After surfing Backdoor for the past 37 years, some things never change. There is a coconut tree on the beach were I align myself up to. Then when I see a set coming, the first thing I do is make sure I’m right in line with the tree, then I wait for the wave to build up, then I paddle for it. Backdoor is a reef break and all the good waves break on the exact same place. I wouldn’t know what to do if someone cut that tree down. Haha.
Sometimes you can get barreled right when you take off. And sometimes you can get barreled after a slow timed bottom turn. Either way, you’re going to get barreled out here.
And when you’re in the barrel, time stands still. It’s like things are frozen in your own world, and you can hear a hollow sound of the ocean, and all you’re thinking is making it out. If you make it, you feel glory. If you don’t, you feel like you might die. I have no idea why this is still so addicting. But us surf addicts live for days like this. That has never changed for me since my first Backdoor barrel back in 1988…
