Back to Baja - Week 2

17/09/2013

The second week out here in Baja has been somewhat slower than week one, the swell dropped off as did the wind for a few days which has meant less time on a windsurfer but this has afforded me more time on a surfboard albeit mostly paddling practice. That said best time for surfing here is the early morning when the sea mist is still hanging low and the wind is yet to set in and blow it out to sea though with the lack of wind and swell there has also been more swill consumed which for me has inevitably meant waking up when my tent gets too hot and missing the better part of the morning session.

Some decent conditions. 

Afternoon smack!

The extended drinking hours have also meant the
introduction of a few drinks to the Solosports bar. The first was the Mexican Omelette which I tried to introduce last year but failed. This time I managed to get Joey and Derek to join me.  The Mexican Omelette requires one to crush a raw egg in their mouth, chase it with a tequila shot and spit the shell out into the shot glass, a feat that very few accomplish on their first attempt so it was no surprise when Joey ran straight to the bin before the tequila touched his lips.  Next, following on from all the time I spent at the Absinthe Bar at Burning Man, I educated the bar to the ways of the green fairy which went down a treat, then anything you set on fire at a bar tends to get the patrons excited.  Finally the drink that gave me my worst hangover of the year was created when Angela came to ask for a Baja Fog after Derek, Randle and I had just had one.  The Baja Fog is a traditional drink down here where one fills the neck of a Corona or Pacifico with tequila and adds a dash of lime which fogs up the neck, this is then downed until the beer at the bottom is reached. So what happens when you have just downed a fog and someone comes to join for one? Well you fill up your now almost half full beers with more tequila and lime and create the Baja Smog, which can only be drunk in one go unless you are a fan of warm tequila which you would end up sipping once all the beer is gone. The night that resulted in my hangover also resulted in the Baja Smog being banned from the bar to become a relic of our memories of that one night in Baja.

Watching the waves. 

Surfing with the locals. 

Anyone for some single track?

Despite the conditions and the hard drinking there have been some decent windsurfing sessions where I have gone out to try some more forward loops. After a few attempts I gave up on the landing on my back and turned to see how much height I could get on jumps out at the bombora. One such session resulted in a bad landing and a slightly tweaked ankle which saw me take a break the day after, something I am sure my body was thankful for. When not on the water, mountain biking has seen some more action and I made the attempt to further my sports photography skills by taking a few shots of Derek and Kevin on a downhill section. This required both a well timed trigger finger, especially when using a flash, and a little bit of stupidity when laying on the top of a bank or under the lip of a jump to get the money shot.  While I got some good shots, I think if I can get my timing and focusing better I get some real gems, that is if my camera equipment will hold up to the dust.

Milliseconds too late for the money shot. 

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Something Special

It is commonly cited that it was environmental pressures that pushed our forefathers to up sticks and venture out of Africa...

I like to think it was a deep-seated desire for exploration and adventure. After the advent of agriculture, boredom surely got to hold them and they could not explain the unsettled feeling that drove them to walk further and further from their comforts.  

Boredom is the opposite of happiness and these guys certainly know that we are at our happiest when seeking adventure. 

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Why not?

I have been working in online media for some years now and over the past few, one company has really captivated my attention.  That company is Red Bull.  To be more precise, Red Bull Media House. 

I am sure most people reading this have either heard of them or watched something produced by them and have been blown away by the awe inspiring cinematography in films such as the art of flight and the signature series. One might think that alone is what would inspire an appreciation for a company that was once just an energy drink manufacturer. 

Though what I find most inspiring and aspirational is their ability to ask why not when others ask why.

Shall we send a man to the edge of space in a tin can and let him plummet back to the marble we live on with only a piece of cloth to save him. Why not?

Shall we take a sport that is already pushing the limits of what we thought possible and push it that little bit further. Why not?

Shall we create an entirely new sport, one in which the only contestants we will find that are mad enough to partake are those that have left their fear mashed up against a plexiglass wall? Why not?

The latest one I have been keeping an eye on and it hits straight to another passion of mine, one which I am sure I'll be writing more about, is the Red Bull Storm Chase.  

If you thought the guys in the discover series storm chasers were a bit doolally you will certainly want to check this out. 

While on the subject of inspiration.  If there is one thing you watch before January is out, I urge it to be this. When everyone else would be asking why is this happening to me, why should I have such a hard life, Dewey Bozella instead said why not make my dream happen?

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