South Swell Hits The Point....

The Scene, Newport Pier in background	Red Flag at 17th
Very diverse crowd checks out the action	This is what they saw, 6'- 8' walls
More of the scene, red flag at 19th	One guy is done, another just getting started
Guy in a wife beater watches...	...as a guy in a wetsuit takes a beating...he didn't make the drop
This guy is *not* going to make that section...	...neither is this guy
The shot of the shot of the ride	Another case of bad timing on the paddle-out (note: pelicans)
Another tough paddle, note the walled up wave in the background	Hard to see this guy but he made an amazing drop, now it's all left
Guy on left watching the left	Relatively pedestrian wave for the day
Another speedy left hander	Zoomed in on this guy dropping in
The famous Calvert Backside Rail Grab	Dropping in, time to GO...(I don't think he made it)
A "wide peak", note guy punching through on left side	No takers
Not great shape, but plenty big	Sponge takes a turn
Same sponge, same wave - into the soap	Splitting the "peak"
Soapy, sandy wave (and look outside :-0)	Three elements of surfing (L to R): Wipe-out, drop-in, duck dive
Family time	Another post-Labor Day crowd scene at 18th
Even this guy had to stop and watch	Right where my feet should be on days like this.
September is hurricane season everywhere (in the northern hemisphere anyway) and this swell was a combination of an existing south groundswell with a kick from hurricane Humberto. It takes a very particular swell angle to make the point fire like a point and this was *not* it. Lots of walls, lots of beatings but a few quick peaks and some shoulder hopping combined with Newport's surfing talent made for some good photos (it was a little too big for my longboard). Unfortunately, I don't have the lens for the good close-up shots but I shot a few pix and here they are... -- mw 09/05/02