration.

Yeah 2003!

Jamilah has just returned from Hawaii where she surfed 20 ft. sets in Waimea Bay. Upon returning, she fulfilled her greatest goal to surf at the
impossible Mavericks Beach waves near Half Moon Bay.

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