| Trestles Church's, Day 5: Gathering of the Tribes with Few Injuries but Great Success |
| Saturday, 03 January 2009 | |
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Church's, San Clemente (01.04.09) -- The Gathering of the Tribes came to a close with great surf and lots of smiles, despite a few injuries. After the last horn blew and the final award was given, the Doheny Surf Club was able to claim one more successful event under their belt.
The early morning surf had impressively improved when compared to the day before. Whereas on Saturday waves were in the 1-foot range and blown out, on Sunday the surf reached chest-high, with some waves nearing the head-high bar; the wind stayed relatively calm, leaving little and almost no texture in the water; and the sun came out after 4 days of cloudy skies, making it all the more inviting to be at the event. 
There were a few incidents, but nothing to spoil the overall vibe. A member of the Oceanside surf club, while making his way through the cobblestones, got a deep cut to the bottom of his foot, forcing him to wear crutches as a result. But the spirit of camaraderie was so enrapturing that he decided to stay in the premises with their fellow surfers, even though the injury had him limping around for the rest of the day. 
Another incident befell one of the La Jolla Shores Surf Club competitors. Kyoko, who was representing the club in the Senior Women Shortboard division, had a serious Charlie horse during the last few minutes of her final heat, calling for some of those on the scene to pull her out of the water and then perform some stretch exercises and massages for her to overcome the pain. But like her Oceanside counterpart, she decided to stay for the remainder of the contest to watch her fellow surfers and share in the fun.
But putting these incidents aside, the Gathering of the Tribe 2009 was another enormous success. Surfers and friends of all ages and stripes came together to celebrate this great sport of surfing and also raise money for various different charities, including the fight against the Trestles Toll Road and a Further Education College Fund for Doheny Club members. And in great anticipation, surfers are already talking about next year's event and looking forward to the waves that Neptune will have in store for them. All Reports: |
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