SuperGirls

 

This year’s Paul Mitchell/Nissan Supergirl Surf Contest (2020) at the Oceanside Pier, Oceanside, CA, was a bit subdued because of COVID-19.  The contest was hardly publicized so as not to attract a large crowd.  But those that attended were certainly awarded with first-class female surfing. 

 On Saturday, a few locals began to line the pier which of course made everyone nervous, so a curtain was put up for about a third of the pier to dissuade people from watching the meet from that lofty location. 

 The waves on Sunday were really crashing, so to speak.  The surf line was charging north right into the wooden pylons of the Oceanside Pier.  And that made for an exciting background for photographing the surfers as they careened remarkably close to the dangerous pylons. 

 The women came from all over the world to compete for standings in the Supergirl Contests.  And they didn’t disappoint in their skills and bravery.  The waves were heavy and rolling, not for the faint of heart.  Here are some of the images!

Sea Foam

White

Frothy foam

Sweeps the beach

Now where to go

But hugging spans of sand        

Piling up like Tide soap suds         

A pungent odor of decay wafts upward    

From many algae species as red tide dies      

Referred to as phytoplankton under a science microscope seen      

After dark magical blue radiance dances among waves       

Drawing a crowd to beaches still closed    

Taking a mind off a shutdown      

Soon it will die out     

Like the COVID 19

Then comes holidaymakers

Celebrating summer

Free!

A Bit Unusual

Are you always looking around you... looking for the unusual?  If not, you may be missing something nearby.  I was photographing surfers at Beacons, a local surf spot in Leucadia, a beach community located in the coastal city of Encinitas, California, when I saw a large lump of something down the beach.  So I moved down along the beach and saw this large female sea lion enjoying the spring summer warmth and sunshine.  The sea lion are sea mammals characterized by external ear flaps,  long fore-flippers, the ability to walk on all fours, and short, thick hair.

Soon, she became the object of the curious.  As surfers emerged from the water, they couldn't help but check her out.  One young lady decided to lay down and emulate the movements of the large beast.  I noticed that when a male passed by she would rear up and "bark."  Not so with the female human; she tended to ignore them.

So eventually, after taking lots of pictures because I've never seen a sea lion up in this area, I ignored her and hoped she would find peace among the humans sharing her natural habitat.

A Gracious Heart

This is Melissa.  I met her several years ago when she was involved in feeding the homeless at a local shelter on Tuesday nights.  Melissa is from Hawaii and living in SoCal; she hasn't forgotten her surf past, as she heads out when she has time to catch a wave.

The thing is, Melissa has a gracious heart.  I've watch her show concern and compassion for those less fortunate than she.  She has a smile for all.  Yet, she too has had a difficult life trying to make ends meet, launching a beauty product business, caring for children of a busy family and all.

So I was happy to do some life-style photos for her to use on her website.  You go girl!